BIG HERO 6 [2014 / 2015] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray] [UK Release] From the Creators of WRECK-IT RALF and FROZEN! Disney’s 53rd Animated Classic!

With all the heart and humour audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, ‘BIG HERO 6’ is an action-packed comedy adventure that introduces Baymax, a lovable, personal companion robot, who forms a special bond with robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his diverse group of friends, including adrenaline junky Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred who transform into a band of unlikely heroes. Bring home Disney's BIG HERO 6, featuring comic-book-style action and hilarious, unforgettable characters and it’s fun for the whole family! The film won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Animated Short and also best Animated Short for ‘Feast’ in 2014.

FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 2015 87th Academy Awards®: Win: Best Animated Feature for Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli. 65th American Cinema Editors Awards: Nominated: Best Edited Animated Feature Film for Tim Mertens. 2015 68th British Academy Film Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Film. 2015 72nd Golden Globe® Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Film for ‘BIG HERO 6.’

Voice Cast: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph, Abraham Benrubi, Katie Lowes, Billy Bush, Daniel Gerson, Paul Briggs, Charlotte Gulezian, David Shaughnessy, Stan Lee, Dan Howell (uncredited), Phil Lester (uncredited) and Frank Welker (uncredited)

Directors: Chris Williams and Don Hall

Producers: Brad Simonsen, John Lasseter, Kristina Reed and Roy Conli

Screenplay: Daniel Gerson, Duncan Rouleau (characters created), Jordan Roberts, Joseph Mateo (head of story), Paul Briggs (head of story), Robert L. Baird and Steven T. Seagle (characters created)

Composer: Henry Jackman

Image Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
Português: 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
Spanish [Catalan]: 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio

Subtitles: English SDH, Castilian Spanish and Português

Running Time: 102 minutes

Number of discs: 2

Region: All Regions

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Andrew’s 3D Blu-ray Review: “Happiness is a Warm Robot” and Disney's Animation division takes a little-known Marvel Comic Book and reinvents it from the ground up, building a superhero buddy animation film around a lovable robot called Baymax.

With ‘BIG HERO 6,’ which is an obscure Marvel Comics title gives, the Walt Disney Animation division just enough raw material to assemble its own superhero franchise, starring millions of robots and including one, a balloon-bellied virtual nurse named Baymax, that you’ll never forget. Co-directors Don Hall and Chris Williams borrow the character names and a few key details from their pulp source, but otherwise succeed in putting a thoroughly Disney spin on things, delivering appealing personalities, bright, peppy animation, positive life lessons and what looks like a world record for the sheer amount of hugging featured in a superhero animation film. More male-skewing than ‘FROZEN,’ the relatively hip result has done big business for Disney, especially in Asian territories, with additional films, comics or even a TV series.

Set in a beautifully rendered, futuristic hybrid city called San Fransokyo, which combines familiar NorCal features, like steep hills, the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay, with skyscrapers, neon signs and characteristically Japanese architectural flourishes where ‘Big Hero 6’ synthesises American and Asian cultural sensibilities across the board. Displaying a special love for Japanese robotics, screenwriters Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson and Jordan Roberts integrate elements of manga, anime and science fiction into the very fabric of the computer-animated project, but also succumb to the same pitfalls faced by so many other superhero pics: Namely, after establishing its fresh and relatable origin story, the movie gets bogged down with a relatively generic villain’s power-hungry schemes.

Hiro is crazy-smart for a youngster of his age, who is an amateur inventor with a special interest in robotics, he graduated from high school at 13 and now spends his time hustling bigger fish at underground bot-fighting competitions and a hobby that jumpstarts the high-energy story with a few “Real Steel” style scenes early on. Older brother Tadashi [Daniel Henney] wishes Hiro would pick something safer to occupy his time, arranging an impromptu tour of the university science lab in hopes that the teen might be tempted to enrol.

Pay special attention to the four inventors who work alongside Tadashi in the school lab, since they will soon join Hiro’s band of amateur crime-fighters. These misfits include cycling junkie GoGo Tamago [Jamie Chung]; laser-blade innovator Wasabi [Damon Wayans Jr.]; chemical-reactions specialist Honey Lemon [Genesis Rodriguez] and Fred [T.J. Miller], a shaggy-haired weirdo obsessed with Godzilla and other freak-of-nature phenomena. As a group, they come across less like the Avengers than the dorky members of Scooby-Doo’s mystery-solving squad.

With his squeaky inflatable suit and gentle demeanour, Baymax looks like a cross between the Marshmallow Man and a giant panda. Personality-wise, the benign bot represents an extreme case of Asimov’s first law: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” In his naive, uniquely amusing way, Baymax is hyper-attentive, almost to the point of smothering, dispensing lollipops and hugs as the situation demands. But he’s also a quick study, learning as he goes, which makes the animation film feel a bit like “How to Train Your Robot” for the first hour or so, complete with high-flying bonding sequences that take us throughout the elaborate, densely detailed world of San Fransokyo is in dynamic stereoscopic 3D, no less.

The villain, who hides his identity behind a kabuki mask, and the members of Hiro’s wisecracking team all remain recognisable human characters throughout. They’re not suddenly blessed with imaginary new powers or miraculously transformed by gamma rays, like so many other Marvel types. Instead, the film eliminates the stigma of being a “nerd” and illustrating how college-level intelligence gave them the tools to make themselves special, boasting a few useful lessons on anger management and the futility of vengeance in the process.

Though much of the animation film is funny, some young viewers may be unsettled by its dark undertones. Death and loss are woven throughout in familiar Disney fashion. Hiro sometimes endures levels of heartbreak, but eventually overcomes the sad part of his life with his 5 other buddy hero’s. The villain, too, is a slight disappointment, but not in a negative way, especially for those old enough to maybe guess his identity. But between the well-conceived leads, inventive action scenes and awesome gadgets, there is plenty of compensation for these complaints. Don Hall and Chris Williams have given us one of those rare family films that can fairly boast of having it all: humour, heart and hug ability. Seriously, place your order for a stuffed Baymax now and definitely the 3D Blu-ray disc, as you will not be disappointed and I have already watched the 3D animation film twice that is how good it is. I give it a massive 5 star rating.

BIG HERO 6 MUSIC TRACK LIST

BOCA DULCE BOCA (Written by F. Estefano Salgado, Flavio Enrique Santander) [Performed by José Luis 'El Puma' Rodríguez]

EYE OF THE TIGER (Written by James Michael Peterik and Frankie Sullivann) [Performed by Survivor]

IMORTALS (Written by Andrew Hurley, Joe Trohman, Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz) [Performed by Fall Out Boy]

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3D Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘BIG HERO 6’ has an awesome 1080p image transfer, which comes just as expected, and is totally awesome. The 2.39:1 aspect ratio framed image is so beautifully display of digital artistry. Clarity is really even and stretches to the screen's limits in every shot. Details are exacting across the board. Whether minor little bits like scuffed armour, the worn edges a long a well-read comic book, or general city textures, the image features a collection of precise details that never relent in their display of perfection, or at least, every last little bit of digital magic born of the filmmakers' hands and computers. Even Baymax's puffy white vinyl body finds some excellent, albeit extremely subtle, textural nuance. Black levels are appropriately deep and textured, to make it totally awesome looking.

Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘BIG HERO 6’ features an awesome and precise 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The track is all about balance. It's aggressive but never to excess, finding subtleties in presentation and placement that are reserved for the absolute best tracks. Music, for example, never overpowers the aural senses but does play with a healthy volume, wide spacing, and gentle surround support. The bass is tight and deep but again never overextends its welcome. The aforementioned action scenes enjoy a significant amount of activity, none of which unnecessarily dominates or covers up either key elements or minor support bits. Dialogue is true and centre focused with a nice bit of light reverberation when necessary. This is a definite reference track from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in every regard.

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3D and 2D Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:

Special Feature: Academy Award® Winning Disney Theatrical Short: ‘FEAST’ [2014] [1080p] [2.39:1] [6:12] As an amusing bonus ‘BIG HERO 6’ which is a virtually dialogue-free, roughly six-minute short called ‘FEAST.’ In a fun twist, the film is told as a montage of meals, tracking a dozen years in the relationship between a Boston terrier and his owner, as seen from the insatiably hungry dog’s perspective. Technically speaking, this is an experimental short, in its visual style and its narrative approach, and it takes a bit of time to get one’s bearings, but the emotional core is so strong that we can’t help choking up. If director Patrick Osborne can do that in six minutes with ‘Feast,’ perhaps it’s fair to ask more of the feature that follows. You can either watch it in 3D or with the second Blu-ray disc, in 2D, your choice, but I preferred to watch it in 3D.

Special Feature: The Origin Story of Big Hero 6: Hiro’s Journey [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [15:10] When you start viewing this particular extra, Baymax comes towards the screen warns you that there will be spoilers in this segment. Obviously you have by now watched the animation film. Jamie Chung [Go Go] hosts and takes us on a journey and we meet all the other contributors. We hear from Don Hall [Director]; Chris Williams [Director]; Roy Conli [Producer]; Paul Briggs [Head of Story]; Robert L. Bair [Writer]; Daniel Gerson [Writer]; Joe Mateo [Head of Story]; Michael Kaschalk [Head of Effects Animation]; Shiyoon Kim [Lead Character Designer]; Scott Adsit [Baymax]; Paul Felix [Production Designer] and Adolph Lusinsky [Director of Cinematography and Lighting]. There are a lot of views of the locations in San Francisco. Joe Quesada [Chief Creative officer for Marvel Entertainment] and Jeph Loeb [Executive Vice President Head of Marvel Television] helped guide the story from a Marvel Comic into a Disney Animated film by adding more of the element of Hiro’s brother. Jeph Loeb mentions how at Marvel Comics, they write a script and shoot it. John Lasseter and his team really dive in and work through elements over and over along the way until they get what they want. They looked at upcoming technology to figure out Baymax’s design. A lot of time was spent thinking about Hiro’s first flight scene with Baymax. There’s talk on designing the city. Jeph Loeb talks about the feeling of great loss. How Hiro dealt with his brother’s death. Taking emotional ideas and helping people connect with them. “As long as we keep telling stories about the people that we lost, they will never go away.” We also get introduced to a new computer process called “Disney’s Hyperion Renderer” and it captures a realistic street lighting effect sensation. One bit of nice information we also hear about, is how they were able to capture the face of Byamax and we are informed that it was based on some bells in a Japanese Temple and it is amazing such a simple solution was resolved. So all in all this is a nice special feature, with lots of informative information and is a definite must watch.

Special Feature: Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind The Characters [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:39] Here we get a talk and listen with all the animators sitting in a circle in a room and they are Zach Parrish [Head of Animation]; Doug Bennett [Animation Supervisor]; Nathan Engelhard [Animation Supervisor]; Jason Figliozzi [Animation Supervisor]; Michael Franceschi [Animation Supervisor]. They discuss how and where they got the ideas from for little details in the character’s looks and moves. Some had brothers and put some of those things into the animation film. There is also a look at some of the voice actors, which includes Daniel Henney [Tadashi]; Ryan Potter [Hiro]; Mya Rudolph [Cass]; Jamie Chung [Go Go]; Damon Wayans Jr. [Wasabi]; Génesis Rodríguez [Honey Lemon]; T.J. Miller [Fred] and Scott Adsit [Byamax]. They had to make sure each character had their own way of moving about and carrying themselves. There's a lot of great insight here. It's too bad this wasn't longer, especially with the lack of actual commentary during the film. So all in all a very fascinating special feature and well worth viewing.

Special Feature: Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams: here we get an introduction by directors Don Hall and Chris Williams. There’s two alternate openings, with one was a prologue, a scene with Yokai’s crew, and “Every Great Super Hero Origin Story Starts with a Grappling Hook.” They're all storyboard clips but will give you an idea of what could have been. You can also see, like with the prologue, how the clip would have changed the tone of the story.

Theatrical Trailer: [2014] [1080p [2.39:1] [1:40] This is the Original Theatrical Teaser Trailer for ‘BIG HERO 6.’ But what a shame this was not included on the 3D Blu-ray disc.

Special Feature: Disney Animated Special: Mickey Mouse in Tokyo Go [2013] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:47] This is is supposed to be a homage to animation’s earlier years, ‘Tokyo Go’ is a madcap adventure told without a single line of dialogue, but I think it is a right load of old rubbish. Mickey fights crazy commuting crowds aboard the bullet train in Tokyo, Japan. Set among Japan’s famously fast commuter trains and rendered with a retro, illustrated style, this slapstick short definitely doesn’t need any words to get its story across. Also after he escapes, he jumps of the train and you can see ducks from Duck Hunt. When Mickey goes through a tunnel on top of the train, the scene briefly changes to that of a video game. This is a possible cultural reference to Akihabara, a section of Tokyo which is a hot spot for gamers. It is also a reference to Yo Gabba Gabba! Sadly I felt this animation cartoon was rather crude and I did not like the style of animation at all and if this is the route Mickey Mouse is going in the future, and then I can definitely give it a zero rating. Animators, please bring back the proper original stylised professionally drawn Mickey Mouse, as this one was total rubbish.

Sneak Previews: Here we get to see Three specific trailers and they are: Ratatouille: Adventure at DisneyLand, Paris [2014] [1080p] [1.77:1] [00:37]; Disney Infinity Computer Game [2014] [1080] [1.77:1] [00:30] and Inside Out [2015] [1080p] [1.77:1] [1:34]. With the Cinema Trailer ‘Inside Out,’ you can view it either in 3D or 2D, but at the start of this trailer you get view clips from previous PIXAR Animation films that are now shown in 3D for the first time, that was only available in 2D, like ‘A Bug’s Life,’ ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Wall-E.’ So does that mean Disney/PIXAR will eventually release those particular Titles onto a 3D Blu-ray disc, wow I hope so, as that would be absolutely fantastic.

BONUS: A Beautiful Designed Embossed Slip Cover.

Finally, if you are a fan of animated films, like me, you will definitely want ‘BIG HERO 6’ in your Blu-ray Collection, especially the 3D Blu-ray disc. Some more extra special features would have been nice, but we do have some excellent extras included. It is an animation film you can easily watch over and over again. It's a great family animation film with lots of moments that do get a little dark and heavy. You will laugh and cry in a very nice emotional way. And hopefully we will get a sequel soon? Don't forget the after-the-credits have rolled up the screen, do not miss the extra bonus scene right at the end, especially if you missed it right to the end in the cinema and obviously there is a hint that there will be in the not too distant future a follow up ‘BIG HERO 6’ animation film. ‘BIG HERO 6’ is the perfect animated film. It's packed with action, littered with strong characters, teeming with humour, and overflowing with heart. It's the epitome of the modern animated film and the superhero picture alike, standing tall against anything either side can throw at it and brushing off any unfounded criticism even the most jaded viewers may hurl in its direction. Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams have a modern masterpiece on their hands. Very Highly Recommended!

Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado 
Le Cinema Paradiso 
United Kingdom

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