Just something I wanna get off my head after belatedly watching Big Hero 6. I really liked it for most of the same reasons other people mentioned (the wonder of applied science; learning as fun; well-executed team dynamics against a backdrop of normalized cultural mashups; the overall cuteness of Baymax) BUT I do have *massive* issues with some of the films ethics. Needless to say, SPOILERS AHEAD. . . . . . The movie rightfully points out the futility of revenge killing. Fair enough. So far, so Saturday morning cartoon, and thats fine. However, its not nearly as righteous about doing an *involuntary* biometric(?) scan of an entire metropolis. Thats some Dark Knight/Watch_Dogs/Person of Interest level of normalized surveillance, right there! And it hinges on Hiro doing it for vengeance (at the time), and Baymax (presumably) not being programmed to require consent to give care. I know they had a very specific goal, plot-wise, and its not clear whether Baymax even retains records of the scan for non-patients. But its beside the point -- who knows how many dark medical secrets they uncovered, from undiagnosed illnesses, asymptomatic hereditary problems, even lifestyle-influenced stuff (everything from elevated cholesterol levels to foreign objects jammed into body cavities)? Thats the kind of detail a less scrupulous individual could use for blackmail -- and a corporate hack like Krei could use for targeted marketing. And it goes almost completely unquestioned. As a writer, I can excuse that as an acceptable plot contrivance for uncovering the villains hidden lair. Its a very modern take on a classic superhero trope. At worst, its lazy storytelling. But it still establishes a weird moral calculus for the films narrative, considering that it goes out of its way to raise points about what kind of behavior is and isnt acceptable, in the interest of justice.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 05:39:01 +0000
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