Big Hero 6 (film)
Big Hero 6 is a 2014 American animated superhero film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, which is loosely based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name created by Man of Action.[5] It was directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams from a screenplay by Jordan Roberts, Robert L. Baird, and Daniel Gerson, and produced by Roy Conli. The film stars the voices of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Maya Rudolph, and Alan Tudyk. Big Hero 6 tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a young robotics prodigy, and Baymax, his late brother Tadashi's healthcare-provider robot. They form a superhero team to combat a masked villain responsible for Tadashi's death.
"Big Hero" redirects here. For other uses, see Big Hero 6 (disambiguation).Big Hero 6
- Jordan Roberts
- Robert L. Baird
- Daniel Gerson
- Rob Dressel (layout)
- Adolph Lusinsky (lighting)
Tim Mertens
- October 23, 2014 (Tokyo International Film Festival)
- November 7, 2014 (United States)
United States
English
$657.8 million[4]
Big Hero 6 is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters, whose parent company was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2009.[6] Walt Disney Animation Studios created new software technology to produce the film's animated visuals.[7][8]
Big Hero 6 debuted at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 23, 2014, and was released in the United States on November 7. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised it for its animation, action sequences, pacing, entertainment value, heart, and emotional weight. It grossed over $657.8 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing animated film of 2014.[9] Big Hero 6 received several awards and nominations. It received seven nominations for Annie Awards and won one, and also received a Golden Globe nomination. At the 87th Academy Awards, the film won Best Animated Feature.
A television series, which continues the story of the film, aired from 2017 to 2021 on Disney Channel and Disney XD.[10] A two-season short series, Baymax Dreams, premiered in 2018. Another series, Baymax!, premiered on Disney+ on June 29, 2022.[11]
Plot[edit]
In the futuristic city of San Fransokyo (a portmanteau of San Francisco and Tokyo), 14-year-old high school graduate and robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada spends his time competing in illegal underground robot fights. Hoping to get Hiro out of this dangerous lifestyle, his older brother Tadashi, who attends the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, takes Hiro to the institute's research lab. Hiro meets Tadashi's closest friends there – Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Frederick "Fred" Frederickson IV. Tadashi also introduces Baymax, an inflatable healthcare robot he invented, and his mentor, Professor Robert Callaghan. Hiro applies to the university, impressing the school's showcase with his project: a swarm of tiny microbots that can link together in any configuration using a neural transmitter. He is accepted, but the celebration is short-lived when a fire breaks out with Callaghan caught in it. Tadashi rushes back into the building to save him, but an explosion occurs. A funeral is subsequently held for Tadashi and Callaghan.
Two weeks later, Hiro, who has isolated himself in grief, inadvertently activates Baymax. Hiro's only remaining microbot begins to move on its own and he and Baymax follow it to an abandoned warehouse, where they discover someone has been mass-producing the microbots. The perpetrator is revealed to be a Kabuki masked man known as "Yokai", who tries to dispose of the duo, but they narrowly escape. Hiro suspects that Yokai caused the fire to cover up the theft of the microbots. Determined to avenge Tadashi, Hiro equips Baymax with armor and a chip programmed with martial arts for defense. Baymax contacts Tadashi's friends, who meet up with Hiro. Yokai pursues the group through the streets, but Baymax saves them. At Fred's family home, Hiro upgrades Baymax's armor and the group weaponizes their own inventions to combat Yokai.
Believing Yokai is tech mogul Alistair Krei, who had wanted to buy Hiro's microbots, the group tracks him to an abandoned Krei Tech laboratory on a remote island. They discover the laboratory was used for teleportation research; however, the government shut down the lab after a test pilot disappeared inside an experimental portal. The group are soon ambushed by Yokai, but Hiro knocks off his mask. He is then revealed to be Callaghan, who had faked his death by using the microbots to protect himself from the explosion. Realizing that Tadashi died in vain, an enraged Hiro violates Baymax's healthcare protocol by removing Baymax's healthcare chip and orders Baymax to kill Callaghan, despite his friends' objections. Baymax obeys Hiro's commands before Honey manages to reinsert his healthcare chip, returning him to his usual personality as Callaghan escapes. Feeling betrayed by his friends' actions, Hiro flies off with Baymax, still intent on avenging Tadashi.
Back at home, Hiro tries to remove the healthcare chip again, but Baymax recognizes Hiro's impulsivity and blocks his access port. He then shows Hiro footage of how Tadashi developed him, reminding Hiro that Tadashi's goal was to help others. Hiro apologizes to Baymax and his friends; through research, they discover that the lost test pilot was Callaghan's daughter, Abigail. Having stolen the microbots to seek revenge on Krei, Callaghan reactivates the teleportation portal to demolish his company's headquarters, but Hiro, Baymax and their friends defeat him and save Krei.
Baymax detects that Abigail is still alive inside the portal. Despite Krei's protests about the portal being too unstable, Baymax and Hiro enter the portal and find Abigail trapped in hyper-sleep. Baymax is struck by debris, causing his armor to break and forcing Hiro to leave him behind. After a sad goodbye, Baymax uses his rocket fist to propel Hiro and Abigail out of the portal before it is destroyed. In the aftermath, Abigail is taken to the hospital, while her father is arrested for his crimes. One day later, after beginning his tenure at the institute with his friends, Hiro discovers Baymax's healthcare chip clenched in the rocket fist. He rebuilds Baymax and they and their friends continue to protect the city as a team of high-tech superheroes known as Big Hero 6.
In a post-credits scene, Fred stumbles upon a secret superhero lair in his home and is reunited with his father.
Release[edit]
Theatrical[edit]
Big Hero 6 debuted on October 23, 2014, as the opening film at the Tokyo International Film Festival.[84] The world premiere of Big Hero 6 in 3D took place at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on October 31, 2014.[85] It was theatrically released in the United States and Canada on November 7, 2014,[86] with limited IMAX international showings.[87] Theatrically, the film was accompanied by the Walt Disney Animation Studios short, Feast.[88]
For the South Korean release of the film, it was retitled Big Hero, to avoid the impression of being a sequel, and edited to remove indications of the characters' Japanese origin. This is owing to the tense relations between Korea and Japan. For instance, the protagonist's name, Hiro Hamada, was changed to "Hero Armada", and Japanese-language signage onscreen was changed to English. Nonetheless, the film caused some online controversy in South Korea, because of small images resembling the Rising Sun Flag in the protagonist's room.[89]
The film was released in China on February 28, 2015.[90] Disney had retained the Japanese elements of the film in mainland China during the pre-release marketing, but used the modified version for the theatrical and Blu-ray/DVD releases as it did in South Korea. The mainland Chinese title of the film is "超能陆战队", which is usually interpreted as "super-power marines"; while the character "陆", which means land, is also six in Chinese numerals, so this title can translates to "super-power 6 sentai" as well.
As part of Disney's 100th anniversary, Big Hero 6 was re-released in Helios theaters across Poland on October 15, 2023.[91]
Home media[edit]
Big Hero 6 was released in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on February 24, 2015.[92][93] Writer Steven T. Seagle, who co-created the comic book Big Hero 6, criticized the Blu-ray featurette documenting the origins of the group, for not mentioning him or co-creator Duncan Rouleau. Seagle also criticized the book Art of Big Hero 6 for the same omission.[94] Big Hero 6 was released in 4K Blu-ray on November 5, 2019.[95]
In the United States, the film grossed $102 million from Blu-ray and DVD sales as of April 2022.[96] It was the fourth best-selling title of 2015 with 5.1 million units sold.[97] In the United Kingdom, it was watched by 9.6 million viewers on television in 2017, making it the year's second most-watched film on UK television.[98]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Big Hero 6 earned $222.5 million in North America and $435.3 million in other territories for a worldwide estimated total of $657.8 million.[4] Calculating in all expenses, Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made a profit of $187.34 million.[99] Worldwide, it is the highest-grossing animated film of 2014,[9][100] and one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. By grossing over $500 million worldwide, it became the fourth Disney release of 2014 to do so; the other titles being Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.[101]
Other media[edit]
Possible sequel[edit]
On February 18, 2015, the film's directors, Don Hall and Chris Williams, said a sequel was possible. Hall added, "Having said that, of course, we love these characters, and the thought of working with them again some day definitely has its benefits."[167] In March 2015, Genesis Rodriguez told MTV that a sequel was being considered, saying, "…There's nothing definitive. There's talks of something happening. We just don't know what yet."[168] In April 2015, Stan Lee mentioned a projected sequel as one of several that he understood were in Marvel's plans for upcoming films.[169] In March 2021, head animator Zach Parrish expressed a desire for a sequel, "There have definitely been stories told beyond... I think there's still a lot of potential. There's still plenty of time. The beauty of animation is that can pick up the story at the very end of Big Hero, or we could jump in time. We could go wherever we want, since it's animation."[170]