As the makers of Big Hero 6 told me ahead of the film’s Australian release on Boxing Day 2014, audiences are responding positively to Disney films again. Aside from a few patchy years, the company has generally been at the forefront of innovative and entertaining animated films due in a large part to the legacy of the founder Walt Disney. Big Hero 6 is a project that comes on the coat-tails of Frozen, which was an unanticipated global smash hit. So too the Marvel titles Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy were surprise breakout hits, and it’s within the Marvel Universe that you’ll find the unlikely superhero team of Big Hero 6. Hiro Hamada is a gifted young student who loses his older brother Tadashi just as Hiro was to join his sibling at the local college, where inventive minds are inspired to develop fabulous new technological creations. Hiro’s personal brainchild is a system of interconnecting pieces called micro-bots that offer an unlimited world of possibilities. With the fire his brother dies in as cover, an evil nemesis steals Hiro’s micro-bots and the scene is set for a number of plot possibilities including a revenge story, a whodunnit and a superhero origin tale. The first member we meet is Tadashi’s long term science project – Baymax, a health care robot that acts as a surrogate older brother to Hiro. Aside from The Incredibles (which was based on a an original idea) this is the first time we’ve seen a superhero comic book title in a feature length animated film and it’s worth the wait. Visually Big Hero 6 is utterly mind-blowing, and the story weaves laughter in amongst the heavier themes of grief, loss and how one might choose to respond to those feelings. Will Hiro seek revenge for the death of his brother? Who exactly is the bad guy? Can you teach a pudgy robot to fist-bump? There’s plenty to keep you on the edge of your seat, no matter your age, right up to the epic conclusion, and this is one of those titles you’ll watch more than once – and happily. I can’t wait to watch this again on the big screen, and at home so I can really stop to soak up the intricate detail the creators have injected into the film’s setting – San Frank Sokyo. See it, love it, come back for more. 4 Stars. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvNV21I7d2w