Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 is not among the best that Disney has ever done and it isn't flawless. But it is still very good and one of their best easily since the Renaissance. It did feel a little rushed at times and felt like it tried to do a little too much in the storytelling, as a result some ideas that were introduced like the science-is-good message gets lost. If it slowed down and explored a little less areas it would have improved things. The villain felt underdeveloped and his reveal came over as very obvious and forced as well.

However, the animation is outstanding with lots of rich colours and textures, backgrounds that are incredibly detailed and sweet(but not in a cloying way) character designs. One of the best-looking recent Disney films definitely. The catchy and upbeat yet atmospheric and emotion-filled soundtrack and smart script are other things to like, as are the brisk(when not rushed) pacing and rousing if not exactly inventive action. While the story is not flawless, on the most part it's still a winner. Whatever originality it may lack, it more than compensates for that with fun and heart. There are plenty of funny moments(i.e. Stan Lee), and of the laugh-out-loud witty kind and even better is the emotional impact Big Hero 6 has. The brother-brother relationship is handled very affectingly, like between Anna and Elsa in Frozen it was Disney trying to explore a different kind of relationship than they did before and it succeeds in that respect.

Sure Big Hero 6 sometimes takes a dark tone but not in a heavy or inappropriate way, there's no reason why anybody should be disturbed by that. The characters are not the most developed ones there ever were and as said more should have been done with the villain, but they're still engaging. Hiro is a very flawed but still likable main protagonist and his relationship between brother Tadashi is beautifully done. The most memorable character for me though was Baymax, he has to be one of Disney's most adorable characters, along with Maximus(Tangled) and Sven(Frozen) he has one of their cutest since the Renaissance. As well as being beautifully designed he displays a lot of laughs and a wide range of emotions, literally the film's heart and soul. The voice work from all(I just wish that James Cromwell had more to do) is very good, with particular mention going to Scott Adsit and his voice is a good match with Ryan Potter's deeply felt Hiro. All in all, not one of Disney's best but one of their better ones of the past 15 years. Haven't seen all the Best Animated Feature nominees but while this viewer did prefer How to Train Your Dragon 2 and the un-nominated Lego Movie they still felt that Big Hero 6 was still a good enough film to merit an Oscar nomination. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I did read before I went to see this movie that Disney would be testing some adult subjects, like the loss of somebody. Without putting out some spoilers, I might say that the movie really touched my boys. I have two boys in the age 6-9, and both of them had both laughter and tears during the movie.

It is a great action, comedy, drama package. Both my sons fell in love with Baymax, and if he where standing outside the cinema when we left he would have been given a big hug for sure.

The storyline is good, and as a father I had quite a few laughs myself and managed to stay awake for the whole movie. Many times going to the movie with your kids can be a snooze-fest, but this one actually entertained me as well.

My family got tickets to an early showing. The movie was excellent. The atmosphere was refreshingly different, the characters fleshed out, the plot touching, and the humor was rich and consistent . I would recommend this one to anyone, and especially to couples and families with children.Big Hero 6 really blew me away, I expected it to be good since Disney is having another animation renaissance but once the credits began to roll all I could do was wish it was longer. This movie has something for everyone, comedy, action, some despair. In fact, surprisingly the only thing missing was romance, which is fine with me. If you love superheroes, robots, and animated films, I think you've found your holy grail.

Honestly, I didn't have very high expectations for 'Big Hero 6', considering that I'm usually not a fan of Marvel's works, but I was gladly proved wrong.

Story wise, 'Big Hero 6' is rather formulaic and not too outstanding, but it's still very entertaining due to the way it balances all aspects. You have everything: drama that's not over the top but still touching, thrilling action, great comedy, and some okay twists. And more importantly, they all mix together perfectly, so you'll never get bored or frustrated, and at the same time, you will feel connected with the characters as they deal with some mature conflicts rarely seen in recent Disney products. A huge part of this accomplishment is thanks to the character Baymax. The guy is amazingly likable, steals every scene he's in, and has great contributions to every part of the movie. When the movie needs drama, he provides the sensitivity and cuteness, when it needs action, he's the coolest, and when it needs comedy, he's the funniest. His voice acting by Scott Adsit is also great as he sounds both emotional and cute, despite the robotic voice effects.

The rest of the characters, however, are hit and miss. Hiro is cool, and I like the way he deals with grief: quite mature and not excessive, though his voice doesn't sound like a 14-year-old. The other two boys in the group are okay because they tend to break away from stereotypes. But the others, including the main villains, are just cliché and forgettable.

Visually, 'Big Hero 6' is very stunning, mainly due to the lively San Fransokyo and the impressive effects. Personally, I find some of the action scenes in this to be the most cinematic and thrilling I've ever seen in animation. All of the camera movements, slow-motions, and lighting and explosion effects easily rival the best live-action blockbusters out there. Moreover, the characters' visual designs are also more imaginative than other recent Disney products'. This is especially true for Baymax, who is surprisingly expressive despite the minimalistic looks.

'Big Hero 6' is no masterpiece, and it may not be up to the standards of Pixar's classics or Dreamworks' 'How to Train Your Dragon', but nonetheless, it's still a greatly entertaining and well-made movie. I also love that it still leaves a lot open for the sequels as I now really look forward to them.

A little over a year after I took my granddaughter Catrin (then almost three) to her first ever movie "Frozen" (which she utterly adored), I took her (now just four) to see this very different film from the same stable (Walt Disney Animation Studios) and I'm delighted to record that she loved it. We saw it in IMAX in 3D and we were both blown away.

Although this time the central character is a young boy - Hiro Hamada of the city of San Fransokyo - rather than two princesses, my granddaughter had no trouble relating to it because Hiro is so cute, his inflatable robot Baymax is androgynous, and two of his four friends - making up the six heroes - are very capable girls.

I reckon that "Frozen" plus "Big Hero 6" - with a few films in between - will give her a lifelong love of the movies.