Saturday, May 9, 2020

Signs (2002)


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Signs is a sci-fi thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. He cuts the notion of crop circles and extraterrestrials being a hoax out of the picture early on to make this an intense ride. If you thought Stephen King's Children of the Corn was scary, wait until you see Signs.

Former Reverend Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) lives on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), his son Morgan (Rory Culkin) and his daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin). Graham and Merrill wake up to the kids screaming. They run into the cornfield to find a crop circle. Officer Caroline (Cherry Jones) inspects the crop circle and notices none of the stalks are broken. She mentions animals around town have been violent. Morgan is forced to put down one of their dogs for attacking Bo.

That night, Bo wakes her father up and he sees a figure on the roof. He and Merrill try to scare it but it escapes. The next day, TV reports show crop circles showing up all over the world. They go into town and Morgan finds a book on extraterrestrials. They get back to the farm and hear a strange signal coming from Bo's baby monitor. Graham investigates the cornfield and catches a terrifying glimpse of an alien. They see more TV reports on UFO sightings and the kids make tinfoil hats. Merrill is glued to the TV and sees footage of an alien.

Ray Reddy (M. Night Shyamalan), responsible for the death of Graham's wife, tells Graham about a rumor of the aliens not liking water and that he trapped one in his pantry. Graham checks it out and chops off his fingertips through the bottom of the door. The family decides to stay in the house and they start boarding up the doors and windows. They have a feast that gets emotional. They hear a loud signal on the baby monitor and retreat to the basement when they hear the aliens breaking in upstairs. They forget about the coal shoot and an alien grabs Morgan, he suffers from an asthma attack.

They hold out in the basement until morning listening to the radio saying the aliens have left. They go upstairs to find an alien, who takes Morgan hostage. Graham recalls the last conversation he had with his wife, telling Merrill to swing away. He grabs a baseball bat off the wall and beats the alien to death, using water to weaken it. Graham gives Morgan a shot and revives him. Time passes and Graham returns to his duty at the church.

M. Night Shyamalan makes you believe aliens could invade earth at any point in time. As findings from a science fiction book surprisingly prove to be accurate, they discover aliens would come to Earth for a couple reasons. To make contact with humans or to harvest Earth's resources. The extraterrestrials would use ground combat tactics instead of using their vessels. They use crop circles as a way of navigating the Earth like a map.

There are many funny lines of dialogue, compared to the serious nature of Shyamalan's last couple of films. He generates laughs through the children and Merrill treating the absurdity of the whole scenario as a joke and equally dead serious. After Merrill sees the alien on TV, he joins the children wearing tinfoil hats to protect his mind from being read.

The characters each carry meaning to the story in their own way. Graham has the deepest impact, having lost his wife in a car accident, he recalls that night throughout the film. He loses his faith after that night and by the end regains it. Merrill is the minor league baseball home run king, except he holds the strikeout record too and never made the big leagues. Morgan has asthma and believes from the start aliens are behind the crop circles. Bo is the naive little girl who finds every reason not to drink water and listens to her brother. Shyamalan's cameo role is his most impactful to date. He plays town local Ray Reddy, causing the car accident that kills Graham's wife. You can feel Graham's pain as he converses with him.

Signs is another great thriller by Shyamalan. The music creates an uneasy atmosphere, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I recommend Signs to teens and adults. 3.5/4

Friday, April 3, 2020

The Sixth Sense (1999)


Mission 250 Filmcast
The Sixth Sense is M. Night Shyamalan's breakthrough project, becoming the highest-grossing horror film of all-time until It broke the record in 2017. The iconic twist ending became a signature trait in Shyamalan's film making. This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Sixth Sense, as it's still regarded as one of the best thrillers of all-time.

Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist in Philadelphia. He's recognized with a reward for his work and his wife Anna (Olivia Williams) couldn't be more proud. They go into their bedroom to see someone has broken in. Vincent Grey (Donnie Wahlberg) is a former patient of Malcolm and accuses him of failing to help him. He pulls out a gun and shoots Malcolm before turning the gun on himself.

The next fall, Malcolm observes a 9-year old boy, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment). Malcolm follows him to a church and introduces himself. Cole asks if he's a good doctor and he responds saying he used to be. On his way out, Cole steals a figurine. At home, Cole's mother Lynn (Toni Collette) walks out of the kitchen and returns to all the cabinets and drawers open before Cole leaves for school. Cole comes home from school to see his mother and Malcolm waiting for him. Malcolm plays a mind-reading game with Cole but he ends up walking away.

Malcolm shows up late to dinner with Anna, he rambles as she stays silent. She takes the check and says happy anniversary as she walks out. Cole tells Malcolm he's a freak and he reassures him he isn't. Cole doesn't want to be scared anymore. He ends up in detention after telling the class people were hung in the school. At a classmate's birthday party, he hears voices coming from the attic. The bullies lock him in the attic and he's taken to the hospital. Malcolm visits him and Cole reveals his secret. He sees dead people. He explains they see what they want to see and they don't know they're dead.
I rewatched 'The Sixth Sense' and here is every single time it ...

Back home, the temperature drops and he sees a woman in his kitchen. The next night, he sees a boy with a gunshot wound on the back of his head. Malcolm suggests Cole listen and help the ghosts. That night, he finds a girl in his tent and speaks to her. They go to the girl's funeral reception and she gives him a box to give to her father. Inside the box is a tape, revealing her mother poisoning her soup.

Cole learns to live with the ghosts he sees and gives Malcolm the idea to talk to his wife in her sleep. Cole and his mother are stuck in traffic and he decides to reveal his secret. To prove it, he tells her a story about his grandmother, who visits him sometimes. He tells his mother she was there for her dance recital and the answer to her question is "every day." He asks what her question was and she says "Do I make her proud?"

Malcolm visits Anna in her sleep watching their wedding video. She asks why he left her and drops the wedding ring. Malcolm remembers what Cole told him about ghosts and the fact he was shot by Vincent, which killed him. He finds the bullet wound, realizing he's still wearing the same clothes, revealing he's been dead the entire time. He tells Anna he loves her and his spirit is engulfed in white light.

The Sixth Sense | 16 Iconic '90s Horror Movies That Still Hold Up ...The Sixth Sense definitely requires more than one viewing. I remember seeing it for the first time in my father's workshop when I was in middle school. Besides Signs, I had been sheltered from scary movies, but it didn't scare me as much as it made me feel what Cole felt. When he was trapped in the attic and we started to see the ghosts that scared him are the moments I feared. You can't help but feel bad for a kid that can't control his supernatural sense.

Once the twist is revealed, you want to go back to find a mistake the filmmakers might have made, making you believe he wasn't actually dead the entire time. Except there are no mistakes. It's perfectly executed to impact first-time viewers just as much as people who have seen it many times. Besides the bedroom scene where Malcolm was shot, the only person who acknowledges him is Cole.

The use of the color red is a major theme representing anything from the real world tainted by the other world. One example when the color red is shown frequently is at the birthday party. A red balloon floats to the top of a spiraling red staircase and Cole is wearing a red sweater when we hear the voices for the first time. Cole's tent is red and hides there when he sees the ghosts. Malcolm's wife wears a red dress for their anniversary. Malcolm tries opening a locked door with a ruby red doorknob.

Haley Joel Osment was perfectly cast as Cole. He tries to be a normal kid and fit in but can't help seeing the dead, causing him to be afraid everywhere he goes. Until the end and with the help of Malcolm, he finds a way to share his secret with his mother. Bruce Willis was in almost every scene, following Cole wherever he went. He realized he wasn't paying enough attention to his wife when he sees her with another man. Olivia Williams does an excellent job in her scenes, showing grief but leaving us wondering if she's ignoring Malcolm. Toni Collette plays the hardworking mother and touches us beautifully in the emotional final act. Donnie Wahlberg plays a minor but important character. He lost 43 pounds for the role, making him appear gaunt and almost unrecognizable.

The Sixth Sense is the third film directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan. It's by far his best film to date, up there with Hitchcock's classics. It's one of the best thrillers ever made and deserves to be seen many times. I highly recommend this film to adults and kids 10 or older.

4/4

Supplements:
Storyboard-to-Film Comparison
The Cast
Rules & Clues

Friday, February 28, 2020

Wide Awake (1998)


Image result for wide awake 1998Wide Awake is the second film written, produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It's a religious comedy revolving around a 10-year-old boy in search of faith after his grandfather passes away.

Josh Beal is enrolled in the 5th grade at a Catholic school in Philadelphia. He takes comfort in spending time with his grandfather. In school, he's known for asking too many questions. He asks Sister Terry about baptism, causing him and the class to second guess their beliefs. His best friend Dave doesn't believe in God, saying too many bad things happen to good people for no reason. Josh tries out for the football team and gets bullied.

When his grandfather passes away, he begins searching for faith and evidence of God. He wants to know for sure that his grandfather is in heaven. Dave asks him about girls, replying he hasn't felt a biological reaction yet. He sneaks into the girls' school and sees the cardinal upset after a lecture. This leads him to question if he can actually speak to God. Josh asks his parents over dinner if they can take a vacation to Rome and he's denied.

Josh has a meeting with Sister Terry about his search for God. He's practiced other religions in attempts to speak to God but remains without results. He sits in his grandfather's chair and talks to him in a vision. The girl he likes gives him a rose. Josh finds Dave in his room having an epileptic seizure. Dave believes in God and miracles after Josh saved his life. He tells Josh not to give up his mission.

Josh gives a speech about his 5th-grade transformation. He sees the value in family and friendship, seeing past why people do what they do and coming to terms with life and death. He's wide awake. He sees the boy that helped him escape the school and tells Josh He's happy now. Josh realizes the boy was an angel.

Joseph Cross plays an intelligent young boy who is raised Catholic but starts wondering if what he's been taught is true. Josh constantly questions his own religion as well as others in his search for God. He comes to the conclusion that people spend their entire life searching for faith and death is something that happens all the time.

Rosie O'Donnell is a pleasant surprise in her role as a nun and teacher at the school. She's a diehard Phillies fan and uses baseball references in her lessons. She respects Josh for questioning his faith and helps him cope with his grandfather's death.

Shyamalan wrote Wide Awake in 1991, filmed it in 1995 and didn't release it until 1998. His use of religious ideas raises more questions than it answers. It does have a twist ending, but it's not major by any means. I'm not certain if kids would enjoy a film like this. It speaks deeply about religion, coming-of-age, life and death. Even though it's a story about a 5th grader, it feels more sophisticated than a normal children's movie.

Wide Awake shows potential in Shyamalan's skills as a writer and director. It's worth checking out if you're interested in his works before The Sixth Sense. I recommend this film to adults. 3/4

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Praying with Anger (1992)


Image result for praying with anger shyamalan
Praying with Anger is M. Night Shyamalan's film debut. He wrote, produced, directed and stars this cultural drama.

Dev Raman (M. Night Shyamalan) is an Indian-American who goes to India as an exchange student. His father passed away and they didn't have a good relationship. He stays with the Mojan family and becomes friends with Sanjay (Mike Muthu) and Rupal (Richie Ahuja Badami). Dev only speaks English and he learns about the importance of religion in India.

Dev sees a pretty girl in class and Sanjay tells him not to pursue her. He walks up and touches her shoulder, causing a gang fight to break out. Dev tells Rupal about America and free love before her father takes her away and punishes her for talking to him. Dev is kicked out of class for not understanding. He visits a famous saint after changing his attitude towards India.

A gang forces Dev to ask girls inappropriate questions. Rupal is punished for wanting to be with a man of low status. Dev is beaten up by the gang, forcing him to get drunk and cross a busy road. Dev finds out his father loved him. He and Sanjay are robbed on the road. They go to work cutting up fish so they have money to get home. Dev plays football with a group of kids. They find out they missed their exams.

A drunken mob breaks a window and Sanjay wants revenge. Dev fights a guy who almost kills a man. Dev throws gasoline on the mob and threatens to light them on fire. He gets them to disperse. Dev and Sanjay passed their exams. Rupal tells Dev she's engaged to a guy she's never met. Dev tells her about the book he's going to write. Dev confesses his love for Rupal. After three months in India, Dev is heading back to the states. He felt more love and hate than ever before and comes to terms with his heritage.

Shyamalan's character is a foreigner in his native country of India. His Western culture ideals clash with the traditional ways of life in India. He doesn't understand the separation of genders until he gets attacked by a group of guys for touching a girl. Dev is the only character with any depth in the story. Sanjay acts mostly as a guide who knows the rules of the country. Rupal is only significant because of her limitations as a woman. Shyamalan wants us to put ourselves in her shoes and imagine what that life is like, being forced into a blind marriage.

Praying with Anger is Shyamalan's first attempt at film making, showing his potential. It deals with powerful themes and vastly different cultures coming together. It's far from a great film, but I recommend it to fans of M. Night Shyamalan.

2/4

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Tangled (2010)


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Tangled is a 3-D animated adventure film based on the story of Rapunzel. Tangled is the most expensive animated film ever made, with a $260 million budget.

For hundreds of years, Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) uses a magical flower made from the sun to retain her youth. Soldiers from the kingdom of Corona find the flower to heal their queen. She gives birth to Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore). Gotel attempts to steal the flower but discovers the magical powers are contained within Rapunzel's hair, and that when cut, the power is lost. Gothel steals baby Rapunzel and isolates her in a tower, raising her as her own. The king and queen release sky lanterns on each of Rapunzel's birthdays in hope see will return to the kingdom.

Before Rapunzel's 18th birthday, she asks Gothel to leave the tower to watch the lanterns. She denies her request saying it's much too dangerous. Thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) steals Rapunzel's crown from the palace. While escaping the guards, he unknowingly climbs her tower and is knocked out by Rapunzel with a frying pan. She hides the crown and convinces him to take her to see the lanterns in exchange for the crown.

Image result for tangled gifFlynn takes her to a pub full of thugs to try and get her to go back home. They sing about their dreams, but Gothel realizes she's left the tower and the guards search the pub. They escape through a tunnel and get caught in a flooding cave. Rapunzel uses her glowing hair to light the cave in order to break free. Flynn reveals his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. They hide out in a forest and are followed by Gothel and two thugs. Eugene steps away and Gothel gives Rapunzel the crown.

Maximus, the palace horse, is initially searching for Flynn but befriends Rapunzel, leading them to form a truce on her birthday. They make it to the palace and take a boat to watch the lanterns. She gives him the crown and they fall in love. Eugene sees the thugs onshore and leaves to give them the crown. They tie him to a boat to make it look as if he left Rapunzel behind. Gothel gets her to believe she's rescuing her and takes her back to the tower.

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Rapunzel realizes through the kingdom's symbol of the sun that she's the lost princess. She confronts Gothel and she ties up Rapunzel so she can't escape. Eugene is sentenced to death by hanging before he's saved by the guys from the pub. He rides with Maximus to the tower to save Rapunzel. Her hair falls from the tower and he climbs up to find he's been set up. Gothel stabs him, Rapunzel requests she save him and she will stay with her in the tower forever. Eugene cuts off her hair, breaking the spell that made Gothel young. Gothel falls out of the tower and turns to dust. Rapunzel's hair is gone but her tears heal Eugene's wounds. They return to the kingdom and eventually get married.

The story of Rapunzel is a classic German fairytale from the early 1800s. Disney Studios does a brilliant job of bringing the story to life with colorful characters and likable sidekicks. Rapunzel is a feisty young girl eager to explore the world. Eugene is the "prince charming" type who accidentally saves Rapunzel from isolation and himself from a life of crime. Rapunzel's pet chameleon Pascal and the noble horse Maximus don't speak but instead use mannerisms that add humor to many scenes throughout. Gothel is the villain, she isn't a witch or a sorceress, but she takes advantage of Rapunzel's powers, making her appear young and beautiful.

The original soundtrack is composed by Alan Menkin. With standout performances from Mandy Moore and Donna Murphy, the songs are a nice touch to the light-heartedness of the film.

Tangled is a visually stunning animated adventure. It's a quality addition to the list of Disney princess movies. I recommend this film to people of all ages.

3.5/4

Monday, July 1, 2019

Bird Box (2018)


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Bird Box is a post-apocalyptic horror film released on Netflix, based on the novel written by Josh Malerman. Once you look at it, you will either see indescribable beauty or you will kill yourself. Opening your eyes is a matter of life and death.

Malorie (Sandra Bullock) explains to a boy and a girl never to remove their blindfolds and to listen to her instructions, or they will die. Keeping their eyes covered, they get in a boat and head down a river. They have a long journey ahead of them.

Five years earlier, Malorie is painting in her studio and her sister Jessica (Sarah Paulson) takes her to the hospital for a pregnancy check-up. They see a TV report on mass suicides happening in Europe. On their way out of the hospital, people start acting erratically and panic across town ensues. In the car, they see cars crashing, explosions and people committing suicide. Jessica sees an unknown entity and loses herself, causing her to crash the car. Jessica gets out of the wreck and steps in front of an oncoming truck. She is called and helped into a house of survivors. Douglas' (John Malkovich) wife fell victim to the entity and killed herself while saving Malorie.

The owner of the house, Greg (BD Wong), uses the security footage to try and get a look at what is turning people. He's affected by the entity and kills himself in his office. They realize there isn't enough food for everyone and they create a plan to safely drive to the grocery store. Malorie, Douglas, Tom (Trevante Rhodes), Charlie (Lil Rel Howery) and Lucy (Rosa Salazar) get in the blacked-out vehicle and use GPS navigation to get to the store. Charlie uses his keys to get in and they fill up carts with supplies. Malorie finds three birds in a cage and takes them with her. They hear someone calling for help from the loading docks, Charlie recognizes the man and stops him from opening the door, locking himself inside with him. Blood spills from the other side of the door.

The rest of them make it back to the house safely. Lucy and Felix (Machine Gun Kelly) steal the car and leave the rest of them without transportation. Pregnant survivor Olympia (Danielle MacDonald) lets a strange survivor, Gary (Tom Hollander), into the house. Douglas wants him to leave but he's knocked out and locked in the garage. Soon after, both Olympia and Malorie go into labor and deliver their babies. Gary knocks Tom unconscious, kills Douglas and forces Olympia to look at the entity causing her to commit suicide. Tom saves Malorie and the newborns.

Five years later, Malorie and Tom live together with the children she named Boy and Girl. They pick up a radio signal claiming there's a safe haven for survivors downriver. A group of armed survivors find their home and want them to look at the entity. Tom sacrifices himself, killing all of the insane people, but kills himself after seeing the entity. Malorie and the children escape with the birds to the boat and start their journey downstream.

Image result for bird box gifAfter 14 hours on the river, Malorie and the children hear a voice telling them to take their blindfolds off. Malorie is attacked by a man who wants her to see the beauty. She kills him with a machete and they continue downstream. 10 hours later, the boy falls out of the boat and the supplies are lost. She warns the children of the upcoming rapids and ultimately decides neither of them will have to guide the way by taking off their blindfold. The boat flips over and Malorie recovers the children and makes it to shore. The entity attempts to trick them into removing their blindfolds but they prevail. They follow the chirping of thousands of birds to the sanctuary concluding their 42-hour journey.

Malorie discovers the community is a school for the blind, who are immune to the entity. She gives the children their names, Olympia and Tom, and releases the birds from the box.

Bird Box generated a buzz when it was released to Netflix during the holidays. Before I even knew of it, I was recommended to watch it by a few of my friends that enjoy horror movies. After watching Bird Box, I don't exactly get why this film was hyped to the extent it was. There are some twists and turns, but I didn't feel much at all for the characters.

Sandra Bullock plays Malorie, a soon-to-be single mother that plans not to have any care or love for her child. She's given an adaption pamphlet at her pregnancy checkup. We receive no details into her life or who the father might be. She's bitter and unlikeable from the very beginning. She's very strict towards the children because she thinks giving them an imagination could result in their deaths. For the first five years of their lives, she gives them the names Boy and Girl... seriously? Serious as taking off a blindfold.

John Malkovich's character Douglas has a similar cynical personality to Malorie, except he was more rational in his thinking, even when he was drunk. The bright spot in this cast is Trevante Rhodes, the star of Moonlight, who plays Tom. He shows affection towards Malorie and they end up being the last to survive with a need to take care of the children. The two other interesting cameos came from Tom Hollander and Machine Gun Kelly. I was unaware MGK had a career in acting, alas, his screen time was limited to a brief sex scene.

There are some plot points that don't make a whole lot of sense. Why does the entity affect people differently? Why are some enlightened by it and others kill themselves? If one sees it and doesn't commit suicide, how do they survive afterward? How did the birds in the box live for five years and survive the rapids? These are questions that don't have much explanation.

Bird Box mostly reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening, with all the unprecedented suicides. Luckily, Bird Box has a better conclusion than The Happening, but still leaves us with too many unanswered questions. The wind blowing leaves around is all we see of the entity and it just isn't scary. I recommend you skip the film unless you're really into post-apocalyptic thrillers.

2/4

Friday, June 28, 2019

Big Hero 6 (2014)


Image result for big hero 6 disney posterBig Hero 6 is a 3D animated superhero film produced by Walt Disney Animated Studios. The story is based on the Marvel Comics but animated to appeal to children. It's colorful characters and heartfelt story make this more than your average superhero movie.

Taking place in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo, 14-year old Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) buys his way into an underground bot fighting match. His older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) saves him from a gang of thugs, but land themselves in jail. Their Aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph) bails them out and takes them home. Hiro reveals his parents died when he was three.

Tadashi takes Hiro to his research lab and introduces him to his friends, Go Go (Jamie Chung), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) and Fred (T.J. Miller). Hiro also meets Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell), the head of the robotics program. Tadashi shows Hiro his project, an inflatable robot named Baymax (Scott Adsit). Hiro signs up for the school's science fair and creates an invention he calls microbots. The presentation is a success and the CEO of Krei Tech offers to buy his product, but Callaghan insists he not sell out to them. Hiro turns down the offer and Callaghan accepts him into the university. Later on, the building with the science fair goes up in flames and Callaghan is the only one left inside. Tadashi runs inside to save him but is killed by an explosion.

Weeks later, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax, as it responds to physical harm. Hiro finds his remaining microbot pulling itself like a compass. They follow it to an abandoned warehouse to find someone has been mass-producing the microbots. They are attacked by a masked man controlling the microbots. Hiro reprograms Baymax with karate skills and body armor. They track the masked man to the docks and Baymax calls in Tadashi's friends for help. They're chased down by the microbots and escape to Fred's mansion. They decide to create a high-tech superhero team to take down the villain.

Image result for big hero 6 teamBaymax uses his new high-powered sensor to track the masked man to an island. They find an abandoned Krei Tech factory and discover it was used for teleportation research that had gone wrong. They fight and unmask the villain to reveal it's Callaghan, who used the microbots to protect him from the explosion. Hiro removes Tadashi's chip from Baymax and orders him to terminate Callaghan. Honey puts the chip back in just before he carries out the order and Callaghan escapes.

Back home, Hiro tries to remove the healthcare chip but Baymax refuses and shows him a video of Tadashi working on his prototype. The team visits Hiro and shows him a flash drive recovered from the factory. Video files reveal Callaghan's daughter was lost in a teleportation test causing him to seek revenge on Krei Tech. The team confronts Callaghan at Krei Tech's headquarters and uses the portal to destroy the building. Hiro and the team use the portal to destroy the microbots and takedown Callaghan. Baymax scans the portal to discover Callaghan's daughter is still alive. Hiro and Baymax fly into the portal and find her. Baymax's armor and thrusters are destroyed and he sacrifices himself to save Hiro and Callaghan's daughter using his rocket-propelled fist. Hiro then finds Tadashi's chip inside the detached fist and rebuilds Baymax.

Related imageThe visuals in Big Hero 6 are done very well, on a similar level to a Pixar animated film. The most stunning visuals were inside the portal and the rainbow supernova of hyperspace. The story combines science fiction and superheroes making this an imaginative and unique animated adventure. Bubbly and lovable protagonist Baymax is a joy to watch, constantly being upgraded with new knowledge and abilities. Even though it's a robot, it learns to feel human emotion.

The superhero team is brought to life with their distinct personalities and wonderful voice acting. T.J. Miller is perfectly cast to voice Fred, the comic book reading slacker that wants to breathe fire. Scott Adsit voices Baymax resembling an electronic personal assistant. Maya Rudolph and Genesis Rodriguez voice the upbeat and optimistic females, adding humor to their scenes.

Big Hero 6 will be greatly enjoyed by fans of animated superheroes such as the TV series Teen Titans. It may not be as good as Pixar's The Incredibles, but it is superior to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Fans of Big Hero 6 will be happy to explore the TV series released on Disney Channel. I recommend this film to children and adults.

3.5/4

Supplements:
Recording Sessions
The Making of Big Hero 6
Deleted Scenes