Big Hero 6
Year: 2014
Rating: PG
Length: 102 minutes / 1.70 hours
Even though Disney has a reputation for being good at the “Princess” movies, I have found that the films geared toward the guys are often overlooked gems. This was probably most obvious during the early 2000s with movies like Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Treasure Planet (2002), both of which were sci-fi movies that flopped. Fortunately, Disney adapts and aligns with popular trends to create some better received films geared toward the boys. Fusing the sci-fi genre with an anime-like setting and superhero theming, Big Hero 6 (2014) has stood up well over time.
I think the only weakness of Big Hero 6 is how closely it plays to the standard tropes. Superhero origin stories are seen as necessary for starting a franchise, but there are only so many ways that plot can be explored before it feels too similar to other movies (with Iron Man (2008) parallels being made here). Even the Power Rangers or Voltron-esque team aspect here, the anime trope of the “power of friendship” is at least partly useful for getting Hiro out of his depression.
While there are admittedly a ton of Disney movies with orphans as the main characters, Big Hero 6 is an important movie for kids to learn how to handle the recent loss of loved ones. I think it’s accurate that a lot of boys would turn to anger and frustration at the loss of an older brother and mentor—likely the only person who encouraged and stood up for them. But what we do with that anger is the important thing that Big Hero 6 tries to convey. It’s a complex emotion that’s often tied to depression—both of which can easily be glossed over.
A Disney movie that leans into the tropes boys love to see, I give Big Hero 6 4.0 stars out of 5.
