Movie review: ‘Big Hero 6’ is family-friendly fun in the mighty Marvel manner

Back when Disney first announced that they’d be making an animated film based on the relatively unknown Marvel super-team known as Big Hero 6—a team that counts prominent X-Men characters Sunfire and Silver Samurai among their roster in the comics—I wondered why there was nary a Marvel logo in sight across all of their promotional materials.

After all, even the slightest hint that the film may somehow be tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (it isn’t, but that’s not the point) would certainly generate buzz and give the film a significant PR boost. I mean, sure, "Guardians of the Galaxy" proved that you could make movies starring relatively unknown comic book characters and still enjoy box office success, but it can't be denied that the fact that GotG was set in the same cinematic continuity as "The Avengers" definitely raised awareness—and more importantly, interest—about it. Blame the geeky skeptic in me. After all, we’re talking about a team that was last seen in a 2012 Spider-Man backup story and seemingly forgotten since then; could you blame me for not having much confidence in it?

Well, now I understand the two main reasons why "Big Hero 6" isn’t being advertised as a Marvel film: one, because it doesn’t need that to be a smash hit, and two, because it simply isn’t. At least, not in the way we’ve gotten accustomed to.

"Big Hero 6" follows the story of Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter), a 14-year-old prodigy from the future city of San Fransokyo (give you three guesses as to which cities were combined, and the first two guesses don’t count). When an unexpected tragedy strikes and threatens to ruin Hiro’s bright tomorrow, he quickly finds himself teaming up with the tough-as-nails GoGo Tomago (Jamie Chung), the ever-cautious Wasabi (Damon Wayans, Jr.), the giddy chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), the easygoing Fred (T.J. Miller), and the gigantic, marshmallow-like healthcare robot Baymax (Scott Adsit), while learning valuable lessons on friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice along the way. It's a standard, straightforward action-adventure flick, with generous helpings of comedy and heartwarming moments mixed in.

"Big Hero 6" is visually stunning and action-packed. The film takes animated superheroics to an entirely new level; I honestly can’t remember the last time I was wowed by the aesthetics of an animated feature. From its more emotional scenes to its high-flying, super-powered sequences, the film takes the best of both Disney and Marvel and blends everything into a nearly hiccup-free and eye-catching experience.
 
Make no mistake, though—while this is a team of fisticuff-ready superheroes, its members (well, most of them, anyway) definitely favor brains over brawn. Big Hero 6 promotes a positive message: Not everything can (or should) be solved with violence. Sometimes, all you really need to do is to stretch those mental muscles a bit.

One more noteworthy thing about "Big Hero 6" is how it manages to tackle mature topics such as death, revenge, and sacrifice, while still keeping the overall tone child-friendly. Don’t hesitate to bring your whole family to watch Hiro and his friends “hero up” on the silver screen—in fact, I highly recommend it. If anything, the kids are sure to love the undeniably endearing Baymax.

Which brings me to my next point: This wouldn’t be much of a review if I didn’t dedicate at least one paragraph to the bouncing white ball of cuddly comedy known as Baymax. In the same way the Hulk was the breakout star of "The Avengers", the big guy of this team steals the show, especially when he armors up (after much difficulty) and goes from Michelin Man to (a rather chubby) Iron Man. Seriously, who would have thought anyone could get this much mileage and entertainment from an inflatable robot nurse in a superhero movie?

Overall, "Big Hero 6" succeeds as both a family-friendly movie and a worthy, if not completely faithful, screen adaptation of one of Marvel’s lesser-known superhero squads. It also serves as a much-needed breath of fresh air from the constant flood of darker, more grounded live-action comic book films. Oh, and be sure to stay after the credits!

To paraphrase one of the film’s most touching lines: “I am satisfied with this film." — BM, GMA News

"Big Hero 6" is now showing in Metro Manila theaters.