I'm a well read grad student who's bluntly honest about all things, although I try to be most honest about myself.
What didn't I like? Even for a child's novelization, some of the writing was rather simplistic. But I could have forgiven that, so long as it weren't full of other faults. Such as the amount of violence against robots. I wasn't expecting that much!
Also, there's a massive amount of appropriation, with a city full of faux-Japenese stuff in what appears to be an American city. The names of the heroes, like Honey Lemon and Go Go Tamago and Wasabi, especially when compared with the names Fred or Cass. or even Hiro and Tadashi, which are traditional Japenese names for males. While Wasabi and Honey Lemon seem to be nicknames - and Go Go may be a nickname as well - they seem to be the trappings of anime without any cultural understanding or respect. Actually, many aspect of the city are troubling, starting with the name San Fransokyo, with is mostly American, but with a little bit of Tokyo thrown in to explain all the Mochi, tea, and Japenese people/names. It's a bit like Firefly: why with all the Asian influences are there no Asiatic people? Everyone is white. Or black. And they apparently speak poor Chinese.
This, like Firefly, feels like a sanitized Asian culture. Like our idea of Chinese or Japenese food. We don't get true fare in restaurants, but rather Americanized versions, or what we see as hip. The Asiatic influences in this movie seem superficial, thrown in to make this feel cool. Am not a fan.
Also, having robots fight to the death is fucking barbaric.
So, why this many stars? Baymax!
Baymax is adorable. And I mean more personality wise than looks wise. Even in the red armor, I don't find him that hot. But he is just so cute every time he speaks! He's kind, gentle, and like a less cranky Ratchet with a childlike sense of wonder. (So, health-care specialist, but not at all like Ratch in any other way.) I may have a new crush.