Critics’ reviews

Big Hero 6 (2014)

25 reviews from 25 publications. Critics’ score 75: 22 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

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75
Positive
22
Mixed
3
Negative
0

Most critics respond warmly to Big Hero 6, with praise concentrated on Baymax’s design, physical comedy and gentle relationship with Hiro. The reviews repeatedly find that this friendship gives the film’s treatment of grief substance, rather than simply providing a pause between action sequences. The animation and hybrid city of San Fransokyo also draw broad approval for their colour, inventiveness and blend of Japanese and American influences. Several critics welcome the emphasis on science and compassion as heroic qualities.

Reservations centre on the familiar superhero plotting, with some finding the team action less engaging than the central friendship. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to qualified enjoyment, with no outright negative verdicts. Deadline embraces the team-up action and broad family appeal, while The Times finds the move into conventional superhero territory disappointing. Other reservations include thin supporting characters, uneven shifts in tone and an overstuffed story.

Film Comment
· Michael Sragow
85*

The critic highlights the film's swift, inventive blend of action and whimsy, its pop-art poetry, and emotional depth, especially through the character of Baymax as a source of humanity and humor in the story of grief and heroism.

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The Hollywood Reporter
23 October 2014 · THR Staff
85*

The critic praises the vibrant mashup of East and West in this energetic animated romp, calling it an immensely satisfying follow-up to Frozen with strong emotional resonance. Baymax is singled out as stealing the show with his comic physical challenges.

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Radio Times
★★★★ · Sue Robinson
80

The film blends an East-meets-West tale of brotherly love, loss and heroism with intense action sequences in the hybrid city of San Fransokyo. It delivers a colourful, fun sugar-rush experience aimed squarely at kids despite some diluted messages.

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The New York Times
6 November 2014 · Manohla Dargis
80*

The critic finds the Disney animated feature bright and visually sumptuous with emotional depth, praising its Pixar-like wit and the standout inflatable robot Baymax. It is good enough to transcend a blah ending.

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The Telegraph
29 January 2015 · Robbie Collin
80*

The critic praises the inflatable robot Baymax as the standout character and highlights the film's old-fashioned physical comedy and visually extravagant animation in a hybrid San Fransokyo setting.

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Vulture
7 November 2014
80*

The critic calls the film often wonderful and exciting yet notes emotional whiplash from its mix of fun action and heavy themes of loss and grief. The palpable sense of loss and Baymax's therapeutic role are singled out for praise.

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IndieWire
5 November 2014 · Charles Solomon
75*

The review highlights the film's blend of superhero action and emotional depth centered on loss and friendship, noting its appeal as a Disney-Marvel hybrid. Baymax is praised as a memorable, gentle character.

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Empire
22 May 2014 · Dan Jolin
70*

The critic finds the film a bright, energetic superhero origin story with strong visual verve and action, though the plot is somewhat formulaic. The standout element praised is the heartwarming, humorous friendship between Hiro and the wonderfully designed Baymax.

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Los Angeles Times
6 November 2014 · Betsy Sharkey
70*

The review highlights the huggable robot Baymax as the irresistible standout that steals the show and seals a franchise in this smart, forward-thinking yet emotionally old-fashioned world. It notes the film's edgier, grittier 21st-century sensibility compared to classic Disney fairy tales.

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Screen Daily
23 October 2014 · festival review
70*

Disney and Marvel combine emotion, humour and cuteness with superhero action in a solidly entertaining sci-fi anime-influenced tale. It should win over a boy-skewing family audience even if it falls short of Frozen's appeal.

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The AV Club
7 November 2014 · B- · Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
70

The critic finds the film's fantastical layouts and bouncy animation imaginative and a highlight, but criticizes it as derivative in its superhero plot elements and team showdown. Baymax is singled out as a terrific, gentle image of technological promise.

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The Guardian
29 January 2015 · Peter Bradshaw
70*

The critic finds the film visually striking in its Asian-fusion setting but derivative in its familiar origin-story approach, with the central boy-robot relationship giving way to a less interesting superhero team-up.

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Total Film
26 January 2015 · Kevin Harley
70*

The critic calls it a heart-melter after Frozen, with the sweet, witty pairing of Hiro and Baymax anchoring a busy super-group tale. Baymax is singled out for praise as the source of sustained heart and humour amid the superhero action.

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Variety
23 October 2014 · festival review · Peter Debruge
70*

The critic praises the reinvention of the obscure Marvel comic into an appealing superhero buddy movie with bright animation, positive lessons, and the unforgettable lovable robot Baymax. It notes the fresh origin story and multicultural design but finds it bogged down by a generic villain later on.

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Slant Magazine
6 November 2014
65*

The review describes the film as enjoyable and ambitious but awkwardly stuffed into a familiar superhero mold, with unsubtle moralizing. Baymax's physical gags and the micro-bots' textures are praised amid the overstuffed storylines.

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The Times
1 February 2015
60*

The critic notes the film's bright start with an appealing robot and innovative setting but criticizes its shift into conventional superhero territory with routine action.

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Time Out
19 December 2014 · ★★★ · Jesse Hassenger
60

The animation is fluid and inventive, balancing action and slapstick, making it an enjoyable diversion that should delight kids. For adults it feels a little less unique than recent Disney hits like Wreck-It Ralph or Frozen.

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Deadline
4 November 2014 · Pete Hammond
90*

The critic describes the film as pure Disney magic and a total charmer, grounded in the heartfelt relationship between the young protagonist Hiro and the lovable robot Baymax. He highlights its exciting team-up action, family appeal, and broad entertainment value that works for viewers of all ages.

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The Wrap
23 October 2014 · Alonso Duralde
90*

The critic praises the film as a witty, stylish superhero origin story with human feeling, diverse characters, and positive messages about science and compassion. He singles out the innovative visuals blending Japanese anime influences with an American context in the inventive setting of San Fransokyo.

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Collider
6 November 2014 · B+ · Matt Goldberg
83

The critic praises the film for making science cool and heroic through its story of young inventors becoming superheroes, highlighting the endearing robot Baymax and the emphasis on STEM and emotional healing.

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Den of Geek
29 January 2015 · ★★★★ · Simon Brew
80

The critic notes that the film excels most in its early focus on Hiro's relationship with Baymax and themes of loneliness, delivering energy and confidence overall, though the later action sequences feel less compelling.

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Eye for Film
30 January 2015 · Angus Wolfe Murray
80*

The critic praises the film's innovative story involving an inflatable robot hero and its blend of courage and physics, noting the frenetic fun characters and unbroken pace. They single out the unique hero design as a standout.

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Polygon
6 November 2014 · Danielle Riendeau
80*

The critic finds it a funnier and sweeter superhero origin story than average, praising the relatable diverse cast, core relationships especially with Baymax, and its blend of slapstick comedy and emotional depth.

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Digital Spy
30 January 2015 · Simon Reynolds
75*

The critic calls it a fun and engaging superhero origins tale that balances heart and visual spectacle, with Baymax as the standout loveable character, though it lacks the narrative sparkle of top Pixar films.

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The Playlist
4 November 2014 · B/B+ · The Playlist Staff
70*

The review finds the film visually glorious and emotionally touching in its exploration of grief through the Hiro-Baymax relationship, but criticizes its episodic structure, thin characters, and some missteps like the soundtrack. It praises Baymax's design as the greatest treat.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate