Sunday, November 23, 2014

Movie Review- Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 (2014) Poster


The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.



I had the pleasure of watching this sweet movie with my family earlier this week. It was the last night it was in theaters in our area, so we pretty much had the room to ourselves. My dad informed us that he had bought a theater for our own personal use. ;)


We LOVE animated movies at our house, particularly anything that Pixar has touched. Seriously, I don't know if you noticed this, but Disney didn't really start producing phenomenal films until they bought Pixar and suddenly they were awesome. Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, you get the idea. And as for Pixar, well, they were already awesome. My dad still cries every time we watch Cars, and I know exactly where to find Nemo, he's at P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Lane, Sydney. Boom! Enough said.


Big Hero 6 had the same Pixar flavor, which means that John Lasseter had something to do with it. Everything that man touches turns to gold. This movie was incredibly sweet, had a clearly discernable message, and was just fun.


Visually, this movie is stunning! The way these animators blended and brought together the best parts of San Francisco and Tokyo was just beautiful. I wish there were a place call San Fransokyo, because I would go there in a heartbeat.


The messages in this story were easily found and beautifully portrayed. This movie dealt with how to work through losing a loved one, also, how to not choose vengeance but rather to take the high road.


The soundtrack to this movie was awesome, it was somewhat Eastern with a Japanese sound, mixed with full out superhero music. Oh yeah, did I mention that the premise of this movie is based off of an actual Marvel comic book? Yes siree! It's got a definite Marvel flavor, oh, and speaking of Marvel, be sure that if you do watch this movie you stay through to see the end credit scene. You will NOT be disappointed.


My absolute favorite aspect of this movie was definitely the characters. They were all unique, adorable, relatable, and there was not one single "annoying" one in the bunch.





Hiro Hamada- (Ryan Potter) Adorable! He somewhat reminded me of Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon, which happens to be my favorite animated movie. Hiro was a 14 year old with a VERY high IQ, so he was a lovely blend of youthful attitude and vulnerability, but he had the smarts of a very intelligent adult. He feels a lot of things in this movie, and you feel deeply for him, seriously, he's got puppy eyes that melt my heart.


Baymax- (Scott Adsit) A giant, marshmellowy, sweetie pie who becomes Hiro's best friend. It always amazes me how much emotion they can put into animated faces, but Baymax is especially impressive as he only has two eyes connected with a line. But there is so much written in those eyes that you forget they are his only feature.


Tadashi Hamada- (Daniel Henney) Hiro's college-aged brother. Super cute, super cool. He is like a mix of father and brother to Hiro, and their bond is beautiful to see.


Fred- (T.J. Miller)- I don't know how many of you have seen How to Train Your Dragon, but Miller does the voice of Toughnutt, the boy twin. His voice and mannerisms send my rascally younger brother into absolute stiches. He totally brings his personality out in Fred, who is the resident comic book nerd and has the lowest IQ of anyone in this movie. But no one cares, he is so dorkily adorable that you love him to death.


Go Go- (Jamie Chung) Tough girl, leather jacket, purple hair streaks, she doesn't waste time on words. But she's an amusing character all the same and I have to say that her hero costume was definitely my favorite.


Wasabi- (Damon Wayans Jr.) Big muscles, impressive afro, and a big softie who probably voices more concerns and fears than any other character in this movie. He was my mom's favorite, and definitely a sweet addition to the team.


Honey Lemon- (Genesis Rodriguez) Tall, slim, bubbly, and SO blonde in her personality, but not brains. She super cute and girlie and adds the sparkle that fills out this group of heroes.


Aunt Cass- (Maya Rudolph) Sweet, quirky, and uber affectionate, Aunt Cass has raised Tadashi and Hiro since their parents died. She has no idea what she is doing but she loves 'em to death and that is enough. She made a charming background scene to come home to.


Some people I know are really hard on any movie, others don't seem to appreciate animated movies at all. Speaking honestly, I think you all are boxing yourselves in a bit too much and need to lighten up! There are some amazing treasures to be found in the animated world, and sometimes, seeing something in animation can point out something in reality that we would never have noticed if it had been live action. So lighten up, have a fun afternoon and watch this movie. I don't care if you're 2 or 92, a good movie is a good movie. Enjoy!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Being a Family Is...Part 4

Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here.


Being a Family is...Sacrificing.


Our culture is constantly telling us what we deserve, what we have a right to have, and why we shouldn't have to share that with anyone or anybody. Wrong! Life is not, nor has it ever been about just you.


This is especially true in a family. A well functioning family cannot exist without everyone doing their part and being willing to give of themselves. This may mean giving up your bedroom to move in with your sisters (true story), or trading out some Netflix time by yourself to read Gigi books to your little sister and ending up lightheaded because you don't do anything halfway.


Sacrificing means that your dad gets up every morning and goes to work, sometimes to a job he doesn't like. It means that your mom is often the last person to bed because she was doing just one more load of laundry. It means that your older brother brings his laptop into the living room while you all have a movie on that he may not be a fan of, but he knows that you like his company.


It means playing two hours of Battlefield with your little brother even though the height of the computer desk makes your right arm go numb. It means staying up WAY later than you intended so that you can help your brother come up with ideas for his latest LEGO contest.


Sacrificing means that when you ask your little sister to get you a drink of water she does so with a smile and a dimple (SO CUTE). It means that your older brother not only takes you out to a movie and pays for your ticket, but also buys you ice cream afterwards.


Sacrificing means that your sister loans you one of her cutest skirts or a new pair of earrings she got, because you have been eyeing them for weeks. (Currently enjoying the benefits of that skirt as I write.)


Sacrificing means that you choose to love your parents even when they make mistakes that leave you feeling broken and like your dreams are dead on the floor. Sacrificing means dying to your flesh and choosing not to give into the deep feelings of anger that you have towards someone you love.


Sacrificing means that your family continues to love and encourage you even when you feel empty and like you've got nothing left inside to give, when you feel like your light has died and you are just an unlit candle.


Sacrificing means being real, and opening yourself up, forgetting your pride, and allowing other people to see the broken, sometimes ugly, sometimes beautiful thing that is your soul.


Jesus sacrificed his own, pure, snow-white self for a whole bunch of ugly, bleeding, hateful people. Can I do any less for the people who I love, and who love me the most?