Baymax establishes a new gold standard for animated features
as one of the few comic relief characters that works as the heart of the movie
rather than just the wacky sidekick. It doesn’t matter how many snippets of his
performance you’ve already seen in trailers or TV spots, you’ll be left howling
with laughter at the hapless healthcare companion tottering about on ridiculous
inflated legs or deflating into a drunken stupor as his battery drains.
The remainder of the cast are all wonderfully enjoyable to
be around, just swerving around the usual stereotypes. Particularly watchable
(or listenable) is Ryan Potter as child prodigy Hiro who provides the straight
character to Baymax’s bumbling, as is Daniel Henney as older brother Tadashi.
The collated teen heroes manage not to blend into one with even Damon Wayans
Jr. and T.J. Miller managing not to insight annoyance (though Jason Mewes of Jay and Silent Bob should sue for Miller’s
character Fred).
San Fransokyo is the sumptuous backdrop against which the
story is set, a glorious fusion of American and Japanese architecture that very
cleverly skirts the ‘tourist spot’ factor by merging landmarks of both cultures
into one. It’s a setting you feel you could get lost in for hours, not least
because the visuals of the film are simply gorgeous. Skyscrapers, explosions
and futuristic marvels are all beautifully realised using Disney’s brand
spanking-new Hyperion rendering system (a visual accessory that threatens to dethrone
How To Train Your Dragon 2 as the
most stunning animation work of the past year).
Though it’s wonderful to see a superhero film that doesn’t
take itself seriously or carry pretentions above its station, the knowing winks
to such genre films can’t save the somewhat predictable plot. You’ll be having
fun, but it’s very managed and occasionally procedural fun that does cause one
to question whether the superhero origins story – no matter how uniquely told,
charmingly acted and beautifully mounted – is past it’s prime. In the end, Big Hero 6 has the best of intentions
and more than delivers, with echoes of The
Iron Giant and Toy Story bouncing
around within a fun, fast and family-friendly romp.
★★★★☆
