Big Hero 6 comes to the rescue
Written by Anais Corrales
“Big Hero 6,” the first animated feature from Disney and Marvel, comes flying into theaters with dazzling action, plenty of laughs and a lot of heart.
Inspired by the comic book series of the same name, the film follows robot prodigy Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter), his huggable robot sidekick Baymax and their group of friends as they try to apprehend a masked villain lurking around San Fransokyo.
The film walks down a familiar path – the origin story – but manages to keep the energy high with vibrant characters, breathtaking action and scene-stealing performances by T. J. Miller as Fred and Scott Adsit as Baymax. Younger audience members will be delighted by silly antics between Hiro and his robot companion. Parents won’t be able to resist letting out a laugh or two.
Potter, of former Nickelodeon fame, shines as the boy genius Hiro. He effortlessly leads the cast and centers the film. In the midst of high-soaring action and hilarious quips, “Big Hero 6” digs a little deeper to find tender, emotional, human moments.
Instead of a prolonged haze of jokes and merriment to appease younger moviegoers, the film takes the time to touch on a slightly serious subject matter: the death of a loved one. As Hiro deals with devastating personal loss, he learns to pick himself back up again, showing that anyone can be their own hero. Potter’s lively, earnest performance saves the film from getting too sappy. We’re here to have fun, after all.
Animation students will be excited to know that two SCAD graduates played an important role in the making of “Big Hero 6.” Zach Parrish served as head of animation with Nathan Engelhardt as supervising animator. After graduating from SCAD in 2007, the two friends were excited to adapt the comic book into a feature-length film. One of the most challenging aspects of making the film was infusing the dynamic Marvel style with the Disney aesthetic.
Parrish said that the relationship between Hiro and Baymax was the pinnacle of the film.
“The way that we pitched it from the very beginning was a boy that loses his brother and adopts his robot as a surrogate brother,” he said. “And everyone was hooked. That’s what sold Marvel and [John] Lasseter.”
The animators shied away from the sequel question, saying their primary focus was to create on good story.
“But, who knows what the future will hold?” said Parrish.
“Big Hero 6” has all the ingredients of the next box office hit: a boy and his robot, great action, quotable lines and the best Stan Lee cameo of all time. It elegantly balances the emotional punches with seriousness and leaves you wanting more. Hopefully, the film will pave the way for more Disney/Marvel animated features in the near future.
