Reviews

I have always loved Disney movies. From the classics (Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and so many more excellent films) to the more recent ones like Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph and Frozen, they all are able to capture my heart, and one of the reasons is that Disney always has a knack of creating really lovable and memorable characters - Scar, Jafar, Olaf etc, they are all classic characters that we love. And in Big Hero 6, Disney successfully creates yet another totally adorable character with the name Baymax.

I have not ever read the Big Hero 6 comics, but after some research on Google, I found that the Baymax in the comics is a kind of humanoid battle machine that can transform into some other forms to enhance his fighting skill, and that Baymax sure is not cute. However, the new Baymax reimagined by the Disney crew turned that (a little frightening) Baymax into a family friend - a fat, inflatable marshmallow/balloon medical robot whose sole purpose of creation is to heal and cure. This decision must be one of the best decisions made by Disney, because that fat, inflatable marshmallow/balloon medical robot is what keeps the whole movie going and glues our eyes to the screen. His mere appearance mines laughter, and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried like a little baby for his ultimate sacrifice.

Basically, the movie is about a boy, Hiro, team up with a bunch of "nerds" to fight an evil force that threatens the peace of the city San Fransokyo. While this plot may sound cliché, Big Hero 6 exceeds the common superhero genre in so many ways, the initial driving force of the creation of this band of "nerd" heroes is to catch the bad guy, same with other superhero films, but that quickly converts to an obsession - Hiro's obsession to not only catch the bad guy, but to avenge his brother's death. And eventually he is able to let go of that because of his friends and more importantly, because Baymax does not only protect him from physical injuries, but also heals his soul.

Also, I am utterly impressed by the city of San Fransokyo. Disney single-handedly created a place so vibrant and so rich, and it's the first Disney film to incorporate such cultural diversity, and as an Asian, I am really proud of that.

Big Hero 6 is a movie so sincere and so heartwarming, yes, sometimes I really do hope the film would be less noisy, but I will still recommend this film to anyone I've come across with. And remember, if you are feeling sad or depressed or lonely at the moment, Big Hero 6 would be your movie of choice, because I am certain that while Baymax is healing the soul of Hiro, he can heal yours too.

Well, to be honest, I watched the film because of David Fincher. I was always a fan of him and after watching Gone Girl, my admiration of him only intensified. To be honest I have never read the book, nor any works by Gillian Flynn, so I have no idea where the film would be going. At first I only thought it would be a movie about a kidnapped wife and a hero husband, but I have never been so wrong in my life.

As I've said, Gone Girl basically is about a man, Nick, trying to find his missing wife, Amy. But as you'd expect from Fincher, this movie exceeds this common genre in so many ways. The huge amounts of plot twists will leave your mouth hanging open even 10 minutes after the credits have finished rolling, and I'm not exaggerating right here.

Gone Girl is a film that explores a lot of themes. It talks about how marriages can affect a couple's relationship. That particular item is talked about so extensively and so boldly that it seems to be a discouragement of marriages. However, it simultaneously reinforces the importance of honesty and fidelity. Amy's psychotic manipulation of the world of course is bad, but does that mean Nick's infidelity can be forgiven? Nick seems to be the innocent man framed for murder but does that necessarily mean that he is the sole victim of the story?

That's what I love about the movie, that there's no obvious good or bad, it imitates how the world really runs. Unlike other films that clearly states that this is the good guy and that is the villain, Gone Girl masterfully blurs the line between black and white. The question of "who is the good guy and who is the villain?" remains unanswered and left for the audience to ponder on their own.

Needless to say, the film is impeccably directed under the sure hands of David Fincher, and I particularly appreciate how this extremely layered and complicated story is told to the audience. And part of that must go the screenplay. Gillian Flynn herself wrote the screenplay for the film and I was so amazed by the quality of each line of dialogue.

If you really are going to watch, remember not to miss any single scene, and also, prepare yourself for an adventure that is so crazy yet believable, so original yet so real. And believe me, after the film has finished, you'll start wondering what your other half is really thinking.