IR TV Review: BAYMAX! [Disney+]

The characterization of "Baymax!" as a textured vision for a shorts collection is kind of inspired because the notion that a robot that fixes problem in terms of injury lends itself to episodic but procedural while still telling an efficient story. But here, under the guidance Walt Disney Animation's Jennifer Lee, the 6 8-minute shorts work mostly on their own but do come together in the end to form a whole story. However the first 3 stories are the most interesting since they are tackling compelling questions and issues within the periphery of the story. Episode 2 actually hits the nail square on the head but kudos to Disney for allowing the conversation. Shorts would not have tackled such interesting subject matter back in the 1940s but there is also a texture of wokeness that has to play into it in modern time.

These stories work best when the person being helped sort of realizes what is happening. The best one in this collection is a very obvious yet poignant one with a non-human, actually a feline, where the emotion of a previous scene and an extension of loneliness is so defined that it jumps off the screen. Doing this with no dialogue is some of the best work that can be done. I still remember the power of the Elephant phasing out in "Inside Out" [although that was Pixar]. "Baymax!" knows its tone but also has the door open for so many stories. This collection is just a small taste but it knows what it is doing but also able to work outside the box while still keeping a bit of wonder. B+

By Tim Wassberg