NEVER underestimate the soothing power of a hug.

With one squish, you can provide comfort, encouragement or a simple how-doyou- do that transcends a thousand well-chosen words.

Big Hero 6 is the cinematic equivalent of a hug, embracing the old-fashioned family values of the Walt Disney brand alongside cutting- edge computer technology that audiences now expect to dazzle their senses.

Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams marry dizzying action sequences that look even more spectacular in 3D to an emotionally rich story of a boy’s unshakeable bond with his self-inflating robot protector, recalling The Iron Giant.

The inquisitive automaton Baymax is the stuff that sweet celluloid dreams are made of: tender, loving and unwittingly hilarious. Every child will want their own marshmallow man to snuggle at night and keep them safe from the harsh realities of modern life that weigh heavily on the film’s griefstricken adolescent hero.

“I see no evidence of injury”, informs the robot as he scans the boy’s body.

“It’s a different kind of hurt,” laments the teenager.

14-year-old Hiro Hamada idolises his older brother Tadashi, a star pupil of Prof Robert Callaghan, head of robotics at San Fransokyo University.

A fire on campus culminates in tragedy and shellshocked Hiro is inconsolable until his brother’s greatest creation, a personal healthcare robot called Baymax, helps the teenager to confront his loss.

As the boy discovers Baymax’s functionality, he also stumbles upon a secret: the fire might not have been an accident.

A greedy entrepreneur called Alistair Krei (Alan Tudyk) may have started the blaze.

Aided by Tadashi’s loyal friends GoGo, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred plus an upgraded Baymax, Hiro resolves to discover the truth about the deadly inferno.

Based on an obscure title from the Marvel Comics universe, Big Hero 6 is a riproaring opening salvo in a potential new franchise.

Directors Hall and Williams orchestrate the requisite thrilling set pieces with brio, including an unconventional dash through the undulating streets of San Fransokyo that knowingly flouts traffic laws.

“There are no red lights in a car chase!” squeals GoGo.

The animators and script never lose sight of the central relationship of Hiro and Baymax, sketching that bond in exquisitely deft strokes. Grown men will be choking back tears.

Big Hero 6 is preceded by Patrick Osborne’s Oscarnominated short, Feast, which charts the relationship between a Boston terrier and his master from puppyhood to middle age in a series of vignettes.

It’s a pick of the animated litter that leaves an indelible mark on the heart, just like Hall’s and Williams’ turbocharged main feature.