Animation outshines plot in “Big Hero 6”

The new Disney Pixar movie is not for everyone, but the animation is beautiful

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Katherine White, JagWire editor-in-chief

As the holidays begin to settle in, movie theaters are filled with a variety of films: serious dramas trying for an Oscar at the end of awards nomination season, feel-good holiday comedies, kids’ movies for those off of school and blockbusters looking to cash in on the holidays rush into theaters. Disney Pixar’s “Big Hero 6,” released on Thursday, Nov. 6, is one of these many films. If you’re trying to decide whether or not this movie is worth your free time over Thanksgiving break, there is something to consider: while the movie is amazing in many aspects, such as animation and scenery, it is not for everyone.

The story itself is not anything anyone’s never seen before; after all, it is based on a comic about a band of heroes. The story focuses around tragedies that conjure searches for revenge, but with comedy and cuteness sprinkled throughout. I am a little tired of the tragedy-creates-superhero-or-supervillain trope, but it is still used often, and of course Disney Pixar is going to aim to be accurate to the original “Big Hero 6” Marvel comics. If this mainly overused plot device has been getting on your nerves, this might be a movie to skip.

You also might want to avoid it if you’re not too interested in tech or nerdy subjects; while it is totally possible to enjoy the movie without a love for computers, if some variation of robots being on the screen pretty much continuously is going to bother you, I would skip it. On the other hand, I happen to love robots, especially cute ones, so I really enjoyed that side of the movie.

Now onto the really good parts of the movie. The world building and scenery of this movie are stunning, and absolutely the best part of it. The fictional city of San Fransokyo is a combination of San Francisco, California and Tokyo, Japan, and the hints of both cultures are worked together in a beautiful way. The iconic Golden Gate Bridge is reimagined with red Japanese Shinto gates as posts; typical office buildings have “hidden roofs,” the curved roofs often seen in Japanese shrines. These little touches and the great attention to detail keeps the film very visually interesting.

One especially great part of the scenery was the coloring. Throughout the movie, there is never a drab scene; it is very colorful. The colors are not just splashes of neon light, either. They all go together well to create a feel of a modern city. The Pixar animators have a clear understanding of how to use light and color in a movie to establish setting and mood.

In addition to the scenery, the animation outshines the storyline as with most Disney Pixar movies as of late. The water in San Fransokyo’s bay, the inflatable robot Baymax, the ruffly, messy hair of the protagonist Hiro – for all of it, I could easily imagine exactly what it would feel like. Disney Pixar has truly mastered some of the hardest textures to animate.

Overall, if you really only go to animated movies if the plot is groundbreaking, you might want to skip this one. However, if you enjoy watching beautifully animated movies despite the use of common tropes, or if you are a fan of cute robots, you should definitely check it out over the break.

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