Review: Big Hero 6 (UK Cert PG)

This might be something of a first: a quick review from me! Honestly, there isn't a lot I want to say about Big Hero 6 so I'll keep it short.

Big Hero 6 is based on a Marvel comic but they have taken a few liberties with the source material (changing some of the characters around and leaving a few out). It's essentially an origin story which sees 14-year-old robotics genius Hiro Hamada team up with his friends- and a big white robot named Baymax- to fight a sinister menace.

Baymax is just adorable. Originally created as a healthcare companion, Hiro sees the opportunity for an upgrade- but Baymax still retains that gentle naivete which is so loveable, coupled with a great voice performance by Scott Adsit. Most of the film's real laugh-out-loud moments for me came from the odd-couple relationship between Baymax and Hiro. There's a scene with a deflating Baymax, a cellotape dispenser and a very patient policeman which was particularly funny, as is the scene where Hiro must get Baymax back to his charging station. 

There's an interesting visual style for San Fransokyo (as the name suggests, it's a mash-up of San Francisco and Tokyo, so you have things such as reimagining the Golden Gate Bridge with torajii gates). There's quite a bit of self-referential comic book hero stuff knocking about, mostly through the slacker character Fred (who even remarks upon this being 'an origin story'), but that's sparing, which is good. The script is pretty formulaic, most of the other characters aren't exactly well-rounded or fleshed out, and there are some sections that looks like they've been directly lifted from the tie-in video-game (such as the first time Hiro and Baymax fly). 

Big Hero 6 doesn't reach the dizzying heights of Frozen (but then it'll be a long time before Disney manage that, if they ever do) and doesn't have the same charm as Wreck-It Ralph but it's still enjoyable enough- and Baymax is just great.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tez