Day 54: Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, James Cromwell, Daniel Henney, Alan Tudyk, Katie Lowes, Billy Bush, Stan Lee

Songs: "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy and a Henry Jackman score

Big Hero 6 is the fifty-fourth (and currently most recent) Disney animated feature.  Inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, the film tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a young robotics genius who starts a superhero team with his friends and goes after a villanous masked man.

Development for Big Hero 6 began in 2009 when Disney purchased Marvel.  Though Disney made the movie alone, without Marvel's help, several members of Marvel's television department took part in the development, and the two companies cooperated with one another throughout the production.  Visual inspiration for the film came from Japanese art and architecture as well as the landscape of San Francisco, as the filmmakers wanted to caricature the real world and felt these two cities would blend well.  The movie was a critical and financial success -- the second highest grossing Disney animated film, and I'm writing this post the night after the film won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

I enjoyed this movie a lot.  It has a unique look and sound, and while it is emotional, the drama is done very well.  Never heavy handed.  The characters are also all likable, and the animation is beautiful.  It's exciting and fun, and very enjoyable.  I hope Disney continues to make films this fun and with such broad appeal.

What I Liked: The setting of San Fransokyo.  Also Baymax is just wonderful.

What I Disliked: Nothing particular.

Should You Watch This Film: Definitely.