Big Hero 6 – Review

Feb 3rd, 2015Features

As I took my seat in Whitechapel’s stylish cinema, Genesis, to watch Disney’s latest release Big Hero 6, I took a moment to reflect on Disney’s colourful past and the spectrum of animated films it’s produced over the years. With each new release; the current Disney production must find its niche within the canon of content and not only be an instant success but stand the test of time, cementing its place in cinema history, successfully achieving the Disney-effect.

Big Hero 6 is certainly a refreshing direction for Disney; an exciting, brilliantly diverse and beautifully satisfying animation that captivates all our expectations and actually surpasses the huge amount of media-hype that surrounded the pre-release. Set in San-Fransokyo (yes, you read that correctly), Big Hero 6 shows a modernised Disney, with brothers Hiro and Tadashi Hamada leading the technology battle against micro-robots. The fictional and almost futuristic world of San-Fransokyo is a genius twist by directors Don Hall and Chris Williams that allows the film’s environment to incorporate heaps of character that combine with elements of technology that have grown to become synonymous with the mention of Tokyo.

The rest of the gang include Baymax (the plus sized robot); a loveable character that fits the bill perfectly for Disney hero; Wasabi the man with the lightening hands and Honey Lemon, Fred and Go Go add to a group of young ‘nerds’ whose underlying dreams are to fight evil, even if they never intended to. I think what’s so fresh about this new-feel Disney is the producer’s ability to accept the times and allow them entry into his narrative and characterisations. There are ‘selfies’, smartphones and even video calls and it’s a sign that Disney’s diversity can stretch into the 21st century, whilst retaining its charm of old.

The story of Baymax and Hiro is a heart-warming one and without spoiling anything, it’s easy to forget that one is a young boy and the other an oversized, inflatable robot. Their quest takes them throughout the streets of San-Fransokyo and sees them face the dangers of micro-robots at every corner, pushing Baymax’s abilities to their limits. The micro-robots, a stolen invention of Hiro’s, are a great piece of creative thinking that provides an ever-changing villain.

The animation is flawless with a real depth of colour, crisp 3D and spotless character interaction. Look out for a scene in Hiro’s garage which uses a time lapse device; the lighting is incredible and demonstrates the full extent of the available budget, proving that Disney can still hold it’s own in a industry that they debatably kick-started.

Above all and perhaps the most striking feature of Big Hero 6 is that there is no clear right or wrong, bad or good and because of this there are some fairly complex ideas that possibly make Big Hero 6 one of the most significant Disney films in history. This is a story of friendship and dealing with loss; powerful themes that are woven seamlessly with adventure, action and most importantly, robots.