Disney kept its latest animated adventure, Big Hero 6, under lock-and-key for some time. And now we know why. The action-packed big-budget movie appears to be the studio's secret weapon for 2014 and the critics have waxed lyrical ahead of release on Friday (November 7, 2014).

Big Hero 6Big Hero 6 goes up against Interstellar at the box-offie this weekend

It tells the story of robotics prodigy Hiro Hamanda, who learns to harness is genius with a little help from his brother Tadeshi and friends Go Go Tamago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred. However, when a devastating turn of events catapults the gang into a dangerous plot unfolding on the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro is forced to turn to his closest friend, a robot by the name of Baymax, to try and solve the mystery.

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"Baymax turns out to be a formidable weapon in this gorgeously realised tale of boy and 'bot, and the bond that develops between them," wrote Wendy Ide of The Times.

"A melding of old and new modes of animation, in which the attentive artistry of the past coexists with the hyper-detailed, computer-generated present," said Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph.

Big Hero 6Big Hero 6 is one of Disney's finest animations in years

"East meets West to immensely satisfying effect in the vibrant mash-up of an animated romp, Big Hero 6," wrote Michael Rechtshaffen of the Hollywood Reporter.

"There's enough that's new and different about "Big Hero 6" to get excited about, especially for those still too young for Marvel's more intense live-action fare," said Peter Debruge of Variety.

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"Your kids will love it. And frankly, they should: Big Hero 6 is zippy, beautifully made, fraught with action and peril but never scary or bloody and features a vocal team of actors so smooth and polished it verges on the criminal," said James Rocchi of About.com.

Big Hero 6 goes up against Christopher Nolan's hugely anticipated sci-fi epic Interstellar at the box-office this weekend, with some industry insiders predicting that the animated movie will come out on top. Both should comfortably achieve $50 million though bullish insiders are predicting that Hero could take upwards of $60 million.

Watch the Big Hero 6 trailer: