Photo Credit:RyC-Behind the Lens[/caption]
When I walked into the movie theater, intending to see Big Hero Six, I was not hopeful about what the movie had to offer. Frozen, the breakout hit from Disney/Pixar in 2013, had not hit the mark for me earlier, due to the lack of explanation for character development, and I was sure the “superhero” movie would not impress me either. A big, squishy balloon… with super powers? No. I was sure it would be a mockery to superheroes everywhere, but little did I know that the movie had been adapted from a Marvel comicbook! If you are a geek and think you can handle all the emotions of an animated movie, just try. I was very unsuccessful.
Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) live with their aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph), who doubles as their guardian, after a tragic, yet unexplained, accident happens to the Hamada parents. To deal with this lack of parental understanding, Hiro builds a robot to fight with at illegal underground competitions. Tadashi, always being the big brother, realizes that this is a dangerous dream for Hiro to have and introduces him to the technical engineering college that he attends. At this school, Tadashi and his friends, Fred (TJ Miller), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), and Go Go (Jamie Chung), get to strut their technical genius and seriously impress Hiro. The thing that most impresses him, though, is Tadashi’s invention, Baymax (Scott Adsit), a healthcare robot.
Through a crazy series of events, Baymax becomes Hiro’s best friend and helps him through his “pubescent years,” and he becomes the friend that you will strive to be. He is super funny, even though he is very clueless to the fact that his inhuman ignorance makes him hilarious. One of the best parts of the movie is when Hiro tries to teach Baymax to do a fist bump and when Hiro teaches Baymax the meaning of “sick” in the slang term.
Aside from just being a Disney/Pixar movie with fantastic graphics, the cast knocked my socks off. Hiro was perfectly performed by Potter. If I didn’t know that he was a nineteen-year-old Nickelodeon/Disney actor, I would have truly believed that he was a preteen. He brought such a great attitude to the character. Also, even though they are minor characters, Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Go-Go are hilarious geeks. They are endearing and really helpful to Hiro, which makes you love them even more.
Photo Credit: jasonandjessiejam.webs.com. A shot of the Big Barn Convention Center prior to the Jason and Jessie Jam VII.[/caption]Two lucky Orange High students will receive academic scholarships courtesy of the Jason and Jessie Jam VIII, an action-packed, music-based fundraising event erected in the memory of two former OHS students who died in a tragic car accident; Jason and Jessie Evans.
July 26, you can come out to the Big Barn Convention Center in downtown Hillsborough to enjoy great food, live music, and a silent auction. Free drawings and door prizes will be given out throughout the night as well, giving great, quality entertainment for the whole family in one of the long, summer nights. With this exciting event being for a good cause too, it really adds to the effect.
Emma Beneville and Desean Motley were the OHS scholarship recipients from last year, while Ryan Robinson and Aubrey Carr were the recipients of the scholarships for the Florida State University Sports Medicine Program, which the Jam also provides. Jason Evans was studying sports medicine at FSU at the time of the accident.
As for some details of the event, “Thrills from the Grill” will be providing the food, while local band “Good Rockin’ Sam” will be “jamming” for the event. The silent auction will include sporting event tickets, local artwork, and some vacation getaways. The Jason and Jessie Jam VII, last year’s event, raised $16,000 from generous donors in addition to the endowments of the two Panther students.
Early tickets for the extravagant event can be purchased for $20 at Dual Supply in Hillsborough, McAdams Farm and McAdams Muffler in Efland, and Devine’s Restaurant in Durham. Tickets will be sold for $25 at the door.
More information about the event, a link to donate online, and pictures of previous Jams can be found by clicking here, the official website of the Jam. Come out and support a great cause in loving memory of two former OHS students, July 26 at the Big Barn Convention Center from 5-9 pm!