Image from posterposse.com
I know, I know, Disney/Marvel’s Big Hero 6 has all the trappings of your garden variety superhero movie. Fancy costumes, bright colors, what seems to be a straightforward “good guy vs. bad guy” plot, even the requisite bombastic, horn-heavy orchestral soundtrack. It’s from a rather obscure, and odd, Marvel comic so by all rights, it’s a superhero movie, right?
No, it isn’t.
Instead, Big Hero 6 is a Disney film starring Marvel-based characters. What’s the difference? Well, for starters, the characters in the movie are clearly cuter than the comic-based characters. Another difference is that these heroes aren’t commissioned by a government to “save the world”, as is the norm of most superhero groups. Instead, they’re heroes because they help their community, so their scope, at least in the movie, isn’t as epic. That isn’t a bad thing.
A little different from the movie, but in essence, these are the same characters, just less, um, Disney-fied. Image from thehollywoodreporter.com.
In a time when cinema is steadily crowding with superheroes, it’s actually nice to watch a movie that doesn’t make any claims to be as gigantic in scope as, let’s say, Marvel’s own Avengers. Big Hero 6 is, instead, at it’s core, a very human story about loss and grief, things that, while it seems to be very un-Disney, actually is a theme visited time and time again by the studio. (Bambi, anyone? Think about it, and there are a whole bunch of films that deal with this theme.) That means, however, that this story could not be a world-saving, swashbuckling adventure; it needs a smaller scope to enable viewers to appreciate the humanity the film tries to present.
A new Disney favorite is born. From disney.wikia.com.
Ironically, the film’s most human character is it’s non-human one. Baymax, the walking marshmallow of a robot actually showcases the deepest set of emotions in the film. It helps that he is voiced very carefully by Scott Adsit, who treads a very careful line between keeping Baymax a robot and allowing the emotions behind the expressions to seep through. It also helps that Baymax is adorable, even when in full superhero-garb.
The other main character in the film, also voiced very well by Ryan Potter, is robotics genius Hiro Hamada. Hiro is Tony Stark if he weren’t as rich and was 14 years old. He is made more likable by the presence of his brother, Tadashi, voiced by Daniel Henney. It is Tadashi who initiates Hiro’s transition from genius ne’er-do-well to, well, genius. He’s also the source of the emotional conflict of the film, something most superhero movies don’t really do very well. Thankfully, this isn’t a superhero movie.
So, what is it? In the end, it’s a film that is all about dealing with loss. It can’t be a superhero movie, at least not in the conventional sense, because in the end, the issues aren’t about power or control or even greed, it’s simply grief. Hiro and his nemesis in the film, the mysterious man in the Kabuki mask are both dealing with loss, and it’s how they each decide to cope that differentiates one from the other. You can argue that loss is a common theme in superhero stories as well, and you’d be right. But superheroes are often driven by their loss, Hiro recovers from it.
It’s a beautifully rendered film, the shots where they travel through the crowded streets of fictional San Fransokyo are gorgeous and full of energy. The plot itself is, as can be expected, a bit wonky, as are the treatment of Hiro’s teammates. I wish there was more time to get to know them, as well. Given how the film is being received, I won’t be surprised to see either another film or, even better, a television series based on the movie.
No, I can’t really call it a superhero movie. But it is a heroic movie, but the heroism isn’t found in the fights or the clever gadgets. Instead, it’s in the decision to move on in the face of loss. It’s watchable, fun, and a brilliant integration of Marvel content into the Disney way of moviemaking. It’s more than a superhero movie.
bleary 
Reblogged this on moneymaniaworld.