BIG HERO 6 directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, written by Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson and Jordan Roberts, with the voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph and James Cromwell. 108 minutes. A Disney release. Opens Friday (November 7). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
The Disney-Marvel synergy expands into the animated realm with Big Hero 6, a near-total reworking of a little-remembered comic property created in the late 90s.
The movie centres on 14-year-old robotics genius Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), who “upgrades” himself and four college-aged scientists to battle an emerging super-villain. But the real focus is on Hiro’s bond with his initial subject, a marshmallowy medical droid called Baymax (30 Rock’s Scott Adsit).
Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams find new angles on the required action beats, playing up the human relationships and having fun with Baymax’s logical, single-minded nature. And the world in which it all takes place – the Japanese-infused American metropolis of “San Fransokyo” – is a production designer’s dream.
