Big Hero 6 Review

BIG HERO 6 REVIEW
by Loren R. Javier

Our good friend and fellow Disney lover Loren Javier picks up the Tales pen for this entry! He's written an awesome review of the newest Walt Disney Animation Studios release, Big Hero 6. Enjoy! 

Just before Frozen was released in 2013, I visited a friend at Walt Disney Animation Studios. I asked him, “What film are you guys working on next that you can tell me without killing me?”

“A Marvel movie,” he said.

Being a huge Marvel fan, I immediately asked him with great excitement, “Which one?!?!”

“Oh, you probably don’t know this comic. It’s called ‘Big Hero 6,’” he replied, fully expecting me to be dumbfounded.  But, being the big Marvel fan I was, my eyes lit up and said, “Oh, my god! I totally know what you’re talking about!”

But, of course, after that, I was loaded with questions that he couldn’t answer. While I was familiar with the comic, it was an extremely obscure one. And, it was based on a Japanese super hero team with less conventional names such as Honey Lemon and Wasabi No Ginger. How would they pull this off?

And, while Walt Disney Animation Studios has set movies in more modern times, they’ve never tackled a story about super heroes. And, before you say, let’s not forget The Incredibles, let’s remember that was produced by Pixar which has a different philosophy to storytelling.

Big Hero 6 tells the story of Hiro Hamada who tries to solve the mystery behind his brother Tadashi’s death. Through this journey, he meets an incredible team of like minded friends as well as Baymax, an artificial intelligence that is the last remnant of his brother. It is a story of loss and it is a story of learning about the people in your lives.

Thankfully, Walt Disney Animation Studios was able to create a film worthy of both the Disney and Marvel brands. I’ve been involved in several conversations about whether one would consider Big Hero 6 to be a Disney or Marvel film. We know that Disney has distanced itself from the source material in some ways with very little mention of Marvel in the movie. I understand that this was a way to allow Disney to have some leeway in storytelling that doesn’t bind itself so closely to the source material. But, I think, as I’ve said, Disney was able to strike a fantastic blend of the two brands.  

From the Marvel brand, it was able to bring some great action sequences and the creation of a ragtag group of individuals wanting to do good in the world. Yes, a super hero team.  I’ve read the “Big Hero 6” books and the film definitely captures the spirit. And from the Disney brand, it was able to bring in the heart. Disney always does an amazing job of finding the relationships that people can really relate to. For me, the film is all about the impact that people make in your own life, whether it mean the support Tadashi, Baymax or the rest of the team gave to Hiro, or, how we can’t take for granted the people who are in our lives. It is touching and heartbreaking, but, with the everlasting message of hope.

On Tuesday, February 24, Walt DIsney Home Entertainment released Big Hero 6 on Blu-Ray and DVD (although, it did release it in Digital HD and Disney Movie Anywhere earlier in the month). I chose to wait for the Blu-Ray release because it had an exclusive special feature called “Big Hero Secrets,” showing the various Easter Eggs in the movie. We learned about hidden references to Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled and others as well as some very Hidden Mickeys. It’s a great special feature, but it is actually hard to find. In fact, I, at first, thought it was left off my Blu-Ray and look it up. If you want to spend the time figuring out how to activate it, skip the rest of this paragraph. Otherwise, here’s the secret….When you go to the Special Features menu, press “Up.” You will see Baymax appear in the upper right part of the menu. Press select and you got your special feature!

The longest and, to me, the most interesting special feature was entitled “The Origin Story of Big Hero 6: Hiro’s Journey.” Hosted by Jamie Chung, who provides to voice for Go Go Tomago, we learn how the film was brought from the pages of a Marvel comic and made its way to your local movie theater. It was interesting hearing some of the collaborative process between Disney and Marvel as well as showing Marvel’s confidence in Disney’s bringing this obscure property to the big screen. It was also really interesting to see how Baymax went from more of a monster looking robot in the comics to a soft personal healthcare companion.

Loren and Baymax!

“Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind The Characters” was a fine special feature. In this feature, we watch interviews about the artists involved in the film. There’s some nice interviews, but nothing earth shatteringly educational either.

The deleted scenes were also interesting to watch I always love to see early thought process behind a film and why certain scenes are cut. While the scenes were definitely entertaining and fun, but I’m also glad they went the direction they did. They’re definitely worth watching, though.

The piece d’ resistance of all the special features, though, is the accompanying theatrical short Feast, which, along with Big Hero 6, recently won an Academy Award! This short film follows a young Boston Terrier puppy named Winston and how he relates to the world around him by the food he’s given. My sister has a Boston Terrier puppy and it’s amazing how realistic Winston is! It is also worth noting that, if you have a Disney Movie Anywhere account, it includes the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Short Tokyo Go which features Mickey Mouse braving the bullet train in Tokyo during rush hour. If you aren’t watching these Mickey Mouse shorts, you are missing on some fun animation!

Thanks Loren for a GREAT review!! - Al & Joyce

Loren R. Javier, Guest Blogger and Super Hero!

Baymax LOVES National Hugging Day!!

After much deliberation and even more hugging, Baymax, the lovable personal companion robot and star of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s action-packed comedy adventure and Academy Award® Nominated film “Big Hero 6,” was today named Most Huggable Character of 2015 on National Hugging Day™!

The coveted award was presented by the Ambassador of Hugs, Kevin Zaborney, founder and creator of National Hugging Day.™ Baymax humbly accepted the award from his residence in San Fransokyo where he attributed the honor to his “non-threatening, huggable design” and said he looks forward to spending the upcoming year giving and receiving hugs from all.

The Most Huggable Character Award coincides with this month’s National Hugging Day™ held annually on January 21. National Hugging Day™ was created to encourage people around the world show more affection in public. There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate the holiday: offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. 

About National Hugging Day:

National Hugging Day,™ also known as National Hug Day, is an annual holiday created by Rev. Kevin Zaborney in Michigan, USA. It occurs on January 21 and is officially recognized by the United States Copyright Office. It was first celebrated in 1986 and has since spread to multiple countries. The purpose of the holiday is to encourage people to openly express themselves through hugging.  Offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want but remember it is wise to ask first. Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same. For more information, visit www.nationalhuggingday.com.

THE MOST ORIGINAL, HUGGABLE HERO OF ALL

SHARES THE 10 BENEFITS OF HUGGING!

1)    Hugs make us feel “happy”! When we hug another person, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone associated with “happiness,” according to scientific studies. 

2)    Hugs alleviate stress! Just as a good hug increases our oxytocin levels, it decreases our cortisol or “stress” levels. 

3)    Babies need hugs as much as water and food! According to researchers at Harvard University, hugs help promote normal levels of cortisol necessary for child development. 

4)    Hugs make us better students! Students who receive a supportive touch from a teacher are twice as likely to volunteer in class. 

5)    Hugs improve our game! Scientists at University of California, Berkley discovered that the more affectionate members of a team are with each other, the more likely they are to win. 

6)    A hug a day keeps the doctor away! A hug stimulates the thymus gland, which in turn regulates the production of white blood cells that keep us healthy and disease-free. 

7)    A hug stops the bug! Researchers at Carnegie Mellon proved that individuals who were sick and received hugs had less severe symptoms and were able to get better quicker. 

8)    A hugging heart is a healthy heart! Research from University of North Carolina showed that a good hug helps ease blood flow and lower cortisol levels, which in turn help lower our heart rates. 

9)    A hugging couple is a happy couple! Couples that experience their partners’ love through physical affection share higher oxytocin levels. 


10)    Hugs let someone know you care without having to say a word! According to Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, we can identify love from simple human touch – imagine how much love a big hug can communicate! 

About Disney’s “Big Hero 6”

From Walt Disney Animation Studios (“Frozen,” “Wreck-It Ralph”), “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy adventure about the poignant friendship that develops between a robotics prodigy and an extraordinary robot as they embark on a life-changing journey to unravel the mystery behind a devastating event. “Big Hero 6” is directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, and produced by Roy Conli. 

The film introduces Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot, who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his diverse group of friends — adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred — who transform into a band of unlikely heroes.


Disney’s “Big Hero 6” will be available nationwide on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere February 3 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack February 24. For more information, visit http://movies.disney.com/big-hero-6.