Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6’ is one of those movies that has something for everyone. The film was plucked by Disney executives from the Marvel Universe because it wasn’t very well known, leaving room for creators to really make the adaption their own.
The film started in 2009 after Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment. The CEO encouraged exploration of Marvel properties, and Dan Hall came across the story, via comics while he was directing ‘Winnie the Pooh.’ It took two years for the pitch to make it the higher-ups and was one of five that Hall suggested for adaptation. Because the Disney studio wanted fresh eyes on the story, creators only read a few of the comics, hoping to give it an original Disney feel.
The film’s main character, Hiro, had the heart of a Disney hero, and the huggable robot, Baymax, was imagined like no other on-screen robot before it. Because Baymax was a “health care robot” the actor that voiced him, Scott Adsit, had to convey the compassion and vulnerability, which was no small feat.
The movie is set in San Fransokyo, which blends the cities of San Fransico and Tokyo. Producers wanted to capture the Japanese, urban aesthetic while offering the first-ever Disney movie to be set in the California town. This also allowed the movie to have a foot in two cultural spaces, giving it a diverse and fresh mashup of Disney and Japanese manga. The film was released first at the Toyko Film Festival in October of 2014 to rave reviews and then made its American debut about a month later.
Fans and critics alike loved the movie. The sheer tenacity of the spirit of its characters drew viewers to theaters, while its technical and visual successes drew critics in. The film went on to win several prestigious awards, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
You can watch ‘Big Hero 6’ online or stream ‘Big Hero 6’ anytime you like, and it’s guaranteed to make you want to watch it, over and over.
Here’s how to stream ‘Big Hero 6’ right now:
How to Stream ‘Big Hero 6’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Big Hero 6 is one of the many now-classic animated Disney movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Big Hero 6 and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Big Hero 6″
- 5. Tap on Big Hero 6
- 6. Tap the Play Button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Big Hero 6’: Overview
Release Date: November 7, 2014 (United States)
Creators: Roy Conli
Director: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Starring: Scott Adsit, Ryan Porter, Jamie Chung, TJ Miller
Rating: PG
Synopsis: A young robotics genius loses his brother and mentor in a horrible fire. He then assembles a team of superheroes to avenge their death and fight their common villains. Among his team is the lovable, inflatable robot his late brother created to take care of the people n his life.
How Long Is ‘Big Hero 6’?
Big Hero 6 is 102 minutes long.
‘Big Hero 6’ Plot
Hiro Hamada is a teenage robotics prodigy living in San Fransokyo, a visionary town that is a blend of Tokyo and San Fransisco. Hiro, gifted in robotic engineering, spends a lot of his time building robots for illegal robot fighting until his kind older brother tries to redirect him to more productive endeavors.
Tadashi takes him to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, where he introduces Hiro to his group of friends and his mentor, Professor Robert Callaghan. Professor Callaghan is the head of the university’s robotics program and takes an interest in Hiro, encouraging him to apply with a submission to a University showcase.
Hiro makes an incredible swarm of microrobots that can swarm into any formation imaginable, using a device he wears on his head. His invention is so remarkable, Hiro is almost recruited by Allistair Krel, CEO of Krei Tech, a prestigious technology firm. Hiro declines, wanting to join his brother at University, and Callaghan accepts him to the University right there. As the showcase is over and Hiro and Tadashi start to head home, a fire breaks out in the hall. Tadashi rushes back in to save Callaghan, but the hall explodes killing them both.
Hiro is distraught over the loss of his brother and mentor, mourning them both alone in his room. He accidentally trips, inadvertently activating Baymax, the healthcare robot his brother created. After getting acquainted, they track down the only remaining microrobot that survived the fire. They discover that it’s not the only one left and that someone has been mass producing them. They happen upon a man in the warehouse wearing a Kabuki mask and Hiro deduces that the fire may not have been an accident.
Once they escape the man in the Kabuki mask, Hiro equips Baymax with protective armor and a microchip that enables the robot to battle using programmed karate moves. Hiro and Baymax track the man to the docks where Tadashi’s friends, Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred arrive. The group escapes the man in the Kabuki mask once again, but then decide to form a team and call themselves Big Hero 6.
The group, who suspects the masked man to be CEO Krei, again tracks him down, but this time they subdue him and remove his mask. It’s revealed that it’s Professor Callaghan, who stole Hiro’s robots to save himself in the fire. Hiro is furious that his brother died for nothing and removes Baymax’s healthcare chip to seek revenge on Callaghan.
At the last moment, Honey reinstalls the chip and prevents Baymax from killing Callaghan, allowing the professor to escape. This angers Hiro even further and he vows to avenge his brother, no matter what. In his blind rage, he tries to remove Baymax’s healthcare chip once again, but the robot blocks him,l reminding Hiro that revenge is not what Tadashi would have wanted. This is enough to bring Hiro around, and he promises the group he’ll bring Callaghan to justice the right way.
Through the discovery of lost video footage, it’s revealed that Callaghan’s daughter Abigail was harmed by Krei, and he is seeking revenge for his daughter. Callaghan tries to destroy Krei’s headquarters using a teleportation portal but the Big Hero 6 intervene and save Krei. However, the portal remains active and they realize that Abigail is inside, sleeping, but not dead.
Baymax and Hiro jump into the portal to save her, but on the way out Baymax’s inflatable exterior is damaged and he is not able to get all three of them out. He sacrifices himself, remaining in the portal himself but using his rocket fist to save Hiro and Abigail.
Later, Hiro happens upon the rocket fist and discovers Baymax’s health care chip clenched inside it. This allows Hiro to rebuild him with all his memories and feelings and they can be together again.
The Big Hero 6 continues to fight evil and save the San Fransokyo citizens from harm
‘Big Hero 6’ Cast
The cast of ‘Big Hero 6’ had a tall order bringing these characters to life. Because the project didn’t have a wide mainstream following, they had to start from scratch to make them into the characters we love now.
Scott Adsit as Baymax
Because Baymax was conceived as a robot medical assistant, Adsit had to find a balance between a robot’s cadence and the empathy of a character who only wants to help people. Perhaps it was Adsit’s comedy past, namely as Pete on the long-running, beloved sitcom ’30 Rock’ that helped him find the right rhythm.
Ryan Potter as Hiro
Ryan Potter was only 19 when he was chosen to voice the character of 14-year-old Hiro. However, he was no stranger to the screens. He starred in Nickelodeon’s ‘Supah Ninjas,’ and was the voice of Hiro in ‘Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes‘ the video game. He also went on to voice Hiro in the current ‘Big Hero 6’ series on Disney XD.
Jamie Chung as Go Go
Jamie Chung is a very successful working actress and has appeared in many, many of your favorite shows. After she voiced Go Go in ‘Big Hero 6’ she went on to play Mulan in ‘Once Upon A Time,’ to star in ‘Gotham,’ and ‘The Gifted,’ and the series version of ‘Big Hero 6.’
TJ Miller as Fred
Although TJ Miller is a popular actor on traditional live-action series, he has a lot of voice work experience. He is the voice behind Robbie Valentino on ‘Gravity Falls,‘ and Gene in ‘The Emoji Movie.’ He remains in the Marvel Universe as Weasel in the ‘Deadpool’ franchise, and embodied the character of Erlich Bachman on HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley.’
‘Big Hero 6’ Songs and Soundtrack
The score for ‘Big Hero 6’ was composed by Henry Jackman, who also penned the scores for ‘X-Men: First Class,’ and Wreck-It Ralph. The film also contains an original song by the popular rock band, Fall Out Boy, titled ‘Immortals.’
‘Big Hero 6’ at the Box Office
‘Big Hero 6’ was a box office success. It earned over $200 million dollars in North America and went on to gross $435 million worldwide. It was the highest-grossing animated film of 2014 and the 16th highest-grossing animated film of all time.
‘Big Hero 6’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
‘Big Hero 6’ was a major critical success and applauded for its animation, emotion, and action. The film received quite a bit of adulation during the award season as well. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a BAFTA for Best Animated Film, and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. It also won Favorite Animated Movie at the Kids Choice Awards in 2014.
Where ‘Big Hero 6’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
‘Big Hero 6’ is the first Disney movie to contain Marvel characters, and Disney created proprietary software just to create the visuals for the film. It was a huge financial success, but more importantly, it gave birth to a fandom that is loyal and diverse, drawn to Hiro’s compassion and heart. Since the movie’s conception and release in 2014, there have been several adjunct projects, including a TV series, a video game, a series of manga books and countess lines of merchandise.
‘Big Hero 6’ Trailer
‘Big Hero 6’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
This movie is so beloved, it’s hard to find something that wouldn’t be interesting to learn about it. ‘Big Hero 6’ broke ground in many ways, and here are a few fun facts to celebrate it.
1. It’s An Alternative Future
Although it’s not explicitly revealed in the narrative of the film, Scott Watanabe says ‘Big Hero 6’ is set in an alternate future in which San Fransisco was rebuilt by Japanese immigrants following the 1906 earthquake.
2. Baymax Was Modeled After What?
Animators modeled the inflatable Baymax after a baby with a full diaper.
3. ‘Big Hero 6’ Has the Largest “World” of All
Animators conceived of the ‘Big Hero 6’ as widespread and expansive. In fact, its bigger than that of ‘Tangled,’ ‘Wreck-It Ralph,’ and ‘Frozen’ altogether.
4. There’s a Pre-Mickey Easter egg
In the scene in which Hiro accidentally activates Baymax while falling, you catch a glimpse of a poster on his ceiling. The poster is of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was Disney’s first animated character, before Mickey Mouse.
5. You Have to Wait Until the End to See the Name of the Movie
Among its other many firsts, it’s also the first Disney movie to only show the title at the end of the movie instead of the beginning.