Big Hero 6

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.

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.

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.

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.

Big Hero 6 [2014] is the Disney 3-D animated comedy action film that centers on Hiro Hamada, a 14-year old robotics prodigy, Baymax (an inflatable health companion robot) and an unlikely team of superheros.

5/5 graphics. Big Hero 6 transports viewers into a new visual realm and relatively individual style (besides its anime resemblance). The story is set in the futuristic city of 'San Fransokyo'. A little of Tokyo and San Francisco in one place. This explains the amalgamation of both Japanese and American components within the story and setting. It should be noted that Big Hero 6 is not a wholly original idea, and the animation is inspired by the Marvel comic by the very same name.

Baymax. Voiced by Scott Adsit, this lovable robot is animated to appear soft, cuddly and adorable, credit goes to the graphics and writing team on this one. Hiro's close friendship with Baymax is a highlight. Baymax can hold his own on the screen alone too, just strolling through the city streets, caring for others health and well-being. So yeah, he's cute and he knows it.

Expect to have a couple of teary moments. I won't describe or skim through details, out of utmost respect for those who haven't had a chance to see it yet. Since more serious topics aren't the usual in children targeted animation films, it's a nice change of pace.

Fantastic message for the young'uns. The main character Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter) and the rest of the superheros team study robotics at the local university (including T.J. Miller from Silicon Valley and Damon Wayans Jr from New Girl). Reach your potential, practice non-violence and exercise sacrifice. That's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more spoiler-worthy ones that will be omitted from this review entirely. By the way, it's not 'preachy' in the slightest.