Science nerds save the day in Walt Disney Animation’s delightful Big Hero 6. Adapting a Marvel Comics action franchise into an origin story first film via cutting edge and eye-popping animation and utilizing some voice actors new to the genre and all the more welcome with their fresh approaches to characterization, the Disney animators have captured a funny and bittersweet saga beautifully using CG techniques resulting in one of the best animated movies of 2014. Equal parts humor and heartbreak with revenge and redemption also on the menu, Big Hero 6 has a lot to offer animation fans of all ages.
Studio: Disney
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.39.1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Rating: PG
Run Time: 1 Hr. 41 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy
keep caseDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: ABC
Release Date: 02/24/2015
MSRP: $39.99
The Production Rating: 4/5
The screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson, and Jordan Roberts based on the Marvel comics by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle takes some risks early-on with the tragic death of the movie’s most appealing character from the get-go: Hiro’s loving brother Tadashi. Acting as a surrogate father figure (which robot Baymax then inherits once Tadashi meets his end), Tadashi is the brother all little boys dream of: patient, understanding if a bit firm, but still empowered with a sense of play. Once he’s gone, our attention turns to Baymax, and the writers and voice actor Scott Adsit win us over all over again with a series of wonderfully endearing encounters with Hiro which firmly seal their devotion to one another. The script includes some gentle lessons on the lack of satisfaction one achieves with revenge and celebrates the use of intelligence over pure brawn in solving problems. The nerds (an appellation which they all gleefully claim) rule the roost and even in the ridiculous superhero identities they forge for themselves once they set out to defeat their mysterious enemy, they remain joyfully identifiable and entertaining. The animators have a field day with several showcase sequences (all of them likely enhanced by 3D which, ruefully, Disney is foolishly once again not making available on Blu-ray in Region A) including a deliriously delightful soar through the skies of San Fransokyo once Hiro has transformed Baymax into a flying combat robot, the initial face-off with the villain where the heroes must compete against zillions of the micro-bots which can combine into any shape (astounding animation for those) and where his identity is revealed and the motivation for his evil is established, and the climactic encounter with both the villain and Hiro and Baymax’s valiant journey through a space warp to save someone precious at the risk of their own lives. In all of these, the combination of expert animation, tremendous voice acting, and just-right pacing gives the film the quality of a small gem.
Ryan Potter gets the full plate of emotions as young teen hero Hiro, initially cocky and impossible to reach who later through the series of film events becomes more even-tempered, considerate, and maturing with the help of friends and robots alike. Scott Adsit’s funny robot Baymax offers more laughs here than the actor managed during many seasons on NBC’s 30 Rock. Daniel Henney is the perfect big brother present for far too short a time, and the work of T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., and Genesis Rodriguez as the four friends who with Hiro and Maymax eventually form Big Hero 6 all suit their characters wonderfully. As the two adults involved in the activities of the heroes, James Cromwell and Alan Tudyk perform with directness and much expertise.
Huggable Baymax
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
The film was released theatrically in 3D, and a 3D Blu-ray is going to be released in other regions but not domestically. More’s the pity since several sequences appear to have been created expressly to showcase 3D effects and the film’s set pieces would all appear to have been even more dazzling in three dimensions. Once again, Disney is urged to reconsider their new corporate strategy in regard to Region A 3D Blu-ray releases.
Audio Rating: 4.5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
The Origin Story of Big Hero 6: Hiro’s Journey (15:10, HD): actress Jamie Chung hosts a behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s production from initial search for material through location scouting and featuring brief interviews with directors Don Hall and Chris Williams, producer Roy Conli, writers Robert L. Baird and Daniel Gerson, production designer Paul Felix, and actor Scott Adsit.
Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters (6:39, HD): the six lead animators on the film have a roundtable discussion on the personalities of the major characters and how those were adapted or invented for the film.
Deleted Scenes (13:10, HD): directors Don Hall and Chris Williams introduce each of the four deleted scenes (done in storyboard form) which can be viewed separately or in montage.
Big Hero Secrets (2:45, HD): an Easter Egg which reveals many hidden paeans to Disney features embedded throughout Big Hero 6.
Theatrical Trailer (1:41, HD)
Promo Trailers (HD): Inside Out, Aladdin, Tinker Bell and the Land of the Neverbeast.
DVD/Digital Copy: disc and code sheet enclosed in the case
Overall Rating: 4/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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