'Big Hero 6' (PG)

****

When fourteen-year-old boy-wonder, Hiro, is left Baymax, his brother’s inflatable healthcare assistant, an unlikely bond forms. Together, they aim to track down a terrible villain who is terrorising their city.

‘Big Hero 6’ is an excellent film, and not only for the audience that it is primarily aimed at. With fast-paced action set pieces, a keen attention to detail and a delightfully witty script, this is undoubtedly a very enjoyable cinema experience that both young children and their accompanying adults can indulge in. The animation is beautiful and totally immersive – the small nuances and constant movement occurring in the background make this seem like a living, breathing world that is excellent to behold. The fluidity of the animation when it comes to the microbots is definitely a highlight, as is the scene in which Baymax and Hiro take a flight over their city, each building stunningly realised. Perhaps I should be used to how complex and immersive animation is today, but I am always amazed at how wonderful it looks up on the big screen. It is suitably scary, with just the right amount of threat for younger viewers to cope with, and it features just the right balance between the ‘grown-up’ issues of loss and grieving and all out silliness.

The film isn’t all spectacle however, it is about friendship and love, demonstrated through our two central characters of Hiro and Baymax, and later a group of fellow science-whizz kids. The basis of the film is scientific advancement, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much science there was at the beginning of the film, from Hiro being shown the lab where his brother works, to the experiments that the other students are undertaking. The inclusion of two female scientists is as refreshing as it is important. One of the creations is Baymax, an inflatable personal health companion. Baymax’s characterisation is truly remarkable – for a robot that does not possess a mouth, only two black eyes, he is incredibly expressive and instantly loveable. He provides much of the humour of the film, from his ungainly way of running, to his ability to inflate and deflate as necessary, and his love of Hiro’s cat, or ‘hairy baby’ as felines shall be known henceforth.

There is some terribly clunky exposition, however, especially at the beginning, and the film lacks the emotional heights that Pixar seems to do almost effortlessly. Similarly, I had expected the ‘big reveal’ moment to be something other than it was, but looking back on it, I can see how my expectations might have been difficult for younger viewers to take in. There are also some gaping plot holes that were hard to overlook, but these sins can be forgiven as ‘Big Hero 6’ is really rather delightful.

‘Big Hero 6’ lacks the emotional punch that Pixar films do so well, but it is still packed with charm, wit and stunningly colourful graphics that will keep young and old audiences alike enthralled for a couple of hours. With well-drawn, multi-cultural characters, this is undoubtedly an important step towards greater diversity within film. Its heart is set firmly in the right place, and at the centre of it all is a beautiful blossoming friendship between a boy-genius and a loveable robot.