In the fictional city of San Fransokyo, 14-year-old Hiro is trying to compete in a robotics competition. After losing to a stronger man, he wins during the next round.

But that lands him and his older brother, Tadashi, in trouble with the law. Their aunt, Cass (who’s their legal guardian since their parents died years ago), takes them home that evening. Tadashi then decides to give Hiro a tour of his university’s research lab as a way to keep him out of trouble. Hiro did graduate high school early due to his intelligence levels.

Hiro meets Tadashi’s classmates, who are:

• Honey Lemon, an enthusiastic young woman

• Fred Fredrikson IV, a hip guy, who isn’t actually a student, but a mascot for the university

• Go Go Tomago, a serious woman who is passionate about electromagnetics

• Wasabi, a guy who can be seen as crazy to others, but at the same time, is very smart

Hiro enjoys getting to know them. But that is interrupted when a fire breaks out. Tadashi runs back into the building to save the head of the robotics program, Professor Callaghan. Unfortunately, he doesn’t come back.

Two weeks later, Hiro continues to isolate himself since he deeply misses Tadashi. Then he unintentionally activates the inflatable healthcare robot, Baymax, which Tadashi’s classmates had shown Hiro during his tour. Baymax examines Hiro’s physical pain and emotions. Although he finds him kind of annoying at first, Hiro is willing to let Baymax be with him.

The remaining robotic piece that Hiro had left after the rest were stolen a few weeks ago wanders off. Hiro and Baymax find it inside a warehouse. But without warning, a masked villain, known as “Yokai,” arrives on the robotic pieces that Hiro had had before. Hiro runs from him. Then he is saved by Tadashi’s 4 friends. They are willing to help him defeat Yokai.

Hiro firmly believes that the man he refused to sell his robotics to, Alistair Krei, is Yokai. But the others don’t believe so. 

Yet they continue to find him. They discover the Krei Tech Lab on an island not far from the city. It was used for research on teleportation. But it was shut down by the government after a pilot went into a portal and never returned.

Hiro, Baymax, and the others continue their mission.

From the very beginning, this movie kept me engaged. It clearly sets the mood as an action-packed, science fiction story.

A major aspect I admire is the premise, including the idea of a city that is a cross between San Francisco and Tokyo. And a bigger one is the science element. It is not that common for Disney to have science play large roles in their movies.

Aside from robotics, medical and psychological knowledge are major for the plot. I found Baymax to be quite interesting. Like Hiro, I found him a bit annoying at first. But he is actually very kind and helpful. He’ll do anything to support others.

Which brings me to my next thought. I loved the relationships between the characters. One of my favorites is between Hiro and Tadashi. I felt so heartbroken when Tadashi died. He was such a sweet brother. So, when Hiro befriended Tadashi’s friends, I felt better. I can actually relate, because when I was a teenager, I enjoyed spending time with people who were college-aged (unless they were authority figures, obviously). They, along with Baymax, make a great team.

Aunt Cass, although a minor character, is also sweet to both Hiro and Tadashi. She really did act like a loving mom to them.

I will admit that I have weaker feelings about Hiro’s relationship with Baymax. However, it did get better.

The movie was also funny. I laughed several times throughout it. One scene that cracked me up was when Baymax was crossing the street, but not being careful or mindful. He was testing his abilities.

As with any film, this one has lots of twists and turns, both happy and sad. It isn’t violent, either.

Although I don’t know if I’d recommend this to little kids, I think those 8 and up will enjoy it. The reason is not just because of the action, but also the medical facts. They might be too complex for small children.

Otherwise, Big Hero 6 is a fantastic movie for both adults and kids alike.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.