Big Hero 6: Fist Bump Blobloblo

I am satisfied with my care. For those of us who hate trips to the doctor, Big Hero 6’s Baymax, a personal (and adorable) healthcare provider, would solve all your problems and more. All it takes is one “ouch” for this inflatable, mild-mannered robot to expand out of his box and offer assistance. He is chubby, he is squeaky, he is endearing, and he is 100% Hiro’s.

Hiro (Ryan Potter) is a boy-genius who becomes Baymax’s (Scott Adsit) owner shortly after a death in the family. As a medical robot, Baymax is programmed to mend all of Hiro’s physical wounds but is a little less sure about his emotional ones. Hiro convinces Baymax that finding the villain who killed his family member will help him to heal, leading Hiro to essentially bring his psychiatrist along on a mission of vengeance. Together they discover that the villain is not only strong, but that the source of his power is one of Hiro’s inventions. In order to take on their foe, Hiro retrofits his partner – this technological cross between a beach ball and Winnie the Pooh – with shiny new armour and Matrix-style Karate knowledge.

The dynamic duo of Boy and Balloon are not alone in their heroic mission; Baymax insists that an important part of the emotional healing process is socialization, which leads him to summon all five of Hiro’s friends. These friends are self-proclaimed nerds but, with the way our society is moving, factoring in the experiences of 21 Jump Street, and considering this movie is staged in the near future, these “nerds” would be more accurately labeled “the cool kids”. Besides, Nerd 1 has the agility of an Olympian, Nerd 2 looks like a linebacker, and Nerd 3 has the slow-witted humour of a professional slacker. Even the one who fits the “classic-nerd”, bespectacled, Gretchen Grundler-look the best walks around in heavy makeup and 6″ pumps. These are not nerds as we’ve come to recognize and adore them – they are athletic, well-dressed science wizards.

The animation which brings San Fransokyo (you heard me) to life is just what you’d expect from a Marvel/Pixar group effort. The detail is stunning, the character movements are precise and hilarious, and the creativity is out of this world. I can see this team-up going a long way, especially with Marvel putting full-speed to their thrusters.

Big Hero 6 is, in the end, another Marvel comic brought to life, and I expect Disney’s attempt to cater to a young, male audience. Well, I think they succeeded. The plot focuses not on the strongest or funniest of the group, but on the young inventor who is the brains behind the tech. In this movie it is cool to be smart, and I wouldn’t be surprised if robotics clubs across the nation experience a spike in membership. Big Hero 6 is funny, exciting, adorable, and creative, but its plot is a bit predictable and there are a few stealthily avoided explanations (for example: if Baymax loses power after a day of shuffling around town, how does he survive countless hours of running, flying, and cannon-blasting?). Still, I giggled through most of the movie, and the adult group behind me were in absolute stitches. I think an 8/10 is a fair mark for this futuristic comic/computer-animated mash-up.

Trailer!