Big Hero 6, rated PG
*** ½
*SPOILER ALERT*

This film is getting excellent reviews (91% critics and 94% from moviegoers on rottentomatoes.com). It is loosely based on an obscure comic book. It takes place in San Fransokyo, an imaginative mixing of San Francisco and Tokyo, and stars Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter). Hiro is a brilliant 14 year old who has already graduated from high school. He and his brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) lost their parents sometime in the past and now live with their likeable Aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph). Hiro spends his time winning money in back-alley illegal robot fights.

Tadashi takes him to his college robotics lab to try to encourage him to attend the school. There Hiro meets Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Fred (T.J. Miller). Tadashi also shows him Baymax (Scott Adsit). Baymax is Tadashi’s robotics project – an inflatable robot designed to tend to the sick (think of a giant Pillsbury Dough Boy).

Hiro is encouraged and wants to attend the school. Tedashi encourages Hiro to develop a project to present at a science fair at the school. He presents his microbots, which wows the crowd, and he is accepted at the college by Professor Callaghan (James Cromwell). But his joy is short-lived as just minutes later the building that hosted the fair goes up in flames and Tadashi is killed as he goes back into the building in an attempt to save his beloved professor. Tadashi is crushed after losing his brother and best friend.

Days later, when a depressed Hiro is in his room (which he shared with Tadashi), Baymax rises out of his container. He quickly becomes Hiro’s new best friend. It was this part of the film that was probably most enjoyable to the many children in the audience, and I really enjoyed hearing them laugh at Baymax.

To Hiro’s surprise, one of his microbots survived the fire. It leads Hiro and Baymax to an abandoned warehouse where they realize that the fire was not an accident. This is where the film changes. There is much less humor and it turns into a super hero film. We won’t share any more, or we would spoil it for you.

I really enjoyed the film, but didn’t see the whole super hero thing coming. Tammy loved the first half of the film and didn’t like the second half as much.

Get there early enough to see the enjoyable short film Feast, which precedes Big Hero 6. Feast is the story of one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share. As dog lovers we really enjoyed it.

And stay through the end of the credits for Big Hero 6 to see a Marvel film-like reveal about Fred.

If you see the film, write us and let us know what you think of it.