There are so many reasons as to why Big Hero 6 was one of the best movies I have ever watched. But let me focus on the three main ones: the story, the characters, and the art and animation.
The Story:
This is a classic Disney superhero movie, except for the fact that it was based on a Marvel comic (it even had a cameo of Stan Lee!) It starts out with Hiro Hamada, a fourteen year old genius who loves robotics, at an illegal botfight in the fictional city of San Fransokyo (obviously, a mix of San Francisco and Tokyo). While he may seem like the innocent kid who doesn't know what he's doing - he has a really simple looking robot - it's important not to make judgements so quickly. His robot annihilates his opponent's, and he quickly becomes a few hundred dollars richer. But his opponent isn't too happy, and soon tries to kill him.
Hiro might not have survived if it wasn't for his brother, Tadashi, who arrives just in time to put Hiro on the back of his motorcycle and ride to safety. But alas, they get caught by the police. Big Hero 6 is filled with humor and made me laugh until I couldn't breathe, and this moment was one of them - while Hiro (a minor) is given his own jail cell while waiting for their aunt Cass, Tadashi (who seems to be around 20, although it isn't clear) is placed in the cell with the rest of the botfighters.
Although I won't give too many of the spoilers away, let me just say that within the first ten minutes of the movie, I was crying. Hard. And I never cry during movies (the exception being Hachi: A Dog's Tale) but here, I teared up pretty fast. Maybe it was my prolonged attachment to one of the characters (to tell which one would spoil it). As anyone who loves to obsessively read and write and watch television and movies, I find myself becoming a fangirl pretty fast and forming bonds with characters. Before I know it, I'm in love with them (Percy Jackson is one) and can't bear it if anything bad happens to them.
But the thing about the movie was that after those horrible moments of crying and sobbing and blubbering, Baymax the robot made me laugh. Throughout the rest of the movie, although when I thought about that character my heart twinged - and it still does - I was able to relax and laugh it off. But the humor wouldn't have come without the characters, which brings me to my second reason why Big Hero 6 is one of my favorite movies.
The Characters
Hiro's team of unlikely heros (haha) were wonderful: Go Go Tomago, Wasabi No Ginger, Fredzilla, and Honey Lemon, and Baymax. Their seemingly strange names are revealed to be nicknames. Go Go probably because she is a punk and enjoys going at fast speeds (she is working on a very fast bike in the lab), Wasabi because he spilled the spice on his shirt one time, Fredzilla because his one dream is to become a fire breathing monster, and Honey most probably because she is so sweet.
One of the things I really enjoyed about the movie is that, despite rumors, there didn't seem to be any romantic interests. Many of the comments on the YouTube trailer wished for something to happen between Hiro and Honey, but I enjoyed the fact that between them it was mostly sibling love. Honey is very sweet and loving, as she displays by kissing Hiro's cheeks when they first meet, but it's clear that there is nothing going on between them.
Another really important thing that I'm glad Disney brought to light was Go Go's clear connection to the feminist movement. I really liked the fact that the girls weren't stereotyped - yes, Honey Lemon is kind and seems very girly, but at the same time it isn't fair to assume that all girls are not girly. Go Go was the opposite. She's a punk and she's reckless. She loves going at fast speeds. And when Hiro is nervous about his presentation to the professor of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology (the university he wants to attend), she tells him not to be and to "woman up." I really liked the representation overall - the presence of both people of color as well as Caucasian people.
Wasabi No Ginger looks brave and tough, but inside is an obsessive compulsive softie who you can't help but fall in love with. And the same can be said for Fred. Fred was clearly the most unassuming character in the whole movie. He dresses like, well, a hobo, but when you find out where he lives...wow, he's the best. He's also a huge comic book junkie. When I found out that his voice actor, T.J. Miller, also voices Tuffnut in How To Train Your Dragon and How To Train Your Dragon 2, I was elated. Of course he was voice by T.J. Miller.
But Baymax the robot stole the show. A huge, waddling balloon man, Baymax was both adorable and hilarious. He is most probably the sweetest character in the whole movie - it is because of him wanting to raise Hiro's spirits after the tragic part that the plot of the movie moved forward. Everyone laughed at his "cute, huggable nature," and adorable waddling and flapping arms when in armor.
The Art and Animation
Without a doubt, the art and animation is what made the movie come alive. The way the characters were portrayed easily made me fall in love with them. San Fransokyo was drawn so well, a perfect balance of the two cities it was named after - it had classic SF trolleys and the gentle sloping roofs of traditional Japanese homes. And as for the animation... woah, just woah.
Disney seems to be getting better every year.
The Story:
This is a classic Disney superhero movie, except for the fact that it was based on a Marvel comic (it even had a cameo of Stan Lee!) It starts out with Hiro Hamada, a fourteen year old genius who loves robotics, at an illegal botfight in the fictional city of San Fransokyo (obviously, a mix of San Francisco and Tokyo). While he may seem like the innocent kid who doesn't know what he's doing - he has a really simple looking robot - it's important not to make judgements so quickly. His robot annihilates his opponent's, and he quickly becomes a few hundred dollars richer. But his opponent isn't too happy, and soon tries to kill him.
Hiro might not have survived if it wasn't for his brother, Tadashi, who arrives just in time to put Hiro on the back of his motorcycle and ride to safety. But alas, they get caught by the police. Big Hero 6 is filled with humor and made me laugh until I couldn't breathe, and this moment was one of them - while Hiro (a minor) is given his own jail cell while waiting for their aunt Cass, Tadashi (who seems to be around 20, although it isn't clear) is placed in the cell with the rest of the botfighters.
Although I won't give too many of the spoilers away, let me just say that within the first ten minutes of the movie, I was crying. Hard. And I never cry during movies (the exception being Hachi: A Dog's Tale) but here, I teared up pretty fast. Maybe it was my prolonged attachment to one of the characters (to tell which one would spoil it). As anyone who loves to obsessively read and write and watch television and movies, I find myself becoming a fangirl pretty fast and forming bonds with characters. Before I know it, I'm in love with them (Percy Jackson is one) and can't bear it if anything bad happens to them.
But the thing about the movie was that after those horrible moments of crying and sobbing and blubbering, Baymax the robot made me laugh. Throughout the rest of the movie, although when I thought about that character my heart twinged - and it still does - I was able to relax and laugh it off. But the humor wouldn't have come without the characters, which brings me to my second reason why Big Hero 6 is one of my favorite movies.
The Characters
Hiro's team of unlikely heros (haha) were wonderful: Go Go Tomago, Wasabi No Ginger, Fredzilla, and Honey Lemon, and Baymax. Their seemingly strange names are revealed to be nicknames. Go Go probably because she is a punk and enjoys going at fast speeds (she is working on a very fast bike in the lab), Wasabi because he spilled the spice on his shirt one time, Fredzilla because his one dream is to become a fire breathing monster, and Honey most probably because she is so sweet.
One of the things I really enjoyed about the movie is that, despite rumors, there didn't seem to be any romantic interests. Many of the comments on the YouTube trailer wished for something to happen between Hiro and Honey, but I enjoyed the fact that between them it was mostly sibling love. Honey is very sweet and loving, as she displays by kissing Hiro's cheeks when they first meet, but it's clear that there is nothing going on between them.
Another really important thing that I'm glad Disney brought to light was Go Go's clear connection to the feminist movement. I really liked the fact that the girls weren't stereotyped - yes, Honey Lemon is kind and seems very girly, but at the same time it isn't fair to assume that all girls are not girly. Go Go was the opposite. She's a punk and she's reckless. She loves going at fast speeds. And when Hiro is nervous about his presentation to the professor of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology (the university he wants to attend), she tells him not to be and to "woman up." I really liked the representation overall - the presence of both people of color as well as Caucasian people.
Wasabi No Ginger looks brave and tough, but inside is an obsessive compulsive softie who you can't help but fall in love with. And the same can be said for Fred. Fred was clearly the most unassuming character in the whole movie. He dresses like, well, a hobo, but when you find out where he lives...wow, he's the best. He's also a huge comic book junkie. When I found out that his voice actor, T.J. Miller, also voices Tuffnut in How To Train Your Dragon and How To Train Your Dragon 2, I was elated. Of course he was voice by T.J. Miller.
But Baymax the robot stole the show. A huge, waddling balloon man, Baymax was both adorable and hilarious. He is most probably the sweetest character in the whole movie - it is because of him wanting to raise Hiro's spirits after the tragic part that the plot of the movie moved forward. Everyone laughed at his "cute, huggable nature," and adorable waddling and flapping arms when in armor.
The Art and Animation
Without a doubt, the art and animation is what made the movie come alive. The way the characters were portrayed easily made me fall in love with them. San Fransokyo was drawn so well, a perfect balance of the two cities it was named after - it had classic SF trolleys and the gentle sloping roofs of traditional Japanese homes. And as for the animation... woah, just woah.
Disney seems to be getting better every year.
