We have literally been waiting for this movie for months. Ever since the first sneak peek at a preview came out in early summer, my son has been asking when we can go see Big Hero 6.
Well Wednesday was the night. We hit up our local theater for the advanced screening.
Official Synopsis:
Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit), a plus-sized inflatable robot, and prodigy Hiro Hamada (voice of Ryan Potter). When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax and his close friends adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago (voice of Jamie Chung), neatnik Wasabi (voice of Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (voice of Genesis Rodriguez) and fanboy Fred (voice of T.J. Miller). Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called “Big Hero 6.
My thoughts:
While the movie was actually really well done and easy to sit through, I was a bit caught off-guard by the mature content. It’s Disney, so no surprise here, the parents are dead. Main character, Hiro, and his older brother live with his aunt. But the parents aren’t the only death in the movie. I won’t spoil any of the storyline, but just know that most of this movie centers around loss and grief.
This isn’t a bad thing, but there is nothing in the previews that indicates this, so it was a surprise to me and I would guess to many parents in the audience. I cried during one scene and I heard a child sobbing in another. (Not a sniffle here and there; full on sobbing with hiccups.) Luckily (?) for me, the scenes that were focused on saying good-bye and loss went right over my almost six year old’s head. In fact, on the way home, as I was asking him his thoughts on the movie, I pushed him a little on if anything made him sad. He looked at me, blank-faced, and said “No, why would I be sad?” Well, okay then.
As for the characters, you can’t help but fall in love with Baymax. He’s a fluffy marshmallow type character who shuffles around and bumps into things. My son full out laughed hysterically on multiple occasions. And the other “super heroes” are all equally lovable in their own quirky way.
My son’s thoughts:
“This movie was really fun to watch. I liked when Hiro and Baymax gave fist bumps. I laughed a lot.”
His favorite character was Wasabi. (I tried to get him to say more about it, but homey was not being helpful at all.)
Is it appropriate for younger kids?
Here’s the thing. You know your child best. If they are particularly sensitive, this may not be the movie for them. I would definitely say this movie is NOT for children under 5. I don’t think my three year old would have been able to sit through it. Would she have been entertained at parts? Sure. But the movie was made with older kids in mind, absolutely.
There’s a bit of bathroom humor, but nothing horrible. It’s just enough to keep everyone laughing (or rolling their eyes.)
All in all, it’s a cute flick. The lessons learned are good ones and, while I was surprised by the heavy subject matter, it gives us a chance to talk to our kids about these things. I’d say a Disney movie makes for a better heart to heart conversation than the news, wouldn’t you agree?
Big Hero 6 is rated PG and is 108 minutes long.
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