Big Hero 6

Walt Disney Animation Studios has been revitalized in recent years with fine animated films including Frozen, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph. That trend continues with this action-packed Marvel comic book collaboration revolving around Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), who lives in the futuristic East/West multicultural hybrid called San Fransokyo. A cocky 14-year-old tech geek who already graduated from high school, Hiro spends his time engaged in back-alley robot-battles, much to the dismay of his Aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph) and older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney), who want him to go to college. Hiro eventually becomes enthusiastic about the idea, ultimately impressing stern Professor Callaghan (James Cromwell) with his knowledge of “microbots” (nano technology used to form anything). And then tragedy strikes, after which heartbroken Hiro bonds with gentle Baymax (Scott Adsit), an inflatable, translucent vinyl robotic healthcare companion designed to help ease pain. The odd couple's friends include adrenaline junkie GoGo Tomago (Jamie Chung), laser-blade innovator/neat freak Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry specialist Honey Lemon (Génesis Rodriguez), and Godzilla-obsessed fanboy Fred (T.J. Miller). Together, they use their creativity to morph into high-tech avengers, battling a kabuki-masked villain. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, Big Hero 6 is bouncy and beguiling family fare, a charming film that values brains over brawn. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters” artist segment (7 min.), the Oscar-nominated animated short “Feast” (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is “The Origin Story: Hiro's Journey” featurette (15 min.), deleted scenes including alternate openings and an intro by the directors (13 min.), Easter egg “Secrets” (3 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this Oscar-nominated Disney film.] (S. Granger)