What do you suppose the difference is between “homage” and “stealing?” Big Hero 6, an otherwise adorable film, shares an awful lot in common with another adorable film, How to Train Your Dragon. Comb-challenged pre-adult spunky geek stick figure (Hiro, Hiccup) befriends an unlikely inhuman-but-intelligent being (Baymax, Toothless) and together their combined skill set attracts a collection of nerdy friends so all can fight a superhuman evil while the emasculated adults stand around and watch. That about right?
There is little question that BH6 owes a great deal to Dragon Training. It’s impossible for me not to see the one withou
t thinking of the other; the question is “is it far enough removed to conclude homage?”
In the busy metropolis of San Francisokyo (as a Bay Area native, I love what you’ve done here), orphan brothers Tadashi (voice of Daniel Henney) and Hiro (voice of Ryan Potter) are inventors, using their expert skillz for diverse ends – Tadashi has designed a benevolent and highly proficient all-in-one medical robot, Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit). Hiro has designed the ultimate sandbagging battle robot. One robot is designed to heal, another designed to scam. Tadashi channels his younger brother’s talents into something a tad more marketable and his reward for such is death. The twice orphaned Hiro decides his best play is to take the walking medical center and search for answers.
Baymax is the driving force to Big Hero 6. The movie doesn’t get rolling until we learn more about the soft-spoken anthropomorphic balloon.
He looks a little like the Michelin Man really let himself go. His adopted demeanor is always calm (he’s programmed, after all, for healing), a contrast to situations in which Hiro is tracking down his brother’s killer. This is often played for common effect: e.g. ”RUN!!!” “I am not fast.” Now, why Baymax acts drunk when he’s low on power is really beyond me.
Big Hero 6 is a fun film. The child in you will enjoy the transformation of nerds into heroes; there’s definitely a dual message here of trusting in your own power and tempering it when necessary. Not that any of this wasn’t done already in Dragon Training. As homages go? You can do a lot worse.
Sympathize with young Hiro’s plan
For revenge, er, I mean “justice,” man
When over your head
Wail instead
“Save me, bloated Michelin Man!”
Rated PG, 102 Minutes
D: Don Hall, Chris Williams
W: Jordan Roberts, Daniel Gerson & Robert L. Baird
Genre: How to Train Your Michelin Man
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Your son who is six-going-on-Spider-Man
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Fuddy-duddies
