Big Hero 6 voiced by Ryan Potter

When I first arrived at the movie theater to watch Big Hero 6 for the first time, I had not heard very much about the plot and subsequently, had not developed any high expectations for the film. I was simply celebrating a friends birthday when I was invited to watch Big Hero 6 in November of 2014. Big Hero 6 tells the story of how the superhero group by the same name formed. Big Hero 6 debuted in theaters on November 7, 2014. According to IMDb, the movie had a $165 million dollar production budget and its directors, Don Hall and Chris Williams, won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year in 2015 (n.p.). Big Hero 6 is based after the Marvel comic of the same name and is the first Disney animated film to include Marvel characters. I imagined the movie would be entertaining, but I did not predict that I would enjoy the movie and its characters so much. Walt Disney Animation Studios has a great reputation for producing quality films with touching stories. Big Hero 6 is no exception.

From the opening scene where Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter) exhibits his intelligence in a bot fight, to the closing credits, every scene brings satisfaction to the viewing audience. Big Hero 6 maintains a strong balance of comic, tragic, action, and adventure elements throughout the film. The characters are well developed and the problems and emotional perplexities are explored throughout the film in respect to the main character, Hiro Hamada. This is evident when the viewers get a glimpse at how Hiros brother Tadashi (voiced by Daniel Henney) always worked to ensure Hiros safety and challenged him to attend his prestigious college before his untimely death in a building fire. The friendship forged throughout the movie between Hiro and the inflatable, healthcare providing robot, Baymax, registers authentic to the viewers in how their relationship of leaning on each other parallels that of Hiro and Tadashi. We soon meet the rest of the ensemble and friends of Tadashi that will make up the superhero group of Big Hero 6. These include Gogo Tomago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Fred voiced by Jamie Chung, Gesis Rodriguez, Damon Wayans Jr., and T.J. Miller, respectively. All of these characters are uniquely designed but still committed to supporting Hiro after they lose Tadashi from their lives.

Even after watching the movie on DVD two years later with high expectations of what I wanted to gain from the experience, I was not disappointed. The visual aesthetic of the Big Hero 6 environments in the San Fransokyo setting was stunning on the TV screen just as it was in the theater. Multiple plot twists keep the story engaging and original each time I watch Big Hero 6. Scott Adsit's performance as Baymax conveys so much expression despite the robotic quality to Baymaxs voice and the lack of facial features to communicate his emotions. One such example of his stunning performance as Baymax is when he tells Hiro there is no time to save himself, Hiro, and Abigail (the girl they went to rescue) from the broken teleportation portal that is collapsing. Baymax asks Hiro if he is satisfied with his care so he can deactivate and sacrifice himself through remaining in the collapsing portal while blasting the other two to safety with the remains of his superhero suit. This is the emotional climax of a film that is loaded with love, life, loss, and growth.

In conclusion, the movie has remained one of my favorites since I first experienced it in the theater almost two years ago. I enjoy animated films and this is an exemplary example of why they are my favorite genre. I will never forget the exhilaration I felt during the action sequences or the heartbreak that I felt when Hiro lost Tadashi and Baymax. In all respects, I would say this movie deserves a perfect ten out of ten rating. This includes the categories of musical score, voice acting, screenwriting, animation, and directing. Big Hero 6 completely deserves all of the box office success, critical acclaim, and award nominations it has received.

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