Brave

Brave (PG)

Brave's princess Meirda is not your average Disney Princess.  Both of her parents are alive and well.  She  does not break into songs at random moments or carry on conversations with woodland creatures.  Most shocking of all, she does not have a prince.  The suitors serve mainly as comic relief.  Meirda is refreshingly strong and independent, and prefers archery and riding with her hair free over pretty dresses and princes, much to the chagrin of her mother.  She may be Pixar's first female lead character, but she is an excellent start.


Brave is the latest release by the Disney and Pixar partnership.  The film features the breath-taking animation that viewers have come to expect from a Pixar film and the heart-warming (and tear-jerking) tale that viewer expect from both of them.  This film breaks the Pixar mold in several ways.  It is the first period piece they have undertaken.  The wonderful musical styling of Pixar's usual composer, Randy Newman, were noticeably absent from this film.  Instead, the delightful score was written by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire composer Patrick Doyle (of whom, until now, Victoria did not at ALL approve).  This was also the first Pixar film to have two directors.

No matter what the trailer says about having the courage to change your fate, at its heart, Brave is a mother-daughter story.  Get your tissues ready; I cried more in this movie than I did in Toy Story 3.  However, I think Meirda's character had more potential than the plot allowed. Her peak moment came early in the film at the archery competition.  Then, there was a bit of a muddle in the middle that could have had a stronger plot and followed the sense of an angsty teenager.  In my opinion, writers relied too heavily on the (incorrect) use will o' wisps to make the plot move forward.  It didn't bother me much because screenwriters clearly defined what they meant for the film early on, I just happen to be a stickler for correct mythology.  Will o' wisps = doom in a boggy grave NOT fate.  That's all I'm going to say.  The middle of the film did offer some cute mother/daughter moments that caused a few laughs and kept it interesting and lively.  I am a firm believer that a bit of fluff never hurt anyone, especially in a kid's film, and it never lost the trademark Disney/Pixar whimsy (and moralizing attitude).  The story redeemed itself with an emotional and action-packed climax.  As a warning, small children may be frightened by some of the more intense sequences.  Several wee ones started to cry at some points, but others got through just fine.  Judge the mettle of your children for yourself.


While we are on parental warnings, perhaps I should throw in the nudity/sexual content warnings.  I never thought I would have to do that for a Disney movie!  There are two different scenes where we see male bottoms.  There is a moment where one of the boys go after a key hidden in the shirt of an extremely buxom serving woman.  The king either slaps or pinches the queen on the bottom, but it is easy to miss.  Though the queen remains covered at all times, she does make reference to being naked beneath a tapestry.  All of these are to humorous effect and are not too graphic.


Now to discuss the animation!  Stunning, like any Pixar film!  The setting of the Scottish Highlands made a beautiful back drop with rich greens, streams, and rolling hills.  I think the best piece of animation was Meirda's hair, and not just because I am partial to red hair.  Her wild curls had natural movement and definition.  When she pulled her bow on to her shoulder, the hair fell around the bow and the string like real hair would.  Close ups allow viewers to appreciate high and low lights.  On closer inspection, that fiery red hair is actually a natural blend of reds, browns, and blonds with well defined shadows at the neck and around the curls.  I cannot imagine how long someone-or a team of someones-worked on that hair!  It is so refreshing to see a princess whose hair is not perfectly coiffed and frozen in place for 99 percent of the movie!  I did not like the animation on the will o' the wisps.  They seemed out of place with the rest of the animation and reminded me of the Heartless in the Kingdom Hearts video game.

Despite my small quibbles, Victoria and I really enjoyed this movie!  It was one of those movies where you just sit in the dark theater and watch the credits roll by.  By the way, if you do wait for the end, you will be rewarded by a short, funny mini-scene.  I watched it again a couple of days ago, and it still did not lose its charm.  It is not the best Pixar film made, but it was still very enjoyable.  I recommend this film to families and kids at heart!

I give this film a B.  Victoria gives it a C+.

Katelyn