Big Hero 6 Movie Review

Special guest post by 13-year-old JT Bradley and his friend, Kristi-Joy Matovich

JT's Point of View: (Spoiler Alert for JT's review)

Big Hero 6 is about a boy who fights in robot battles and completely turns around and ends up saving the world with this robot by defeating a mean bad guy who has all of those little tiny micro-robots. The only way to defeat him is to destroy all of the micro-bots.

The movie came out on November 7, 2014. I think that some of the characters are funny and ridiculous. The funniest person is Fred, a guy who just spins a sign around to get people’s attention. The main characters are Bay Max and his pal Hiro.

The best part of the movie was when Hiro fights a battle with robots against this guy and beats him. Another part that was amazing is when Hiro is flying toward an island and one of this friends says, “If I wasn’t terrified of heights, I would probably love this, but I’m terrified of heights so I don’t love it.”

The saddest part that I didn’t like at all was when his family member died. The second part that was sad is when the robot Bay Max is left forever in an unknown world.

I think people will find this movie to be funny and also sad. The ages should be 4 years old and up. The scariest part for kids 8 or younger is when Hiro and Bay Max are attacked in a warehouse and when they are attacked on an island. Most kids will be startled and young kids may get scared.

This movie is about a team of good guys trying to stop a bad guy who is destroying everything and these heroes must stop him from doing so. The beginning of the movie is all funny and a little bit scary, and the ending is sad. Then the world goes back to normal and all is happy.

Kristi-Joy's Point of View:

Walt Disney Animation Studio's most recent offering, Big Hero 6, provides the classic superhero storyline along with a number of creative elements uncommon to the mainstream "kid's" film. Set in a Japanese-American hybrid city named "San Fransokyo," the movie explores family, grief, revenge, and friendship centered around a 14-year-old genius named Hiro. Released on November 7, Big Hero 6 was the highest grossing film on its opening weekend, and deservedly so.

Raised by their aunt after their parents' deaths, Hiro and his college-aged brother, Tadashi, are highly intelligent and inventive. After Tadashi convinces Hiro to join his high-tech "nerd school" college, a series of events leads Hiro to adapt his brother's nearly perfected medical robot, Baymax, to help find and fight the movie's villain. Along with Baymax, four other genius "nerd" students use their areas of study to help Hiro, ultimately creating the band of six super heroes attempting to protect the city of San Fransokyo.

A few elements that especially struck me were the mash-up of Japanese and American culture, the high value placed on scientific ingenuity, and the portrayal of female characters. Visually, San Fransokyo is fascinating and incredibly beautiful, from the high-rises of downtown to the steep streets of the bay area. With traditional Japanese peaked roofs and Asia's lucky cats topping classically American cafes, the hybrid permeates the film all the way down to clothing styles and color choices.

The main characters' intelligence and choice of collegiate study could easily have relegated them to messy white shirts and a lack of social skills. Instead, the six about-to-be superheroes each have unique styles and personalities which endorse that being interested in "nerdy" pursuits doesn't make you socially unacceptable. In fact, it might even allow you to improve people's lives! Finally, the portrayal of female characters in Big Hero 6 is a refreshing one, especially in the superhero genre. Honey Lemon and Go Go are the two young women of the six, each with their own lab space and interests. Honey Lemon has a classic "girly" persona that is built into her final superhero costume with hearts and a purse, while Go Go integrates her athletic interests into her work. Neither of their unique personalities are diminished by their intellects, nor are they any less a part of the team.

Parents should know when deciding whether to present this film to their kids, that the way grief is addressed in Big Hero 6 is more intense than your average Disney movie. Hiro goes through a time of denial of his grief, and is finally forced to face it with the help of Baymax and later his friends. While what is portrayed is certainly real and healthy, it goes beyond being simply sad, which could be a little troubling for certain children. Also, there is a brief discussion of puberty that could surpass what parents may have discussed with their children, mentioning body hair and emotional/hormonal changes.

Overall, Big Hero 6 is neither what you expect out of a children's Disney movie, nor is it disappointing in its humor, action, and characters. Assuming your child is ready to encounter themes of grief and difficulty, I would highly recommend it for both enjoyment and as an opportunity to discuss various issues life throws at us.

JT Bradley was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in September, 2001. He has been with his forever-family, Dev Bradley and Kersley Fitzgerald since February, 2003. He loves video games, swimming, and rare days when he has no homework. His dream is to one day be an airline pilot out of Germany. His parents’ dream is that he gets through eighth grade.

Kristi-Joy is a writer by trade, a theologian by training, a philosopher by interest, and a musician by family inheritance. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 2014 with a B.A. in Philosophic Theology. While growing up in a Christian home, Kristi-Joy struggled to understand her faith and believe that God cared for both her and the world in general. These struggles inherently produce a hopeless outlook on life which became its own struggle which she still has. In all of her writing, Kristi-Joy aims to present a realistic understanding of pain, and the only thing she has found that allows the world to make sense: Jesus Christ's sacrifice for all and the relational love He offers.

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