Big Hero 6

When it comes to animated films, Disney, out of the shear amount of years they've be producing them, is probably king. Their list of these films is endless--suffice it to say that they know a thing or two about the process of the animated flick and what it takes to woo us to that multiplex. Even though they are a massive machine churning out one 'mass audience appeal' film after another, I must say that when I viewed "Big Hero 6", it really captured my attention from first minute to last. Hey, I was having a weak moment.

This is a comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax (Scott Adsit), a plus-sized inflatable robot and prodigy Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter). Hiro learns to harness his genius thanks to his brilliant brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney) and their geek friends. When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro into the midst of extreme danger, he has to not only turn to Baymax, but also to his close friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung), neatnik Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), and fanboy  Fred (T.J. Miller). Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech geek heroes called "Big Hero 6".

Others to round out the cast are James Cromwell as Robert Callaghan, Alan Tudyk as Alistair Krei, Maya Rudolph as Cass, Katie Lowes as Abigail, Billy Bush as Newscaster, Daniel Gerson as Desk Sergeant, and Paul Briggs as Yama.

This was directed by Don Hall ("Winnie the Pooh" '11) and Chris Williams ("Bolt' '08). These guys have been attached to other animated films, but they are relative newcomers in the director's chair. They certainly have learned their craft well, because the direction in this seems like seasoned pros helmed it. It was written by Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson and Robert L. Baird based on a story by Hall and Roberts which is based on concepts and characters created by Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle). Disney seizes to amaze me in that it being the commercial giant machine it has become, I wanted to not like them, however when a story has just the right amount of humor and heart as this film has, one has to be objective, lest become an ineffective critic. This film has it all: heart, adventure, comedy, excitement, even a message all in an entertaining format. Granted, it is your typical 'good vs. evil' concept, but those guys at Disney simply pulled this off in spades.

This film is a film one can take anyone to, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, what could a better time to see this? This is a gem on the big screen all in a nifty 3D format.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                               Rated: PG                                108mins.