Big Hero 6

It’s been 10 years since Big Hero 6, and I’m surprised that it’s still the only Marvel property to get an official Disney animated adaptation since the company acquired the comic book maker back in 2009. Big Hero 6 is a loose adaptation of one of Marvel’s more obscure properties, and what sticks out to me all these years later is its exploration of grief, which it notably examines through the experience of a young boy. Big Hero 6 is a superhero origin story for protagonist Hiro Hamada, but more than that, it’s an extended, action-packed therapy session as he learns to let go of his anger and to embody the best parts of those he’s lost. This is all facilitated by Baymax, one of Disney’s most instantly likable characters in recent memory. The puffy, robotic doctor is a source of some of the film’s best gags, but is also the movie’s beating heart, embodying the transformative themes of Big Hero 6 with each scene he’s in. I’d say the movie left me wanting more, but since it led to an animated sequel series and a Disney+ spin-off, we haven’t exactly been lacking for stuff set in the film’s universe, even if Disney hasn’t pushed for a proper sequel yet like it has with numerous other recent hits.