I’ve never really had a “burning passion” for movies. I watch and write about movies as a hobby mostly because it’s entertaining and people on the internet and in the real world, for whatever baffling reason, seem to enjoy reading what I have to say. In spite of that, I confess I’ve always been somewhat envious of the people who proclaim their unrelenting devotion for music/movies/literature was ignited by a single song/movie/book encountered on the road to Damascus. While I still can’t proclaim to posses that same fiery bravado, watching Big Hero 6 was probably the closest I’ve come to that quasi-religious experience. The first piece of marketing that I came across was this trailer, and I was honestly unimpressed. Granted, it was a teaser trailer only meant to make the audience aware of the movie’s existence, but it conveyed next to nothing about the story or characters and its only truly outstanding quality was the animation. Even after that tepid first meeting when I did more research and watched this trailer which provided more insight into the story and characters, I wasn’t salivating in ecstasy. I simply expected yet another superhero movie born of out of Hollywood’s desire to ride the comic book superhero train off the rails. I was pleased to discover that the final product didn’t so much succeed my expectations as beat them to smithereens and send their smoldering corpses into the proverbial river of futility. Without hyperbole, this movie has changed my life in some ways small and others so profound I’m honestly not sure I would be capable of elucidating about them even If I gave it a genuine try. When I finished my first screening on that fateful November Friday, I couldn’t conjure forth anything resembling a cogent thought. I was so captured, so enthralled, it was like my mind had transcended onto another plane of existence in which sheer joy was the only conceivable emotion. I knew from the very inception of my adoration for Big Hero 6 that a regular review could in no way even dream of standing up to this titanic force of a movie. I typically only write substantive reviews for movies that I actually have something to say about, but, after months of deliberation, I reached the conclusion that a two-to-three thousand word breakdown simply would not suffice. The characters, the story, the visuals, the action, the voice acting, the thematic content, everything creates a slice of sheer perfection that a standard review simply wouldn’t be able to contain. To give you a brief overview of what I think about Big Hero 6 in an “objective” sense: I absolutely adore this movie. It’s perfect. That’s all I can say, really. Trying to put my thoughts about this movie into an actually coherent string of thought would be like trying to destroy the Colossus of Rhodes with a half-broken toffee hammer. Rather than critique it, I simply want to give my thoughts and feelings about the movie as a whole. To preface this monstrosity: I don’t think it’s appropriate to claim this is some sort of substantive analysis about Big Hero 6. I admit upfront, even before I’ve completed this, that this is more so going to be a manifestation of my feelings about and connection towards something that has had an incalculably massive impact on my life rather than a critical analysis of genuine worth about Big Hero 6 as a movie. (To be totally transparent: I don’t think this is even something worth publishing. This is more so for my own personal enjoyment, I guess) I’ve seen Big Hero 6 seven times and I still find something new to adore on each subsequent viewing and I get the distinct impression that will continue to be the case, so preemptively forgive me because I won’t be able to cover absolutely everything. I don’t claim to have any sort of grand revelation or universe-shattering theory and I’m not sure what, if anything, is the point of all this, but I would simply like to attempt to quantify what makes Big Hero 6 so profoundly spectacular and unquestionably my favorite movie of all time. (This will be 90% talking about the movie and 10% how it impacted me on a personal level. This won’t get terribly pretentious, although it might get a bit too sappy for some, especially towards the conclusion)

Before we continue: I need you to do two things for me. First: Watch the movie. I mean, I’m assuming you’ve seen it if you’ve read this far, but if you haven’t, you mad person, do that right now and return when you’re finished. I’ll wait here until you’re done. Full spoilers. C’mon now, don’t act like you didn’t know that. Plus, it’s only a bit over ninety minutes. You’re not that important.

Finished? Great. You’re welcome, by the way.

Second: Do you have a beverage and some snack worthy perishables? If you actually plan on reading this behemoth in its entirety, I recommend a sandwich and a beer. I’m being one hundred percent serious. I’m breaking this down scene for scene, line for line, beat for beat, and I’m going to tell you far more about Big Hero 6 than you ever wanted to know.

Prior to getting into the meat of the movie itself, I’d just like to say that fidelity to the source material is not a marker of the overall quality of a movie. Of course, adaptations of books or plays should stick as closely to the source material as possible within the limits of the medium of film, but that rule only applies if the source material isn’t complete garbage. Furthermore, I think we can all admit in unison that this is far better designed than this. Disney made the correct decision in not adapting the comics full stop as the comics are absolutely dreadful. Bad writing, worse art, and a general lack of cohesion.

Oh, and the movie will be referred to as Big Hero 6 while the main team as characters will be referred to as the Big Hero 6. (Note the lack of italics) They never refer to themselves as such, but I’m going to do that for the sake of convenience. It may sound strange, but I figure it’s the easiest way for both parties involved in this production.

We open the movie to find ourselves drawn into San Fransokyo. While the most prominent element of this introduction is the wondrous visuals, our tour through the alleys and streets of San Fransokyo is already making us cognizant of one of the movie’s central thematic through lines: Acknowledging that there is a world that exists independent of our own awareness. While having the multitudinous machinations of the intricate and complex structure of the world directly explained can work for certain science fiction/alternate reality movies, the world of San Fransokyo exists to tell the story of the Big Hero 6 rather than the other way around. It helps the audience understand that the characters exist in a world larger than themselves and helps things which might seem otherwise surreal or strange feel like a natural part of the universe. An artificial intelligence incredibly skilled at health care or mentally controlled swarms of extremely small robots might seem unusual on paper, but its execution in the realm of the vaguely futuristic San Fransokyo helps assuage any objection the audience could theoretically present. Not long after, we are introduced to our protagonist, Hiro Hamada, as he challenges the generously proportioned gangster and robot-fighting champion Yama. In this first conversation, we learn almost everything we need to know about Hiro at a fundamental level. The way he haphazardly grips his Megabot, his somewhat awkward shuffle into the spotlight, and his obvious trepidation when dealing with others in social situations communicate that this is clearly someone who is not particularly well equipped to thrive in this type of environment. After having his Megabot crushed within seconds, we quickly discover that there is a disparate, more capable side of Hiro somewhat offset by his deferential demeanor. As Hiro utterly decimates Yama’s robot with minimal effort, his attitude more closely resembles that of a seasoned veteran of the robot-fighting world hazing a newcomer. In this moment, when he is dealing with the structured realm of robotic combat as opposed to the more volatile world of social situations, Hiro is completely confident and in control. Within 5 minutes, we learn almost everything that makes Hiro Hamada the gifted but flawed person that informs his perspective. Following the fight, we are introduced to Hiro’s brother, Tadashi Hamada. Once again, a huge amount of information is beautifully conveyed in a small time span all through character action. All through his rescue of Hiro, we learn that Tadashi is noble and headstrong enough to leap headfirst into an alleyway full of hardened criminals to rescue his brother without reservation or objection. I’ve always felt that the most important pillar of Big Hero 6 is the relationship between Hiro and Tadashi as it is the bedrock by which our emotional investment in the story is established, and all of this is laid out brilliantly in the opening sequence. Without ever learning about the fact that their parents died at a tender age, we’re cognizant of the fact that these two developed an unbreakable bond long before we were ever privy to their world. Some may question the logic of Hiro and Tadashi escaping legal consequences for their escapades, but given that Hiro is a fourteen year old boy with no prior criminal record and an ostensibly harmless robot and Tadashi is an upstanding college student only attempting to escape certain punishment from bloodthirsty criminals, it stands to reason that the police would prefer to let the brothers go free in favor of wasting resources attempting to indict two teenagers with the evidence on their side.

Immediately following our heroes’ escape from potential indictment, it’s revealed that the Hamada brothers live with their aunt, Cassandra. (Small sidebar: It’s worth noting that she is never referred to, either by the characters or official media, as Cassandra Hamada and she is, quite obviously, white. Considering Hiro and Tadashi are half-Japanese and the surname Hamada is traditionally a Japanese last name, it’s almost an absolute certainty that Cassandra is their maternal Aunt. Just something I’d like to point out.) While Aunt Cassandra’s less-than-pleased reaction to Hiro and Tadashi’s illegal escapades gives the impression that she is a bit of a neurotic, she clearly is always willing to have her nephews’ backs no matter what and cares deeply for the both of them. Although she doesn’t get a ton of screen time and she isn’t involved in or even aware of the team’s super heroics, (as far as I know) there is actually quite a bit to Aunt Cassandra which I will discuss in further detail later.

The next scene is an ostensibly inconsequential conversation between Hiro and Tadashi, but it’s one that actually carries weight and reveals a great deal about the two, their relationship, and the later events of the film. The biggest thing we learn that their parents died when the two were very young. The way in which it was revealed, however, is what’s interesting. It’s not exactly a great leap of imagination to assume that the unnamed Mr. and Mrs. Hamada wanted their children to use their gifts to the best of their abilities, and, at their departure, it’s clear that Tadashi shouldered the responsibility of using his own intelligence and of making sure that his brother followed suit. With Hiro entering botfights, Tadashi has essentially failed in his goal as a brother and a son, which is why he employs the use of their memory out of exasperation. He’s failed in his brotherly responsibility and it has clearly struck him deeply. Another element I love is Hiro dismissing college as a place where he will only be taught things he already knows. As I and pretty much anyone who has been to college can attest, college is more about developing a sense of maturity then actually “learning” the information from classes. It’s about forging a sense of maturity and responsibility and making lifelong bonds with friends. Similarly, Big Hero 6 is a superhero movie, and the superheroics are, quite obviously, the most prominent element of the narrative, but it isn’t what makes Big Hero 6 such a transcendent and powerful movie, at least not completely. It certainly helps. The action, the visuals, the intensity, it’s all truly well made, but the defining element that holds it all together is the humanity of the characters. Without that, Big Hero 6 would just be an extremely aesthetically pleasing series of lights and sounds and well made action scenes. This whole tangent may seem quizzical, given that it’s a superhero movie, but you’ll come to learn over the course of this summary why that is paradoxically the case.

Though this is a bit disconnected from the topic at hand and I’m leaping a bit here, I’ve heard some say that Tadashi is “too perfect”. He’s caring, patient, intelligent, a great student, nephew, friend, and brother. In fact, his only true flaw, if you can even call it that, is that he’s too noble and self-sacrificing. He’s too willing to put himself in danger in order to protect others. The thing is, that’s the point. Tadashi IS supposed to be too courageous, too kind, too impossibly great because that’s how Hiro perceives him. Tadashi is Hiro’s idol as well as his brother and Big Hero 6 is Hiro’s story, so obviously the movie is going to bring all the positive aspects of Tadashi into the spotlight. This helps us better understand Tadashi and, amazingly enough, Hiro’s perspective.

Getting back to the more pressing matter at hand, the scene in which Hiro meets the other members of the Big Hero 6 for the first time is a representation of truly makes Big Hero 6 a transcendent work of art. As I’ve always said, comic books have been sturdy tent poles of modern popular culture for decades because of the characters. Would Hollywood spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year and make their summer blockbusters comic book movies if there wasn’t something meaningful encoded in them on a fundamental level? The overall quality of their movies may fluctuate, but Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and all the rest are so enduring, profitable, and popular because they are great characters. If they weren’t, Hollywood would simply cook up another billionaire-by-day-vigilante-by-night or team of disparate superheroes to save money. And this right here is what makes Big Hero 6 so great: the characters. Even though Hiro and Baymax are given most of the spotlight and this is without question their story, the other members of the team are beautifully developed, have a ton of depth, and add so much to the story. Even better, everything that we need to know about them is expertly communicated in the scene in which Hiro first meets them. Out of all of them, I’d say GoGo Tomago is my favorite member of the team. (I’ve been informed by my colleagues that she is what is colloquially known on the internet as my “wafiu”. Also, Jamie Chung’s voice drives me wild) There’s some of brilliant imagery going on here. GoGo’s face is initially obfuscated by her helmet, but she takes it off to reveal the human underneath. She’s tough on the outside, but mortal on the inside. (On the subject of GoGo, her discs obscure part of her suit; she throws them at her targets, partially revealing the parts of her suit that the discs block before they return. The point that I’m attempting to drive home here is that she only exposes herself when fighting for something that truly matters to her, in this case the name of Tadashi’s memory. This movie was made by geniuses. I mean seriously. They thought of everything) Additionally, I absolutely love that she says “welcome to the nerd lab”. Prior to that, we only heard Hiro refer to Tadashi’s university as “the nerd lab”, and it subtly communicates that Tadashi talks to his friends about Hiro even before Honey Lemon directly mentions the fact. Speaking of Honey Lemon, from the outset we assume that she’s somewhat lackadaisical about critical elements of scientific research, the most prominent being safety. She has long hair which she doesn’t tie up, wears headphones, and haphazardly uses her equipment. The point, however, is that Honey Lemon does in fact pay a great deal of attention to the world around her despite ostensibly being a bit of a goof. (Speaking of which, using her suit necessitates a great deal of concentration. She has to know what combinations of chemicals to input on the fly. Again, perception) Out of all the members of the team, Wasabi No-Ginger showed the greatest amount of bravery in becoming a superhero. Wasabi is shown to require order and pattern in order to create an environment conducive to work, so asking him to risk his life by joining a team of superheroes is obviously a massive undertaking. Of course, all the members of the Big Hero 6 display an incredible amount of courage, but Wasabi shows that he is willing to step out of his comfort zone in order to help his friends, as is the case when GoGo takes his wrench. Even if she meant it at a joke at his expense, note the subtle grin on her face, Wasabi is always willing to stand up for his friends despite his intense and debilitating fear of uncertainty. (Wasabi’s laser swords are all about slicing things up with precision, but, as shown in the final battle with Callaghan, he’s capable of cutting loose when the time calls for it) Fred is a bit similar to GoGo in that it’s all about what’s under the suit because, again, his powers are based around his fundamental aspects of his personality. He may seem like a typical comic relief character, but there’s actually quite a bit of depth to him and he’s a force to be reckoned with when he’s given the opportunity. (I figure I may as well talk about Fred and the post credits sequence here as it feels out of place to put it at the end since we’re going to be discussing some pretty heavy stuff about Hiro, Tadashi, and Baymax. Anyway, from the outset, I think the one question presented by meeting Fred was how exactly he could attend a college built exclusively around science despite the fact that he’s canonically an English major and clearly not particularly intelligent, scholastically, anyway. With his father’s massive wealth and, presumably, connections, it’s not that far-fetched that he could attend the SFIT even as an English major. Further, given that everyone in his circle of friends is remarkably adept at science, it likely fostered the desire to achieve something on their level. Couple this with a father he never knew that also achieved great things, and it becomes certain that Fred’s comedic front covers up the fact that he seeks to matter to both himself and those around him, and joining the Big Hero 6 gave just the opportunity to prove that there’s a lot more to him than is initially apparent) We come at last now to the first time Hiro encounters his brother’s prized creation: Baymax. I suspect Tadashi’s impetus for developing Baymax stemmed from his relationship with Hiro. Even if it’s never directly stated (It’s canonical in the movie’s universe, but that’s beside the point) that Hiro had few friends of his own due to his advanced intelligence and accelerated academic career, it’s likely that Tadashi initially thought of Baymax as a companion for Hiro which accelerated into the larger conception of Baymax as a assistant for medical needs. The strange thing is that there really isn’t a whole lot to say about our first encounter with Baymax beyond the fact that it establishes his essential characteristics very well and further establish Tadashi’s character as someone who always looks out for others. The more important part of this scene, in my not even to be remotely construed as humble opinion, is our first encounter with Robert Callaghan. (For future reference, I’ll be referring to Callaghan in his supervillain identity as Yokai) I’ll have a lot more to say about Callaghan as the movie progresses, but at the moment it’s obvious that he puts a lot of stock into his students even before we discover that he’s a father. As both a teacher and a father, we get the sense that he sees his students, in a way, as his children. He serves as their guide towards their future in science, and he makes it a point to become involved with his students on a professional and personal level. (More on this later, as this will tie into Krei and why Callaghan’s plan as Yokai is so brilliantly executed)

As intended, Tadashi’s plan worked. As Hiro attempts to work on a project worthy of catching Callaghan’s attention, we learn that Hiro is at his best when he’s given the basis for an idea which he can then use to make something greater, in the case of both the microbots and his friend’s superhero costumes. With just a little bit of guidance and assistance from those close to him, he’s capable of achieving something truly special. More importantly, though, he learns another critical piece of advice from Tadashi about looking beyond the most apparent solution to a problem. In all three cases where this piece of advice is relevant, creating an invention for SFIT, tracking Callaghan, and fighting Callaghan, it’s all about looking to others for assistance. The central point of this and why it’s so significant to Hiro is that Hiro seeking help from others isn’t a sign of weakness or ineptitude, and it’s what allows him to accept Tadashi’s death. Without the guidance and solace he finds in his aunt and the other members of Big Hero 6, Hiro would’ve in all likelihood been consumed by anger and grief for the rest of his life. He would’ve never been able to help others since he couldn’t help himself and it’s incredibly unlikely that he would’ve been able to take on Yoaki without uniting with the Big Hero 6 to stand against him. Hiro also needs his friends outside of being a superhero, such as when he makes his presentation at the fair. Before we get to that, I just love how the dynamic between the other members of the Big Hero 6 is established in the time leading up to Hiro’s presentation. They can make jokes about one another, but at the end of it all they always have each other’s backs no matter what challenges they face. Moving forward, my absolute favorite part of Hiro’s presentation is that it’s only after he looks to Tadashi that he is finally able to gain a sense of composure and move forward with his work. Initially, he’s painfully out of his element, but Tadashi’s guidance is what allows him to carefully assemble his microbots. (One point to note is that whenever Hiro utilizes the microbots, they’re all very cleanly assembled. Whenever Callaghan uses them, conversely, he uses them in a flurry without much cohesion His rage is what fuels him whereas Hiro’s strength stems from his desire to make his brother proud)

While Big Hero 6 is littered with subtle emotional touches throughout its running time, there are five overtly and truly powerful moments in Big Hero 6, the first being Tadashi’s death. I’ve heard many people, including a college Philosophy professor of mine who broached the topic of running into a burning building years before the release of Big Hero 6, criticize Tadashi, and, by extension, Big Hero 6 as a whole, for foolishly charging into the burning building to save Callaghan. This isn’t bad writing; it’s simply a part of Tadashi’s character on a fundamental level. Tadashi, and, later, the Big Hero 6, doesn’t think about his own personal safety; the only thing that matters is the protection of other people and the sanctity of life. There’s a moment that genuinely struck me and expertly conveys just how lost Hiro is without his brother. When Tadashi first heads for the building and Hiro grips his arm in a futile attempt to stop him, the look on his face is brilliantly animated. When he doesn’t understand what his brother, the one person he can always rely on in his life, is doing, he feels hopelessly incapable. The moment after Tadashi charges into the building to find Callaghan is what truly seals the deal and brings forth the emotive power of the scene. Hiro’s face as he picks up Tadashi’s hat absolutely floored me. Without the physical presence of his brother, Hiro looks for the next best thing, in this case his signature hat. Never before had I ever felt such harsh emotion in the first twenty minutes of a movie, much less from an animated one, and, as if I wasn’t before, I was hooked. For the entirety of his existence, Tadashi has been the one constant bedrock of Hiro’s life. Without him to guide Hiro, he is completely swallowed by the suffocating uncertainty of life. It’s so very rare to witness something as powerful as the bond between Hiro and Tadashi conveyed through something as essential as facial expressions.

The montage of Tadashi and Callaghan’s wake followed by Tadashi’s funeral contains some truly potent imagery. At Tadashi’s funeral, Tadashi’s friends and family are united by a grey sky and pouring rain as they all pull up their umbrellas in unison. In this present moment, they are all united with Hiro in suffering. They share in mourning Tadashi’s death. Conversely, when the movie shows a bright morning, we find that the world, as we can see it, has moved on though Hiro’s suffering continues. The Earth continues to spin and humanity moves on completely independent of Hiro. There are some people who continue to share in his grief, namely Aunt Cassandra. The unfortunate reality is that, as the only adult in Hiro’s life, Aunt Cassandra is his family’s only means of survival, meaning that she has to run the café in spite of her grief. We’re never given direct information concerning her feelings about Tadashi’s demise, but it’s apparent from the way she brings Hiro food in spite of her obvious inability to cheer him up that she shoulders the responsibility of attempting to guide Hiro through his grief, a task she struggles with herself. Aunt Cassandra isn’t given much screen time, but we can extrapolate quite a bit about her as both a parent and a human being. In spite of her occasionally neurotic behavior, she carries the responsibility of raising her two nephews without objection. Once again we find the all important theme of grief and how the characters find solace in others.

(Since I never found an appropriate place to inject this, I’d just like to mention the use of yellow and red. The first instance is when Hiro’s megabot swaps out its yellow, smiling face for the more stern, serious, fueled-by-rage red one. Next, Baymax contrasts the states of mood with yellow and red, representing the state of Hiro’s emotional condition. Finally, Baymax’s eyes turn red when Hiro orders him to terminate Callaghan once and for all)

I at first found it strange how Baymax never awoke to assist Hiro in the time between Tadashi’s death and his second encounter with Hiro. There’s a subtle hint, however, when Baymax informs Hiro that crying is a natural response to physical pain despite the relatively innocuous nature of his injury. Given that Baymax, even in his charger, has to at least remain in some sort of passive mode in case of emergencies, his line about crying in response to pain implies that he was at least aware that Hiro was crying over Tadashi’s death. If that’s correct, it would seem to paint a negative picture of Baymax as he doesn’t spring to action despite the fact that his patient is clearly in some sort of trouble, but it’s worth noting that Tadashi made Baymax primarily for physical health care. Without a sign of physical damage, Baymax would presumably have no reason to help his patient. At the moment he has very little knowledge of mental or emotional care, although that will come to change over the course of the movie. Ironically, Baymax, a robot, understands almost better than anyone else what Hiro desires and, more importantly, needs. When it becomes clear that Hiro is in disarray despite minimal physical injury, Baymax concludes that Hiro’s negative state is the product of emotional distress. The scene following this encounter in which Baymax tracks down Hiro’s microbot and Hiro tracks down Baymax doesn’t feel tonally askew because everything in Big Hero 6 is delicately balanced and earned. Both Hiro and the audience have just got through a succession of extremely intense events, so it’s perfectly fine to have a scene with a lighter tone. Big Hero 6 never allows its characters or its audience to simply take anything; everything must be earned, heroically and emotionally. After escaping the wrath of Yokai and attempting to explain the situation to the police, we find that Baymax has already developed a far greater understanding of human emotions and needs. (Contacting the other members of the Big Hero 6, physically consoling Hiro) and his abilities will only continue to grow over time. More importantly, we see Hiro’s desire to take responsibility into his own hands. He correctly deduces that the masked supervillain now using his signature invention likely had some sort of connection to Tadashi’s death, so he believes that he alone must settle the score. It’s conceivable that Hiro could’ve gone to the police after recharging Baymax, but considering the fantastical nature of his story coupled with the lack of physical evidence after Yokai cleared out his original hideout, it’s unlikely he would’ve found the assistance needed. The larger takeaway is that Hiro doesn’t understand the necessity of allies, a point further driven home by his insistence that Baymax not call the other members of the team. He believes, incorrectly, that he can track down and defeat Yokai, and he believes he doesn’t need his aunt, his friends, or Baymax to get over Tadashi’s death, despite the fact that they are all united in the same goal. Once again, Big Hero 6 proves its genius by forging a symbiotic connection between the story of tracking and defeating Yokai and the story of accepting death. The two serve one another. (This is a minor point, but some feel Aunt Cassandra not figuring out that Hiro was acting strange was perfectly believable. Hiro, a moderately emotionally unstable teenager weeks removed from a traumatic experience, acting strange is perfectly normal, something Aunt Cass knows better than anyone)

The thing I love about Hiro giving Baymax armor and a repertoire of fighting moves is that’s simply a natural extension of his megabot on a larger scale. He’s taking his already established idea to a new height. It’s also how someone like Hiro would solve the present problem. He’s taking the power lost after Tadashi’s death back into his own hands the only way he knows how: robotics and combat. The only problem, he’ll quickly discover, is that Baymax, in his present state and with no backup, is no match for Yoaki’s might. Once again we return to that all-encompassing theme of requiring assistance from others in times of need. The critical element of this message is that seeking solace in others is not a source of weakness. When GoGo takes over for Wasabi during the escape from Yokai, that doesn’t somehow make Wasabi a lesser being or a coward, it just means that GoGo was more capable of handling the situation in that moment. Hiro, or anyone else, really, seeking solace in others doesn’t make him some sort of emasculated simp; it’s simply a natural necessity of human life. It’s interesting to note that while Callaghan showed every sign of holding a genuine interest in the well being of his students, he makes no attempt to save their lives despite the very real possibility that they could’ve easily drowned if not for Baymax. He’s become so clouded by vengeance that he’s willing to sacrifice his students in order to make his retribution a more manageable task. Something I noticed on one of my many viewings is that Baymax’s diagnosis of Callaghan is as follows: “Acute stress disorder, High risk of cardiovascular disease & Emotional instability”. I’ll go more in depth with Callaghan, his motivation, and his plan later, but for the moment I think it reveals quite a bit about his mental state that he would be willing to let his students die to minimize the risk of failure in his plan of vengeance against Alistair Krei. The moment our heroes became the Big Hero 6, they were no longer his students; they were targets to be eliminated. Callaghan is not necessarily an evil person, but he has clearly been so psychologically broken by his daughter’s death that every other human life, including his own, is utterly irrelevant if it stands in the way of his revenge.

The revelation about Fred’s identity is as good a time as any to talk about another pillar of Big Hero 6 on a thematic level: subverting expectation. I guess the biggest example is that what appeared to be a simple animated superhero movie turned out to be far, far more, but let’s talk about it more in terms of the overall narrative. Throughout the movie, Fred is never given much to do beyond comedic relief. That quickly changes when the other members of the Big Hero 6 discover that he’s actually part of an extremely wealthy family. While also serving as an explanation for his tenure at SFIT, it’s also what allows the team to catch their breath and, I believe, fund their superhero costumes and weapons. Before I continue, let me just list off a few examples of how expectations are defied or subverted throughout Big Hero 6: Hiro’s hustling abilities and his megabot utterly decimating Little Yama, Baymax being incredibly adept at combat and psychological healing as well as physical care, GoGo’s humanity, Honey Lemon’s emotional maturity, Wasabi’s courage, Fred’s lineage and sturdiness, Fred’s father’s legacy, Krei’s humility, Callaghan’s betrayal and descent into villainy, and the Big Hero 6, a team of grief stricken teenagers with no prior fighting experience, becoming a team of legitimate superheroes. It’s all about becoming more than you believe yourself to be and how other people can help you achieve that goal. Another way in which Fred subverts his friend’s expectations about his intelligence is when he formulates an (incorrect) theory suggesting that Krei is actually Yoaki. Given every piece of evidence they have at the moment and their belief that Callaghan was both a good man and dead, it’s a fairly logical hypothesis, one that Fred created out of years of digesting comic books and movies.

For quite some time in my high school days, I assumed people were talking Radioactive Man’s sidekick on The Simpsons when referring to Fall Out Boy. As you can extrapolate from that, I was never a particularly big fan. That having been said, I do appreciate the catchy tune Immortals completely independent of its connection with Big Hero 6. I never thought in all my years I would ever actually do this, but let’s analyze the lyrics of a Fall Out Boy song and see how it connects to Big Hero 6. This isn’t exactly a strenuous task as the song itself isn’t particularly deep or complex, lyrically or musically, but I’ll throw my hat into the ring.

They say we are what we are
But we don't have to be
I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way
I'll be the watcher of the eternal flame
I'll be the guard dog of all your fever dreams

This is, obviously, about Hiro living on in spite of Tadashi’s death and the Big Hero 6 as a whole. Hiro will carry on his brother’s memory with him for the rest of his life and, with the help of the other members of the Big Hero 6, defy all expectations.

I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass
I try to picture me without you but I can't

This, again, is about Hiro after the death of his beloved brother. He is forced to live out the rest of his days moving forward while always hanging on to the past as it is the only place where he can find his brother.

Cause we could be immortals, immortals
Just not for long, for long
And live with me forever now
You pull the blackout curtains down
Just not for long, for long

The chorus is about the Big Hero 6 fighting for both moral good and to honor Tadashi. With the Big Hero 6 standing against evil, Tadashi’s memory is, pardon the pun, immortalized. His influence lives on past his death.

Sometimes the only payoff for having any faith
Is when it’s tested again and again everyday
I’m still comparing your past to my future
It might be your wound, but they’re my sutures

Tadashi may have been physically damaged by the fire at SFIT, but Hiro was irreparably damaged. By surviving the event, he lives on permanently scarred by the loss of his brother. Further, the proverbial wound serves as a permanent reminder of the past and a mark of the imperfect future Hiro must face.

(A bit off topic, but I at first wondered how Heathcliff seemingly never reacted to his status as a training dummy for the rest of the team. The subsequent twist concerning Fred’s lineage explains this beautifully since he’s probably assisted another superhero in training in the past)

That was painful. Let’s get back to the movie. This is where things start to get interesting.

The most important thing to note about the training/”suiting up” montage is that the team members work on their abilities as individuals rather than as a cohesive unit. This will become more significant later, but for the moment let’s move on to Hiro and Baymax. After the montage, our heroes are suited up and ready for action and Hiro introduces the fully decked out Baymax 2.0. Baymax then decides to take Hiro to one of the highest points in the city to track Yokai, but not before taking a trip around San Fransokyo. As Baymax notes, and the audience can clearly deduce based on his behavior, Hiro’s emotional state has improved a great deal since he joined the Big Hero 6. Of course, the thrill of flying around San Fransokyo with Baymax is a cathartic one, but the true joy comes from his close bond with the other members of the Big Hero 6 and Baymax. Although Hiro’s development is the most prominent element of the overall narrative, Baymax also develops in his own unique capacity. Throughout the story, we initially see him as an AI focused purely on physical health care, but he quickly comes to learn that mental and emotional health is equally as important in terms of a human being’s healthy state. We were given a hint of it earlier when Baymax gave a fistbump to Heathcliff, but here it becomes more prominent with his use of human colloquialisms and noting Hiro’s overall happier state since teaming up with the Big Hero 6. I also love that shot of Hiro’s looking at his reflection as he flies on Baymax’s back. While it’s meant as an obvious parallel to his time with Tadashi, it shows that Hiro can once again enjoy life in spite of Tadashi’s death. Of course, Hiro will always carry the memory of Tadashi, but he has the right to be able to live. It also helps relieve some of the audience’s stress. There’s a lot to deal in Big Hero 6, and it’s critical to balance action and emotion to prevent the numbness or fatigue.

There is some significance to the “false alarm” scene and, to a slightly lesser extent, Fred’s theme song beyond being comedic relief. Despite their amazing abilities and costumes, the Big Hero 6 is still a collection of informally trained superheroes. Unlike the Avengers or the Justice League where every member of the team had years of experience and training in the art of superheroics prior to the formation of their respective teams, the Big Hero 6 were united by their mutual desire to fulfill a promise to a friend and to bring a villain to justice. They’ve never done anything of this caliber. At the end of the day, they’re still out of their element in tracking down Yokai and it reflects in their obvious anxiety on Akuma Island. Here is where we begin our approach to the defining sequence of Big Hero 6. It was more or less around this time that I knew with absolute certainty that Big Hero 6 was the greatest movie in the entirety of human existence. Well, I might be getting a bit ahead of myself, as THAT scene comes a bit later, but the seeds of the epiphany are planted here. I’m going a bit out of order in terms of continuity, but after successfully stealthing their way through Akuma Island like true masters of tactical espionage, the team discovers that Yokai is in fact their former mentor, Robert Callaghan. The impetus for his transformation was the presumed death of his daughter Abigail Callaghan, a test pilot, after she became trapped in a portal thanks in part to Alistair Krei’s negligence. Considering the two were once mentor and student and Krei chose Callaghan’s daughter to be the test pilot for his incredibly dangerous, government sponsored teleportation experiment, it’s fairly reasonable to assume that the two once had a bond, making Krei’s negligence an even sharper blow. A former prodigy, and, more importantly, a former friend, dismissed safety regulations and effectively doomed the one thing Callaghan valued more than anything else in life. It makes Callaghan’s words during the SFIT fair far more powerful, as we were meant to originally assume that he just disliked Krei’s practices as a businessman. I have a bit more to add about how poetically brilliant his plan to destroy Krei is, but at the moment we can move on to the fight between Yokai and the Big Hero 6. I mentioned earlier that they trained as individuals rather than as a team, which ties into the theme of finding strength through unity. The only member of the team who can even pose a genuine challenge to Yoaki is GoGo, as she even manages to get a solid shot on his face, but things don’t go particularly well until Yokai’s mask falls off. We now come to the second of the five classic scenes in Big Hero 6: Hiro confronting Callaghan. We can both see and hear the sheer rage and contempt in Hiro as he comes to terms with the fact that Callaghan was effectively responsible for Tadashi’s death even though Callaghan states, correctly, that it was Tadashi’s choice to rush into the building. Whether or not Callaghan was actually responsible for Tadashi’s death is ultimately never revealed, but the important thing to note is that it doesn’t really matter. Just as Callaghan was unwilling to accept that Krei might not have been one hundred percent responsible for Abigail’s death, Hiro refuses to accept the possibility that Tadashi was at fault for his own death. Hiro removes Baymax’s healthcare chip which prevents him from directly harming a human being and orders Baymax to not just kill, but destroy Callaghan. He doesn’t just want to murder Callaghan; he wants Baymax to erase him from existence. Leave nothing left of the man who murdered his brother. There’s so much genius going on in this scene. First, we have the perfect use of destroy, (it works thematically and with the fact that Big Hero 6, despite its incredible maturity, is a kid’s movie. Brilliance!) the removal of Baymax’s health care chip, (note that it has “Tadashi Hamada” written on the front. More on this in a bit) and Honey Lemon jamming the chip back into Baymax before he could terminate Callaghan. (Honey Lemon is the only member of the Big Hero 6 who deduces that using Baymax’s healthcare chip is the only way to stop him once he begins his rampage. Perception) Baymax’s primary chip isn’t simply what allows Baymax to work; it’s a piece of technology that serves as a memorial to the life and work of Tadashi Hamada even beyond the fact that is has Tadashi Hamada emboldened on its visage. It allows Hiro to carry on a piece of Tadashi’s memory. Prior to this, the health care chip and fighting chip functioned concurrently. They had a symbiotic relationship just as Hiro’s love for Tadashi existed alongside his despair for his death and his hate for Callaghan. By removing the health chip, Hiro is essentially discarding the legacy and memory of his brother in the name of vengeance. Enraptured by his hate for Callaghan, he forgets his love for his brother. Like Callaghan, Hiro is so consumed by the need for revenge that he disregards the safety of his friends and the sanctity of his love for his brother. Hiro’s anger is what completely sells this sequence. The movie effortlessly communicates the pure anguish when he discovers that a man he once trusted was responsible for the death of his loved one. Sound familiar? Although it’s pretty obvious that Hiro and Callaghan are meant to parallel one another, there’s an obvious point of divergence in how they handle grief. Hiro, with the help of his aunt, his friends, Baymax, and the memory of his brother, was able to accept the death of his loved one. Although we’re not given a lot of direct information about him, it’s not exactly a massive leap to assume that Callaghan either had very little support following the death of his daughter. I’m taking a bit of a further leap here with little to no evidence, but let me submit to you the idea that Callaghan’s wife/Abigail’s mother was either dead or absent prior to the death of Abigail Callaghan. She’s never present or referenced, and it would make sense that she would have some thoughts on the death of her daughter and her husband’s descent into villainy. Further, Callaghan’s desire for vengeance, without the presence of someone truly capable of sharing in the unmitigated desolation he faced after the death of the one thing that mattered more than anything, fostered inside of him uncontrollably. Part of the reason Hiro was able to accept Tadashi’s death was that he was surrounded by people that not only cared about him, but also shared a connection with Tadashi. Aunt Cassandra, the other members of the Big Hero 6, and Baymax all shared a unique emotional attachment to Tadashi Hamada, and they each had a stake in helping Hiro come to terms with his grief. Since we’re already out here in the territory of baseless theories, allow me to add that it’s unlikely that Callaghan forged similar connections with those who also grieved over Abigail’s death. Without the proper support system, and with the knowledge that his daughter’s murderer escaped consequence free, the all-consuming rage festered inside of Callaghan until it overtook his entire being. (Additionally, it’s likely that Krei could’ve walked away unscathed as, being an incredibly prolific scientist and entrepreneur, he could’ve easily created a picture of events in which he was blameless. Further, at the risk of sounding callous, I don’t believe Krei resides at the peak of the pyramid of culpability in Abigail’s death. He was guilty, yes, but there were other elements beyond Krei’s negligence which propelled the gears of Abigail’s death)

There’s an obvious comparison to be made between the concurrent revenge-fueled quests of Hiro and Callaghan and Moby Dick, but I find a more apt comparison comes from Frankenstein. A creator (Callaghan/Hiro) gives birth to what he believes to be his finest work, (Krei/Armoured Baymax) only to be discover that his creation is in fact his greatest foe. The only distinction in this case is that Hiro was saved from falling into this pit of despair thanks to the assistance and support of his friends. Furthermore, much like Victor Frankenstein, Callaghan is deprived of everything he holds dear and dedicates every fiber of his existence to the acquisition of vengeance against his creation, only to fail and truly lose everything in the process. It’s also possible that Hiro could have become like Victor Frankenstein if he killed Callaghan, (IE: murdering Callaghan but having to face the consequences) but, as I said, Hiro had the Big Hero 6, and Baymax as a superhero is actually Hiro’s greatest creation. This may seem a bit quizzical and disconnected from present events, but this will become of critical importance in a bit when we discuss Callaghan’s master stroke.

After being betrayed by both Callaghan and his friends, Hiro returns home with Baymax to make a plan to take down Callaghan once and for all. Something peculiar I’ve come to realize is that the reason Baymax refuses to allow Hiro to remove his chip is because Baymax is doing what he believes to be best for Hiro’s mental health. He knows that terminating Callaghan is something that Tadashi and the other members of Big Hero 6 would detest, and it obviously wouldn’t be particularly therapeutic for Hiro, certainly in his current state of anguish. I’m aware that I’ve mentioned this already, but this moment right here is what absolutely changed everything. This was the scene that solidified Big Hero 6 as my favorite movie. Now, Big Hero 6 is a movie packed with raw, unbridled emotive power. Tadashi’s death, the confrontation with Callaghan, the final goodbye, and the reunion with Baymax and the rest of the team are all intensely powerful, but none of them approach the level of everything-out-there-at-once emotion that this scene eclipses. I swear to you, Bruce Lee could’ve descended from Heaven and Falcon Punched me in the face and I still would’ve been securely fixed to the screen. Ryan Potter utterly cuts loose, allowing the totality of the anguish, anxiety, uncertainty, and sheer, unadulterated rage to culminate in a singular moment of utter humanity:

“Tadashi’s gone!”

I was absolutely destroyed. Right in that moment, I broke down like a child and wept right in the theater. I didn’t care if some child’s parent was going to be weirded out by an adult profusely sobbing in a theater of a kid’s movie, I didn’t care if I was disrupting the experience for anyone in my immediate vicinity, and I didn’t even give a damn if this reflected poorly on me. For the first time in my life, I had a genuine emotional reaction to a piece of fiction. Never before had I encountered such aching, yearning, pure emotion. While that may have been its finest moment, Big Hero 6 isn’t done yet. It has a few more tricks up its sleeves to truly grind you into the dust. Not only does the image of Hiro finding comfort in the videos of his brother wreck me, it is here where he finally comes to terms with the death of his brother. That’s what makes this scene a genuine classic of Big Hero 6, movies, and human existence as a whole. Earlier in the movie, when Baymax said “Tadashi is here”, we assumed it was just Baymax attempting to comfort Hiro in terms of his understanding of human behavior. We discover now that Baymax meant that literally. Although Tadashi’s videos seem ultimately inconsequential as they’re just clips of Tadashi working on Baymax, they mean far more to Hiro. Tadashi saying “I’m not giving up on you” is directed at both Baymax and Hiro. Tadashi dedicated himself to the betterment of others, and although Hiro may have to live the rest of his life without him, he discovers that the best way to carry on the legacy of his brother is to put aside his hate and work for the good of all humanity. Although he’s gone, Tadashi obviously doesn’t want Hiro to live the rest of his life consumed by grief. (I'd also like to note that it was at this point that my weeping became far more pronounced. To this day I still can't get past this image without getting at least somewhat choked up) After all that, Hiro and the rest of the Big Hero 6 are ready to confront Callaghan for the final time. (I should’ve mentioned earlier that GoGo is the one who pulls Hiro out of his stunned state during the initial escape from Yokai and the one who hugs him after the first confrontation with Callaghan. In spite of her rigid exterior and tough-as-nails attitude, she’s far more invested in Hiro than she lets on) Conversely, it’s at this time that Callaghan reveals his final play: he’s going to reconstruct Krei’s portal, destroy his latest Krei Industries edifice, and, ultimately, kill Krei with his own technology. Now., let’s talk about this. I’m not going to lie, I rolled my eyes a bit at this section. I figured that I had discovered the movie’s critical flaw in that a character who was otherwise cunning, capable, and ruthlessly intelligent completely risks his plan for the sake of being dramatic. (And the need to have a fireworks show) However, rumination has helped me understand the true brilliance of the structure of this scene. Consider Callaghan and the Frankenstein comparison made above. Now, ask yourself: what is the core of his character? What is his nature? I’ll let Doctor Lecter take the floor on this one.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33ieCWRWlI

What needs are satisfied by Callaghan destroying Krei’s brand new edifice with the portal? With Hiro’s supply of Microbots, it’s readily apparent that Callagan could have, at any point prior, captured or killed Krei with minimal effort. He also could have tortured him as well, if he felt the desire. Why go to such Herculean lengths and jeopardize everything you’ve risked in such a bombastic display? Much like Lex Luthor, The Joker, or Doctor Doom, it’s not simply about defeating the enemy. Lex seeks humanity’s superiority/Superman’s inferiority, The Joker seeks to prove that Batman is no better than the villains he fights, and Doctor Doom seeks Godliness. What does Callaghan seek? Recall our first encounter with him. It’s immediately apparent that he is a scientific genius, but the more important takeaway is that he’s genuinely invested in the well-being and future of his students. We aren’t give a significant amount of information regarding the exact nature of their relationship, but we can easily deduce that, once upon a time, Callaghan and Krei were once extremely close. Being such a bright, remarkably intelligent scientist, Callaghan would’ve undoubtedly taken an interest in nurturing Krei’s scientific curiosity. And to have one of your students/prodigies become a multimillion dollar entrepreneur? I believe it’s fair to say that Callaghan saw Krei as a son. Why else would his daughter be the pilot for his biggest, and most dangerous, experiment? It adds another powerful layer to the accident. Not only did he lose the one thing he loved above all else, but it was his prodigy/son-by-proxy who was to blame. Much like Victor Frankenstein, Callaghan’s creation becomes the ultimate source of his damnation which much be destroyed, but, perhaps, in his own twisted psyche, it is possible for his fate to be undone. Of course, he will never have Abigail back, but Krei can be punished. In addition to this, Krei's business has, in a twisted way, also become a child-figure in Callaghan's mind. Continuing the Frankenstein analog for a moment, Krei's company can be seen as the hypothetical mate the monster wanted Victor to create. It's his own twisted, quasi-incestuous abomination. Again, had it not been for Callaghan's nature as a nurturing scientist and teacher, Krei and his company would probably have not killed Abigail. Not only that, Callaghan risks being identified to make sure that Krei knows that this fate is of his own making. (It’s entirely possible that Callaghan didn’t anticipate coming back from his quest or saw no reason to return to a normal life. He clearly saw nothing of value in a life without Abigail) All of this is to say that it's not truly vengeance that Callaghan desires above all else; it's penance. Krei represents not only his greatest failure as a scientist, but also as a father. The destruction of the abominable child figure, Callaghan believes, is his only path to redemption as both a scientist, and, more importantly, a father. He is quite literally taking the object of his despair and re-purposing it in an entirely new context, one of attrition. If he can find some sort of twisted sense of redemption as a scientist and, more importantly, as a father, perhaps he can one day find peace. Perhaps he can one day move on from Abigail's death.

Often, when people die, the surviving loved ones are asked by other loved ones if the deceased would want them to wallow in anger and frustration. I nearly pumped my damn fists in the air when Hiro made one final plea with Callaghan by asking if Abigail would condone ending Krei. He’s using the knowledge he acquired and is imparting it to Callaghan in an attempt to help him realize the same lesson. It’s the final sign that Hiro truly has matured emotionally. The final battle with Callaghan brings me to the final tent pole of Big Hero 6 thematically: discovering new methods of problem solving. Hiro’s bot fighting was leading him to a life of criminality and fear, so Tadashi showed him the merits of attending college and making friends with people that genuinely care. Hiro discovered working alone was a poor method of solving problems, in terms of creating an invention for the SFIT fair and tracking Yokai, so he sought the help of those close to him to help him achieve success. Baymax’s initial methods of comforting Hiro proved ineffective, so he went beyond his typical protocol to assuage Hiro’s negative state. The most prominent example arrives in the form of the Big Hero 6 standing together and working as a team of superheroes. It becomes apparent that Callaghan’s reflexes and supply of microbots make him effectively invulnerable. (It also explains why the Big Hero 6 waited before taking on Callaghan. If they alerted the police or the authorities, it stands to reason that Callaghan would’ve retreated, formulated a new plan, and used the time to create an even greater amount of microbots. Attacking him as soon as possible minimized his risk as a threat. Plus, the portal gives them an excellent method of disposing of the aforementioned microbots) If I failed to mention this earlier, the thing that makes the action of Big Hero 6 so astounding, in addition to its brilliant visuals and excellent direction, is that we’re never taken away from the emotional core of the movie and its characters even when we’re watching them fight a masked supervillain. Case in point, the other members of the Big Hero 6 recognize the same thing that helped Hiro come to terms with Tadashi’s death: teamwork. The action doesn’t exist solely to serve the audience’s desire for spectacle; it shares a symbiotic relationship with the core themes of the story and constantly adds depth to our heroes and the overall story. The narrative of stopping Callaghan and the narrative of accepting Tadashi’s death exist concurrently. Honey Lemon once again shows that she’s perceptive by combining her powers with Fred’s, GoGo constantly looks out for the vulnerable (Hiro, in this case), Wasabi strongly prefers order, but he’s willing to hurl himself into danger (an incoherent, chaotic danger) for his friends, and Fred’s skills extend far beyond his knowledge of comic books. (“It’s just a suit” ties into both Fred and the team as a whole: It’s not just the suits; it’s how the heroes utilize them that makes them heroes) Everything in the final battle against Callaghan ties into the Big Hero 6 as characters. After Callaghan’s supply of microbots is diminished and Callaghan himself is neutralized, Baymax reveals that there appear to be signs of human life emanating from inside the portal. The decision to reveal that Abigail Callaghan actually survived the teleportation accident is a stroke of unbridled genius. Hiro had absolutely no way of bringing Tadashi back to life, (for now, at the very least. More on this later) whereas Callaghan’s existence became so utterly dominated by the need for vengeance that he never even entertained the idea of venturing into the portal to even test the possibility that Abigail survived. It’s possible that if Callaghan had the proper support system through which he could properly accept Abigail’s death, he might’ve made an effort to rescue his daughter. As it stands, however, Callaghan must live the rest of his life knowing that he could’ve potentially rescued his daughter.

Like Tadashi’s death, some have criticized Hiro for venturing into foreign territory simply because of Baymax’s suggestion that Abigail Callaghan could be alive. Like Tadashi, Hiro is putting the possibility of saving a Callaghan in front of his own safety. As Tadashi once said: “Someone’s got to help”. (Also worth noting Hiro’s use of “buddy” and “unbelievable”) Indeed, Hiro and Baymax are venturing into some truly bizarre territory to rescue someone they’ve never met and can’t confirm is even alive. That’s what makes it so amazing. Hiro is no longer driven to superhero-dom by his hate, and he now uses the memory of his brother to strengthen himself literally and morally. While Hiro and Baymax discover that Abigail is in fact alive and simply in some sort of induced sleep state and manage to almost bring her out of the portal, a piece of debris from Callaghan’s attack obstructs their path and damages Baymax’s weakened armor, leading us to yet another classic scene. Another (facile) criticism some have leveled at Big Hero 6 is that Baymax could’ve managed to propel himself out of the portal along with Hiro and Abigail, but this ignores Baymax’s core character and his responsibility to Hiro. Baymax’s guiding mantra is to do anything to ensure his patient’s physical and mental well being even if it places him in harm’s way. It is possible that Baymax could’ve escaped with Hiro and Abigail, but Baymax would never willingly commit any action that could place Hiro in even the most minimal amount of danger. Baymax mission, on a very fundamental level, is to protect Hiro in any way possible, so of course he’s going to sacrifice himself for Hiro’s safety. I’m not going to lie to you right now, while I wasn’t sobbing as profusely as I was during the post-first fight sequence, I was getting pretty damn emotional. It was a five-tiered saga of emotional distress that debased me from stoic man’s man to emotionally-distraught sobbing mess made sentient.

First: Hiro attempts to produce a hypothetical scenario in which he, Abigail, and Baymax can each escape.

I reflexively put my hand on my jaw.

Second: “I cannot deactivate until you say: I am satisfied with my care.”

I put my legs up on the seat.

Third: “I can’t lose you, too.”

I got mildly choked up.

Fourth: “Hiro, I will always be with you.”

youtu.be/VY7kzdnpgJ4?t=14s

Fifth: ”I am satisfied with my care.”

I had to cover my face with my hands to muffle my weeping.

Callaghan is defeated, Krei and his company are (mostly) saved, and Abigail is brought out of the portal along with Hiro. With that, the team is ultimately triumphant even if it’s a bit of Pyrrhic victory. They’re all grateful for Hiro, Krei, and Abigail surviving the ordeal, but they share in Hiro’s grief over the loss of Baymax. (They even save a spot on their heroic pose overlooking their victory for their fallen comrade-in-arms) Finally, after all their struggles, San Fransokyo is safe, the Big Hero 6 can officially rest easy, and Hiro can now join his friends at the SFIT. It’s taken quite a toll on both the audience and the team, but both parties have finally earned their rest after all that emotional turmoil and upheaval. In spite of everything, Hiro still feels an unending connection to the past, as he brings the only piece of Baymax he has left, his fist. Upon investigation, however, Hiro discovers that Baymax was able to save Tadashi’s healthcare chip prior to sending Hiro back to the real world. Not only does this allow Hiro to rebuild his friend, but it retroactively makes the final goodbye even more profound. By saying goodbye to Baymax (note that at that point in time he only had his fighting chip since his healthcare chip was in his fist) and keeping Tadashi’s healthcare chip, he is letting go of his hate (Baymax’s fighting chip) while also holding on to Tadashi’s memory free of anger.

Sheer.

Fucking.

Genius.

This segues nicely into the ultimate scene of the movie which, not coincidentally, is the final classic scene: the reunion. Not only does Hiro’s outfit in this scene closely resemble Tadashi’s when he first created Baymax, but the look of pure relief on his face lit a fire in my stomach. I damn near stood up and cheered. This scene also retroactively adds depth to the final goodbye. Baymax saying “I will always be with you” now has meaning on a literal and figurative level. Even if Hiro never managed to rebuild Baymax, the memory of their time spent together would be permanently affixed in Hiro’s mind. Luckily for both of them, that doesn’t come to pass The final scene of the team racing through the streets of San Franksokyo is an absolutely perfect way to cap off the movie. The audience and the team have been through a lot, and having this upbeat scene perfectly works in conjunction with Hiro’s speech about his brother and helping people. It’s not hollow or forced, it’s all earned. Our heroes have faced a supervillain, each other, and themselves, and they’ve come out on top, stronger than ever. And did I discuss the topic of the sheer magnificence of this soundtrack? Henry Jackman was an excellent composer even prior to his work on Big Hero 6, but this is without question his magnum opus, delicately balancing a light, tactile pace and a more subtle, reserved style for when emotions reach their peak without so much as a microscopic hiccup. The last thirty seconds of this track, ”Reboot”, gives me chills and lifts my spirits every time I listen to it. It encapsulates what makes Jackman’s score a masterpiece for the ears. We can almost feel the relief Hiro experiences reuniting with his beloved robotic companion, but Jackman expertly segues into the team’s triumph and their continued quest to combat evil. It’s an excellent cap off to an excellent movie and it’s a perfect sendoff for our heroes. They’re victorious and a cohesive unit ready to face the world. I guess that’s all I have to say about the movie, really. I’ve broken down the plot, characters, settings, and everything else. There is one thing I haven’t mentioned, though, and that’s the possibility of a sequel. Of course, my first instinct is to scream from the highest point on earth “YES, PLEASE!” to the Heavens. I love amazing things and I want as much of those amazing things as I can get my hands on, but I’m not really sure about the prospect of a sequel for Big Hero 6, even if it hasn’t been officially confirmed. Considering Disney made a hefty profit off of a property that’s even more obscure than The Guardians of the Galaxy with the positive critical reception to match, I’d wager a sequel is on the cards while the superhero bubble dominates Hollywood. My main contention to the sequel is obvious: What’s the first thing that comes into your mind when you think about a hypothetical sequel to Big Hero 6? Bringing Tadashi back. There has already been a generous amount of rumors circulating that Tadashi, courtesy of the fire at SFIT coupled with some sort of bizarre technological invention, could return as Sunfire, a fire based superhero who, in the comics, joined the Big Hero 6 after its initial formation. Hell, take a look at this. (I noted this since I have this poster sitting over my writing desk) Every color of the rainbow is used as a primary color by a member of the team except one. Which is it? I’ll give you a hint: it involves fire. My obvious objection to this is that it could very easily destroy what the first film so wonderfully established. Abigail’s survival was the final poetic blow to Callaghan. There was a remote possibility that he could’ve saved Abigail whereas Hiro never had a chance to rescue his brother from the omnipresent, all-consuming spectre of death. Now, granted, the genius minds behind Big Hero 6 have clearly tapped into some sort of other-worldly/mystical force which allows them to make amazing movies out of horrible ideas, (Just how powerful are these people? They managed to squeeze genuine pathos out of motherfucking T.J. Miller) but I worry their bravado could undo all the good they’ve achieved with Big Hero 6. In any case, it’s still unfounded rumor-mongering at this point, and there still exists a possibility that the hypothetical sequel could be of commensurate or greater quality than Big Hero 6, as ludicrous as that sounds, but for the time being that knowledge remains beyond human control or understanding. For now, we can let the characters and creators rest. They’ve earned it. Perhaps in a few years we’ll catch up with them again, but we can let them be for the moment. Scanning over this in its completed state, I still can’t say with absolute certainty what this was meant to achieve. I’ve simply gone over the movie’s events and direction and given my own thoughts and feelings on why everything was so damn fantastic. Of course, I’m certain there are more than a few things I’ve missed and a handful of other elements that completely went against the creator’s intentions, but I think (or, rather, hope) everything is logically sound. I genuinely hope you found something new to enjoy about Big Hero 6. If I was to summarize my experience and feelings regarding this wondrous, profoundly epic yet breathtakingly intimate, gorgeous looking, emotional powerhouse, to encapsulate the greatest movie of all time in a single sentence, I only have one thing to say:

I am satisfied with my care