Diva Cannot Get Enough of Baymax - At "Big Hero 6" Preview, Funko Toy Exhibition and the Movie Review!

Red Dot Diva simply cannot resist it. She has met Baymax and he is soooooooooo cute!!!

Thanks to the folks at the local Disney PR, she was invited to a special preview screening of "Big Hero 6" last Saturday at Bugis+ Filmgarde. "Big Hero 6", a creative result from Disney's acquisition of Marvel and her properties, is the studio's latest superhero animation film which will out on theatres islandwide tomorrow, 13 November.

MOVIE PREVIEW AT BUGIS+:

"Remember to come early!" urged the Disney PR representative. "There will be fringe activities. Red Dot Diva had little idea what these fringe activites were, other than being pretty sure there will be a life-sized version of Baymax on display, but she headed down "early" to Bugis+ Filmgarde, anyway.

It was a good thing she did! Cute Baymax balloon were given away (she snagged one!) as well as Baymax cardboard headbands and fans.

Best of all, there was adorable Baymax cotton candy being made on the spot. It was a hit with the kids and a long line quickly formed in front of the cotton candy machine.

Then there was BAYMAX himself, of course! Ahhhhh!  

Red Dot Diva *had* to give Baymax a BIG Hug.

So poooofy!!!!!!

Oh, and there was also the instant photo printout of your Baymax Hug on site if you uploaded it onto your Instagram account and tagged it correctly with #BaymaxHug. For the record, Red Dot Diva took two photos. She was becoming a Baymax stalker. *g*

Because Baymax Hugs feels so good, here's your chance to join the #BaymaxHug movement, and spread more of those giant warm hugs around!

A little warning to parents and toy collectors out there! At the preview, there was also a Bandai Toys booth displaying the new "Big Hero 6" which will be available at retail stores. Red Dot Diva thought the plushie Baymax looked adorable and the armour-up Baymax action figure toy looked very cool too. (Watch the Bandai video here to see how the toy looks like.) But they were all kinda pricey - at least SGD50 per piece.

The timings of the movie screening were staggered. So while a group of people went for their earlier screening time, Red Dot Diva and constant movie-watching pal Vernon went for a quick ramen lunch downstairs before their allocated timeslot.

For Red Dot Diva's review of the movie, scroll right down to the bottom!

BAYMAX FUNKO EXHIBITION/ STAGE SHOW:

After the movie, Red Dot Diva and Vernon headed across the street to Bugis Junction where there was a mini exhibition of customized Funko Baymax toys by Mediacorp celebrities and NAFA students based on the theme "Christmas in Singapore".

Here, there was another life-sized Baymax, but he seemed lonelier than the one at Filmgarde. Perhaps later on that day, there were more people who came over to give him the #BaymaxHug.

There were more toys customized by Mediacorp celebs than NAFA students. Red Dot Diva was expecting a bit more effort made on those done by the NAFA students, but it seems that the only one that showed a sense of originality and details was this steampunked version.

And out of those done by celebrities, she liked Kym Ng's pinked-up frou-frou version best.

36 of the Baymax figures designed by celebrities will be auctioned online via 8 DAYS Facebook page. So, if anyone is interested in this, you have up to 24th November to submit your bids! The proceeds will go to Mediacorp Cares, a social responsibility programme to help the elderly and youths at risk.

QUICKIE MOVIE REVIEW (Minor spoilers ahead):

As expected and living up to all the media hype, Disney did not fail to deliver with "Big Hero 6". It is one of the most fun and emotionally identifiable superhero stories out there.

Making monolids super-uber-cool (not seen ever since "Mulan"), smart kid hero Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) was easy to love and sympathize with. Then there was squishy rotund Healthcare Companion robot Baymax (Scott Adsit) whom Red Dot Diva cannot gush enough mushy things about. His adorable, cuddly yet surprisingly wise personality was very nicely realized on screen, making Baymax a best non-human pal any person could have. *Fist bump!*

The first segment of "Big Hero 6" took its time to build the viewer's emotional investment in Hiro's elder brother Tadashi Hamada (ably voiced by uber-handsome actor Daniel Henney), a robotics college student and the brains behind the healthcare companion robot, Baymax.

It was also a chance to introduce viewers to the stunning world of San Fransokyo. Red Dot Diva was impressed with the concept of this East-West hybrid city, with little things like empty sake bottles in the alleyways, peeling bills and posters on walls, as well as satellite dishes on buildings. The level of details was insane! That included lighting up the city, whether it be the morning sunlight or the mix of warm lanterns of Asian cafes or the snazzy neon lights of the skyscrapers. The concept artists and animators sure spent a great deal of heart, time and sweat in making the city look alive and breathing.

Then, there was the rest of Team Nerd - a group of diverse and multi-cultural young adults with nicknames like Honey Lemon (Génesis Rodríguez), Gogo Tomago (Jamie Chung), Wasabe (Damon Wayans, Jr), and er... dragon in disguise, Fred (T.J. Miller). The four band together to help Hiro solve the mystery surrounding the Kabuki-masked villain, Yokai.

One of Red Dot Diva's favourite moments was when adrenaline-junkie Gogo Tomago uttered the phrase "Dude, Woman Up!" and then, takes over the wheel for a brake-shrieking car chase! YES!!!

The storytelling and pace of the movie was superb with many heartfelt moments that were not too overly dramatic, as well as uplifting messages about dealing with loss and living by moral codes. Although, as in most kid-friendly movies, the backstories of the villains, Yokai (James Cromwell) and big corporate suit Alistair Krei (Alan Tudyk) were a little lacking of substance and quite stereotypical. However, their presence were sufficient enough to play off the heroic sacrifices made by both Hiro and Baymax toward the end of the movie.

"Big Hero 6" is an absolute winner. It's a delightful, funny, heartwarming movie that is set to become a fast favourite with children and adults alike. So, woman Up, and don't miss watching it!

It certainly embodies one of the best digital work Red Dot Diva has seen in an animated movie for some time. The soundtrack is cool too. So much so that Diva thinks she may be watching it again with her Evil Twin, @_mriel next week!

Diva just can't get enough of Baymax!

(PS: Do watch out for the end credits and someone's cameo!)

PPS: Backtracking a little to Daniel Henney, who voiced the character Tadashi Hamada.... here's the actor giving Singapore fans a greeting + the fantastic movie trailer, again!



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Red Dot Diva hasn't read the obscure and original Marvel comic series of the same name. For some of differences between the movie and comic as well as another take on film, check out Here Be Geeks' review of "Big Hero 6"!