By Troy Ribeiro
FILM: Big Hero 6
VOICES OF: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph, Damon Wayans Jr
DIRECTION: Don Hall and Chris Williams
Loosely based on the defunct Marvel superheroes comic series of the same name, Big Hero 6 is the latest offering from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is a hero’s journey that depends on teamwork.
Set in the fictionalised city of San Fransokyo, the story centres around the adventures of a 14-year-old robotics prodigy, Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his accomplices.
After graduating at the age of 13, the precocious little Hiro is not interested in further studies. He is busy making money off “robot fighting” in the back alleys of the city. This disgusts his older brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney).
So, in order to divert Hiro’s energies, his over-protective brother introduces Hiro to his latest invention: the cuddly, inflatable, care-giving robot nurse called Baymax (Scott Adsit). Later, he takes Hiro to his university’s robotic lab to show him around.
Here, Hiro meets his brother’s colleagues that include: GoGo Tamago (Jamie Chung) the sharp-tongued and punky engineering genius, Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) the well-built but overly-precious laser specialist, Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) a pretty and naturally talented chemist, and Fred (TJ Miller) the eccentric soft hearted slacker.
When Hiro sees all the cool stuff that they’re doing, he realises what he is missing, and dreams of joining the “nerd lab”.
So, he goes all out to impress the visionary principal, Professor Callaghan (James Cromwell) with his invented nanotechnology, “microbots”.
But unfortunately that very evening, the lab burns down and Tadashi, who rushes in to save Professor Callaghan is killed. In the fire, Hiro’s invention is presumed destroyed too.
While Hiro mourns, Baymax comes to life and takes care of him, leading Hiro to a strange man in a red-and-white kabuki mask and black cloak made of “microbots” which apparently is Hiro’s invention.
Now, if the microbots survived the fire, then that means someone caused the explosion and is responsible for Tadashi dying in it. So, Hiro along with Baymax and Tadashi’s four colleagues set off on an adventure to unravel this mystery.
The animated characters are brought to life by the star voices with “teen attitude” that are incredibly energetic and relatable. While Ryan Potter injects fresh breath of air into Hiro, it is the featureless, inflatable robot Baymax who steals your heart with his simplicity. And Scott Adsit does full justice to Baymax.
Though there are six of them as a team, the script mainly concentrates on the relationship between Hiro and Baymax. The rest of the team is just stereotype characters helping the narration to progress.
Overall, Big Hero 6 can be classified as a classic animation film.
Charming dramedy
By Troy Ribeiro
FILM: Love, Rosie
CAST: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Christian Cooke, Suki Waterhouse
DIRECTOR: Christian Ditter
A frothy, run-of-the-mill, but charming romantic dramedy, Love, Rosie is based on Cecelia Ahern’s novel, Where Rainbows End.
The narration literally starts off by asking the audience a rhetorical question, “What do you get when you fall in love?”
For those who don’t have an answer to the question, this film is a response of sorts. And for those who know the answer, this is a reiteration of events that has touched their lives at some point of time.
Narrated in a non-linear fashion, Love, Rosie is the tragic saga of Rossie Dunne (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) of how, the two inseparable childhood friends take each other for granted and remain “best friends forever” and star-crossed lovers. It is after a fleeting shared moment that they part ways. The realisation dawns that despite their flaws and flings, they are meant for each other and fate has decided to bring them together.
Though the eventuality is predictable, it is their journey, packed with misunderstandings and ill-fated circumstances that makes the viewing interesting. But then the plot loses its fortitude in terms of logical balance of the character graphs.
The performances of every character are fresh and bubbly. Lily Collins as Rosie Dunne and Sam Claflin as Alex are likeable. Their chemistry is palpable. But it is their transition, physically and mentally, from teenagers to adults in their early thirties that is unconvincing. Nevertheless, both of them make a loveable pair. -IANS
DVD courtesy: Kings Electronics, Doha
Fantasy-based
adventure tale
By Troy Ribeiro
FILM: Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb
CAST: Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Ben Kingsley, Robin Williams, Rebel Wilson, Owen Wilson
DIRECTION: Shawn Levy
The third film of the series, where the exhibits in a museum come alive during the night, is touted to be a comedy.
The film begins after a long prologue set in the deserts of Egypt in 1938, where an archaeologist who is searching for the tomb of Ahkmenrah, accidentally finds it and is warned, “If any one disturbs this tomb the end will come”. To which the archaeologist replies, “We are not making a mistake, we are making history.”
This sets expectations rolling and the narration shifts gear to the American Museum of Natural History in New York where night watchman Larry Daley is all geared up to put up a great sound and lights benefit show. But alas things don’t go as planned and he soon correlates the corroding of a mystical tablet which was found in Ahkmenrah’s tomb with the malfunctioning of the exhibits.
He learns that the solution to this lies with Pharaoh Merenkahre, who is an exhibit at the British Museum in London. So he travels all the way there to learn the secret of the tomb.
Layered with parenting issues, where Larry a single parent is worried about his son Nick’s college plans, this fantasy-based adventure tale is superficially constructed and hence there is no depth to the narration.
With most of the characters being exhibits at the museum, their character graphs are bland and one dimensional with no scope for performance. Ben Stiller plays a double role which is distinct and cleverly plotted.
This being the last meaningful role of Robin Williams as the exhibit Teddy Roosevelt, there are a few touching moments. But it is his energetic voice as Garuda that enthrals you for a split second. On the other hand, Ben Kingsley as Pharoah Merenkahre is wasted.
DVDs courtesy:
Saqr Entertainment Stores, Doha
