Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Big Hero 6 Blu-ray Movie Review

You'll be satisfied with the care Disney has put into this terrific movie.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 18, 2015

Big Hero 6 sees the merger of two of the film industry's top box office earners of the past two decades: the sweeping, high end digital adventure and the larger-than-life superhero movie. It finds the very best of both worlds, playing like a marriage between Guardians of the Galaxy and WALL•E, yielding a rich, exacting, endlessly fun, and warmly touching movie that was far too long coming but that proves well worth the wait. Big Hero 6, a movie with action to spare, characterization that would be the envy of most dramas, crazy attention to detail, and a heart as big as its hero, just may be the quintessential modern day animated masterpiece of its form that's accessible, memorable, and enjoyable in every way imaginable. There's nary a flaw to be found in any area of examination, whether considering its narrative flow, dramatic foundation, humorous overlay, or creative vision.

Friends in battle.

Hiro (voiced by Ryan Potter) is a boy genius who is "wasting" his talents on underground remote control robot fighting rather than pursuing bigger and better things, namely a higher education. His brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) one day drags him to his "Nerd Lab" where the boy is introduced to Tadashi's friends -- Fred (voiced by T.J. Miller), Go Go (voiced by Jamie Chung), Wasabi (voiced by Damon Wayans Jr.), and Honey Lemon (voiced by Genesis Rodriguez) -- and some amazing technology, including Tadashi's own "Baymax" (voiced by Scott Adsit), a medical assistant robot that's going to change the world. Hiro is impressed, and when he meets the great Professor Callaghan (voiced by James Cromwell), who invites him to join the fun and prove his worth with an amazing invention, he decides to make a change and do something important with his gifts. Hiro dazzles with a marvelous invention, but disaster strikes and changes the boy's life forever. Now living in seclusion, dropped out of society, and unwilling to pursue his dreams, he stays tucked away in his bedroom. But when Baymax is inadvertently activated, the two form a bond and, with the help of a few friends, embark on a quest to set things right and unravel a mystery that, if left unchecked, could have disastrous consequences for everyone involved.

Big Hero 6 is a touching character-driven "buddy" movie dressed up in the guise of an Action film with light, but extremely effective, comical undertones. As it progresses through the journey shared by Hiro and Baymax (whose name coincidentally rings familiar with that of the old video delivery system "Betamax"), it uses the adventure as a tool to better define their burgeoning relationship, with the emotionally wounded Hiro on one side and the all-too-pragmatic, emotionally void Baymax on the other, an artificial being that appears to lack not bedside manner but certainly bedside tact, unable to understand the complexities of human nuance but that is determined to see its patient emotionally healed, one way or another. Their shared adventure engenders a greater understanding of their shared needs, Hiro coming to find comfort, and even some answers, in Baymax, while the robot, at least on a very elementary level, comes to better understand Hiro's needs beyond their raw medical definitions. In Baymax, the filmmakers have created one of the most remarkable artificial life forms ever depicted on the screen. It's a perfect representation of that cold robotic distance and exactness with just enough human warmth and relatability to elevate the character beyond a form and give it something as close to a soul as is possible without it losing its detached charm. It's sort of like a blend of Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet and Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation with an appearance that resembles the Michelin Man. Even as the film has quite a bit of fun at Baymax's expense, it builds a tangible connection between it and Hiro and it and the audience, resulting in one of the most lovable, memorable, and honest artificial characters in movie history.

The film certainly excels in every other area of importance. Big Hero 6 leaves no digital stone unturned. It's a masterpiece of technical wizardry that reveals a tremendous level of exacting, nuanced detail in every shot. It creates a vibrant, fully alive world, a familiar world to be sure despite its future setting but with enough distinction to still earn some "oohs" and "aahs," though predominately in just how complex it all appears and not necessarily for any sort of radical forward-thinking vision of some near future world. The attention to detail in even the smallest pieces is wondrous, so much so that one almost wants to stop the movie and soak in every little bit of digital artistry apparent in every scene, along every surface, around each minuscule detail that adds up to a terrifically vibrant experience that comes as close to a living thing as a digital creation currently can be. And it doesn't simply stop at the visual. The movie comes packed with fine little touches in terms of characterization, sound, and score that all merge to aid in the presentation of a breathtaking experience. Better, the movie doesn't settle for serving as a technical highlight reel. Even beyond the core Hiro-Baymax relationship, the film comes to life with a deep, complex, nuanced, yet accessible story that delves into a number of themes such as coping with loss, overcoming tragedy, and the importance of friendship. The picture explores some dark territory but in doing so arrives at a bright end with a central message that builds on the idea of physical loss versus emotional loss and the realization that one does not equal the other, that even in spirit a life can matter and help engender a sense of purpose where the void otherwise says it cannot exist nor any longer be of any value.

Big Hero 6 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Big Hero 6's 1080p transfer comes just as expected. Sony's 2.39:1-framed image is a beautiful display of digital artistry. Clarity is even and stretches to the screen's limits in every shot. Details are exacting across the board. Whether minor little bits like scuffed armor, 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. Colors explode in a cheery, bright array in some of the more eye-popping bits, while even some darker segments find a true, stable palette. Either way, the movie is awash in healthy colors that are as perfectly defined and nuanced as can be. Black levels are appropriately deep. The image sees a couple of extremely minor bits of banding, but it's hardly enough to warrant a knock in score that might mar an otherwise picture-perfect transfer from Disney.

Big Hero 6 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Big Hero 6 features a precise DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless 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. Bass is tight and deep but again never overextends its welcome, whether in defining the lower end of musical bits or in support of the film's heaviest end action scenes. Atmospherics are likewise naturally implemented without pushing too hard, gently, not forcefully, immersing the audience in the film's world. Directional effects -- for example zipping traffic or bits of debris flying through the stage -- are fine tuned and thrilling. 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 center focused with a nice bit of light reverberation when necessary. This is a reference track from Disney in every regard.

Big Hero 6 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Big Hero 6 contains a fairly brief assortment of extras. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a DVD copy of the film and a voucher for an iTunes digital copy.

• Theatrical Short: Feast (1080p, 6:13): A cute little short animated film from Director Patrick Osborne that follows a little dog with a big appetite and an eye towards the future.
• The Origin of Big Hero 6: Hiro's Journey (1080p, 15:10): Jamie Chung hosts a look at building the film from the original Marvel comic and blending that with Disney animation, changes from the original source material, real life influences that defined the film, the core development processes, character qualities, developing Baymax, crafting the film's unique but identifiable environment, new technologies utilized in the film's construction, the film's villain, the picture's emotional core, and more.
• Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters (1080p, 6:39): A short "roundtable" discussion between some of the creative minds that worked on the film. They discuss what they do, how they do it, influences, and some of the deeper technical details of the job.
• Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Directors Don Hall & Chris Williams (1080p): Alternate Opening -- Prologue (4:05), Alternate Opening -- Silent Sparrow (4:53), Yokai's Crew (2:42), and "Every Great Super Hero Origin Story Starts with a Grappling Hook" (1:12).
• Big Hero 6 Theatrical Teaser (1080p, 1:41).

Big Hero 6 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Big Hero 6 is the perfect Animated film. It's packed with action, littered with strong characters, teeming with humor, 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, a film that in ninety-some minutes embodies everything that's good about the biggest and best that mainstream cinema has had to share over the past two or so decades. An Oscar contender for Best Animated Feature film that could have just as easily been elevated to Best Picture category status (along with fellow snubs The LEGO Movie and the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy), the film ranks as one of the year's best and one that the entire family can enjoy time and again. Disney's Blu-ray release of Big Hero 6 delivers expectedly perfect video and audio. The package is, on the other hand, completely underwhelming in terms of its limited supplemental content. Nevertheless, the movie trumps all, and its stellar A/V presentation helps mask even the rather puny assortment of extras. Big Hero 6 earns my highest recommendation.