BIG HERO 6

US, 2014, 102 minutes,.Colour.
Voices of: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J.Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr, Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya.Rudolph.
Directed by Don Hall, Charles Williams.

Big Hero 6 is a Disney animation film, an entertaining adventure, based on a Marvel comic, featuring small characters who become superheroes.

It was a bit of a surprise when the publicist announced at the preview that Big Hero 6 came from the same studios that gave audiences Frozen. The two films are at extreme opposites – Frozen for the female audience, especially young girls, with Big Hero 6 for the boys, of whatever age. Not that the girls won’t enjoy it. There are some female superheroes as well and the abduction of the daughter of a scientist and her rescue, but it is aimed mainly at the boys.

The narrative and the settings acknowledge the influence of the Japanese Anime comics and on films as well as the United States comments. The city has called San Fransokyo! The hero is called Hiro, an enterprising young boy, talented in making robots – and he takes them to illegal robot fights, the equivalent of cockfights, where he reigns supreme.

His brother is a much more serious young man, with a laboratory for inventions as well as an eccentric group of male and female scientists. Hiro is persuaded to study after he sees such inventions and passes his exam by building a whole lot of bots which can combine in all kinds of inventive formations.

HIro’s brother has invented a very engaging character, Baymax, a large volume, a cuddly white mass. It has been designed with all kinds of powers, especially care, diagnosis of illness – but is used in the super battle, donning some armour, joining in the action, but really only at home when stripped of the armour, and able to perform his caring functions. We wouldn’t be surprised if the next film focused on him and was Baymax, Big Hero 7.

Reflecting the times, there are business deals to be done, entrepreneurs and scientists wanting to get their hands on patents and go into production. Sadly, this involves a death and an abduction, which puts Hiro and his friends on guard, determined to save their inventions, determined to make up for the death of Hiro’s brother, confronting a masked villain who seems bent on world power.

This means that there are some spectacular action sequences in the latter part of the film, all kinds of dangerous feats that would be too difficult to do with live action and special effects. The unmasking of the villain is a bit of a surprise, but justice is seen to be done and everybody goes back to scientific enquiry. Hiro is a hero – as all his friends.

1. Disney superheroes? Based on Marvel comics? Disney using Anime styles? Characters and action?

2. The visuals, the Disney tradition? The world San Francisco and Tokyo? The city, the skyscrapers, laboratories? Action, movement, beyond the ordinary?

3. San Fransokyo, the blend of American and Japanese, characters, names, appearance?

4. Hiro, the boy, robots, taking them to the robot fights, the antagonism, the opponents, the visuals of the Hudson destruction? His brother, trying to save, coming to the rescue? The nature of the robots? The aunt, parents? Hiro’s?

5. His brother, taking him to the laboratory, Hiro’s disdain, the discoveries, the wheels, the risks, the potions, the slicer? His response to these experiences? Becoming involved? The importance of the test, the exam, as reflection, bots and shapes, blending them, success?

6. Wasabi and neatness, Go Go Tomago and his adrenaline and action, Honey Lemon and chemistry, Fred? Personalities, with Hiro, in action?

7. Professor Callaghan, intelligent, his response to Hiro, to the bots? The award? His daughter and her disappearance?

8. Krei and the offer to Hiro for his bots? Seeming villain? Callaghan’s hostility? Krei’s defeat?

9. The theme of freedom, the villain, masked, each character’s response?

10. Hiro’s brother, death, the effect on Hiro, wanting some kind of vengeance? his brother’s invention? Baymax, sweet, the blob, genderless? Nurse? The patients, skills, diagonoses, response?

11. The variety of characters, appearance, voices, technical skills, sciences and the touch of the nerds? The risks?

12. Becoming action heroes, seeing them in action, the excitement, the unmasking of Professor Callaghan?

13. The vengeance, recovering Callaghan’s daughter, his reaction?

14. Hiro, the requirements on Baymax? Changing, making new efforts?

15. Baymax, character, putting on the clothes and the mask, the interview? Fighting? Losing power, saved?

16. Callaghan, his motivation, his actions, prison?

17. The new Baymax and audience response?