Big Hero 6. Rated PG (mild themes and animated violence). 108 minutes. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. Screenplay by Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird.
Verdict: The perfect family-friendly start to the cinematic year.
If there is a better family-friendly movie to kick off the year than this visually stunning and big-hearted story about a robotic nurse and his grieving young charge, then it is impossible to know what it might be. Inspired by the Marvel Comics superheros of the same name, Walt Disney Animation Studios have created a pure gem – combining astonishing feats of character design, animation and marvellous storytelling in equal measure.
Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) is a teenage robotics genius who roams the city’s back alleys finding robot fights so his inventions can win him lots of prize money. When his older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) introduces him to his own creation – Baymax the personal healthcare companion (Scott Adsit) – Hiro is inspired to create robots that will generate positive change in the world. But when Hiro’s newly-minted ‘microbots’ fall into the hands of an evil Kabuki mask-wearing thief, he must work out a way of regaining control of his invention before they are used for diabolical purposes.
From the first frame, there is an overwhelming sense that we are in the company of master filmmakers. Set in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo, the merging of Japanese and American icons and geography informs everything about Paul Felix’s inspired production design, which reaches a spectacular zenith when Hiro and Baymax travel into a dazzling virtual world toward the end of the film. Hall, Williams and editor Tim Mertens establish a perfect pace for the story, which ensures that there is never a dull or uninvolving moment.
The excellent screenplay refuses to shy away from the inherent drama associated with a perfect rites of passage story, and powering all the visual splendour is a deeply affecting story about the value of kindness, and why it is important that we care for one other.
This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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