Big Hero 6 (2014)
One of the defining cinematic stories of the 2010s was the modern renaissance of the superhero genre. Largely thanks to the both financial and critical praise awarded to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the idea of superhero team ups was more popular than ever and it only made sense that Disney would buy into this trend. The result of this effort is Big Hero 6. Following a young boy named Hiro (Ryan Potter) who now finds himself under attack by a mysterious enemy after the tragic death of his brother, Big Hero 6 might be as generic as a superhero film can be when it comes to narrative but ultimately elevates itself with fun characters and a strong emotional core.
For anyone who has seen any piece of content even similar to a superhero film, the plot and narrative beats of Big Hero 6 are going to be incredibly predictable. When it comes to superhero origin stories, Big Hero 6 hits every cliche imaginable. From the tragic loss to a surprise twist when it comes to the villain, the movie ultimately refuses to avoid any subversion of expectations yet somehow still treats itself as something groundbreaking. The film clearly believes its various twists and turns will feel shocking and worthwhile, yet they are so telegraphed that they often feel lifeless. The characters are equally cliched with most of the side characters filling stereotypes for the genre rather than actually having fleshed out personalities.
This is something that Disney has struggled with before with the saving grace for Big Hero 6 than a project like Atlantis: The Lost Empire being its execution. While the narrative often remains the weakest part of the film, the characters are so earnest that it is easy to overlook their simple identities to find something more enjoyable to connect with. This is ultimately a fun group that is fun to hang around with; creating a viewing experience that is still enjoyable despite its narrative flaws. This is seen nowhere better than in Baymax himself. Voiced by Scott Adsit, there is no denying that there have been a million characters just like Baymax before, yet he is so adorable that one cannot help but fall in love with him. From the goofy animation to the perfect comedic timing, this is a standard idea being executed to such a high degree that it is ultimately able to overcome any problems with its identity.
There also are some inspired bits to the film. The entire location of San Fransokyo is a wonderfully inspired choice with plenty of plays on expected iconography to really give the film a visual edge. This is just at the time where Disney is really starting to perfect computer-animated visuals with some frames genuinely looking like pieces of art. The emotional core of the film, while not really that complex or new, also still hits. After his brother's death, Hiro is understandably broken and this emotional instability broods in his actions and words. It is impossible not to tear up at the film's grander emotional moments that wisely build over the course of the runtime rather than being something consistently addressed or poked. This allows the audience to create a more authentic connection to these characters and have a deeper empathy for them in those darker scenes. The directing of these scenes are really well handled and the ultimate payoff for each moment of drama is often rewarding. Even if the path is lackluster, the destination still shines.
Big Hero 6 is not trying to reinvent the wheel or redefine the superhero genre. Instead, it is trying to play into the expected tropes with the hopes that the quality will be to a point where people will lose themselves in the experience and go for the ride. While there are areas where this works, specifically the emotions, there are still glaring issues with this logic with the plot especially ultimately just feeling dull. While the film still overall works, this could have clearly been so much more had there been more effort and boldness put into its narrative.
For anyone who has seen any piece of content even similar to a superhero film, the plot and narrative beats of Big Hero 6 are going to be incredibly predictable. When it comes to superhero origin stories, Big Hero 6 hits every cliche imaginable. From the tragic loss to a surprise twist when it comes to the villain, the movie ultimately refuses to avoid any subversion of expectations yet somehow still treats itself as something groundbreaking. The film clearly believes its various twists and turns will feel shocking and worthwhile, yet they are so telegraphed that they often feel lifeless. The characters are equally cliched with most of the side characters filling stereotypes for the genre rather than actually having fleshed out personalities.
This is something that Disney has struggled with before with the saving grace for Big Hero 6 than a project like Atlantis: The Lost Empire being its execution. While the narrative often remains the weakest part of the film, the characters are so earnest that it is easy to overlook their simple identities to find something more enjoyable to connect with. This is ultimately a fun group that is fun to hang around with; creating a viewing experience that is still enjoyable despite its narrative flaws. This is seen nowhere better than in Baymax himself. Voiced by Scott Adsit, there is no denying that there have been a million characters just like Baymax before, yet he is so adorable that one cannot help but fall in love with him. From the goofy animation to the perfect comedic timing, this is a standard idea being executed to such a high degree that it is ultimately able to overcome any problems with its identity.
There also are some inspired bits to the film. The entire location of San Fransokyo is a wonderfully inspired choice with plenty of plays on expected iconography to really give the film a visual edge. This is just at the time where Disney is really starting to perfect computer-animated visuals with some frames genuinely looking like pieces of art. The emotional core of the film, while not really that complex or new, also still hits. After his brother's death, Hiro is understandably broken and this emotional instability broods in his actions and words. It is impossible not to tear up at the film's grander emotional moments that wisely build over the course of the runtime rather than being something consistently addressed or poked. This allows the audience to create a more authentic connection to these characters and have a deeper empathy for them in those darker scenes. The directing of these scenes are really well handled and the ultimate payoff for each moment of drama is often rewarding. Even if the path is lackluster, the destination still shines.
Big Hero 6 is not trying to reinvent the wheel or redefine the superhero genre. Instead, it is trying to play into the expected tropes with the hopes that the quality will be to a point where people will lose themselves in the experience and go for the ride. While there are areas where this works, specifically the emotions, there are still glaring issues with this logic with the plot especially ultimately just feeling dull. While the film still overall works, this could have clearly been so much more had there been more effort and boldness put into its narrative.