A Second Opinion: Brave falls short of former Pixar favorites

I am happy to introduce a guest blogger for this review, Shannon.  Shannon is a good friend of Victoria's and mine and is a contributing writer for our college's newspaper.  We are both very happy to have her write her opinion on Brave, and I hope you all do as well.

-Katelyn

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Note: This review contains spoilers.

Brave, Disney/Pixar’s newest film, is a courageous attempt to live up to the renowned names of Pixar classics like Toy Story and Finding Nemo, but this attempt falls sadly short of the aforementioned childhood classics.

Merida, the young protagonist, is a Scottish princess who doesn’t meet the princess standards of her mother, Elinor. One thing her mother truly can’t stand is a princess shooting archery. In Hollywood female characters shooting bow and arrow are gaining popularity—Queen Susan and Katniss Everdeen, anyone?—and tragically, Disney joins the bandwagon.

This movie contains several tense moments. After Merida gives her mother a cake holding a spell, her mother begins experiencing internal bodily issues. She stumbles, becomes queasy, and frantically questions her daughter on the sweet’s contents. Following a minute of uneasiness, Merida is horrified to discover she has turned her mother into a bear.

To right her wrongs, Merida is given a riddle to solve, and she comes to the conclusion she must fix a physical tear she made out of anger. What she doesn’t realize is she really needs to mend the broken relationship with Elinor.

Her mother, as a pathetic bear, never makes any obvious realization she is partly at fault and never directly apologizes to Merida. No apparent attempts are made on Elinor’s behalf to mend the relationship. The creators barely mention the riddle’s second half, leading one to wonder if this was accidentally looked-over. Merida keeps repeating she must mend the tear, but doesn’t seem to remember it was “torn by pride.” Both mother and daughter made grave errors because of their pride but neither confesses nor apologizes. It is only when Merida thinks she is too late to save her mother that she gives a sobbing apology—but not for her prideful actions. Even when Elinor transforms back into a human, she doesn’t apologize to Merida, suggesting either the filmmakers didn’t notice the omission of the riddle’s second half, or they thought the ending was satisfactory without the lesson of pride’s dangers.

On the positive side, the Celtic sounds are haunting and the scenery is beautiful beyond belief. For an animated film, the forests and mountains of Scotland look real and breathtaking—even without 3D—and make the audience look to see the sights in person. Another great work of art is Merida’s steed. The broad black stallion is lifelike and majestic. Every characteristic, including his rolling white eyes and pawing hooves, is reminiscent of the real creature.

Brave does have some moments of laughter and jolliness, but for the most part, the film had a depressing feel to it, complete with some tears. Most of the laughs come from Merida’s younger brothers, thanks to the prankster threesome’s crazy antics. Even as bear cubs, the trio stirs up audience laughter by terrorizing castle occupants.

Overall, I felt this movie is not up to par with former Disney/Pixar makes. The creators tried nobly, but their attempts just can’t measure up to the standard that Pixar set when they made Toy Story. Brave is not a terrible movie, but I don’t think it’s really a child’s film due to some of the tense and sad scenes. It seems to better for older children and adults, if only it would have been more consistent on the issue of pride. Regardless of my personal pet peeves, Brave deserves a B-.

-Shannon

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

Hugo

The animation of Hugo was easily the best I have ever seen.  I am so in awe of the awesomeness of Hugo that I can not even decide what to say.  I will begin by saying that there were times Victoria and I forgot it was not a live action film because the animation looked so real and the characters were animated to look like their voice actors.  If for no other reason, watch this movie to glory in the artistic value of the images.

The story was sweet, and while the movie is geared towards children, it still had the power to engage adults.  It was not particularly exciting, but it was comfortable, for lack of a better word.  Victoria also recommends the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is a lovely combination of storytelling and pictures.  She says the film was decently faithful to the book, and only sacrificed what would not translate to film well.

The score did not necessarily stand out, but it was a good score.  It complemented the film well.  It was there when it needed to be and backed off when it did not.

As a bonus, the film shows re-made scenes from the early film A Trip to the Moon and a look at how some of the scenes were made.  It is worth mentioning that Georges Melies, the character, is different than Georges Melies, the man.  This early film was a pioneer in the movie industry, but very few people come in contact with it.  Seeing it in this film was a real treat.

Do not let the brevity of this review fool you.  This was one of our favorites so far.  It was so good, in fact, that we are a bit lost for words.  What the film lacked in story lines, it made up for in stunning animation.  It truly deserved its Oscars.  We give this film an A+.

Coming...RIGHT NOW! June 29

Hello, folks!  I apologize for the tardiness of this post, but I have recently had internet trouble (to put it lightly), and so now you can read about this weekend's new releases, most of which probably premiered last night or this morning.  So let's get started!!

Today marks the release of the latest film designed to bring hordes of women flocking to their nearest RMP: Magic Mike.

 
As this movie poster suggests, this film is about a male stripper called Magic Mike (Channing Tatem), who is teaching the newbie on the block (Alex Pettyfer) all about the life and times of this particular branch of the entertainment business.  IMDB summarizes the plot: "A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money."  The film stars Channing Tatem, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey, so I think it's safe to say that the target audience is predominantly women 18 and over.  Though the short summary seems to imply a film without much plot development, the longer synopsis suggests a character journey and a choice between the fantastic and glamorized world of male strippers or the real life world where true love may await.  Yeah, I know it sounds cheesy, but it really does seem to have the potential to both be a good film.  I'd suggest leaving the kids at home first, and maybe even the hubby.  This would probably be a "girl's night out" kinda film.  It's rated R for "pervasive sexual content, brief graphic nudity, language and some drug use."  The parental guidance section on IMDB says that the film contains much male and female nudity and tons of sexual scenes/references.  Interesting fun fact: the film was supposedly inspired by Channing Tatem's life as a male stripper before he made it as an actor.


Every child has wished at some point that his or her favorite toy would come to life (where do you think the idea for Toy Story came from?).  This week's new release, Ted, explores that possibility in a new way: what if your childhood wish came true, and that toy stayed with you into adulthood?

IMDB summarizes: "As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett's teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John's side ever since - a friendship that's tested when Lori, John's girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship."  It stars Mark Wahlbery, Mila Kunis, and Seth MacFarlane (as the voice of Ted the Teddy Bear).  While on the surface, the summary might make the film sound like something the kids would enjoy, this film is rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use.  There also seems to be a little female nudity in it as well.  Ted the Teddy Bear is not as innocent as he first seems (as evidenced by the beer bottle in his hand on the film's poster).  However, if you do enjoy the crude type of humor often found in comedies these days, this might be the film for you!  While the first film seems to be a girl's night out kind of film, this seems to be more of a guy's film.  After all, it's from the creator of Family Guy, so I'm sure it will be at least a modest success.


Here are some of the less-advertised films for the weekend:

People Like Us
IMDB summary: "While settling his recently deceased father's estate, a salesman discovers he has a sister whom he never knew about, leading both siblings to re-examine their perceptions about family and life choices."  Finally, we come to a film I might actually be willing to see (I actually lived a slightly similar situation: I discovered I had an older brother when I was 8 years old).  It sounds like a nice, heartfelt film to watch with the family or some close friends.  Starring Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Jon Favreau, and Michelle Pfeiffer, I think it might be wise to bring a couple extra tissues with you to see this film.  Rated PG-13 for language, some drug use and brief sexuality.

Madea's Witness Protection
I'm sure by this point, everyone has at least heard of Tyler Perry's Madea films.  I personally have only seen Madea's Family Reunion, which was a lovely blend of serious drama and hilarious comedy.  I have heard that the other films have not necessarily followed suit.  However, I'm sure Madea's new adventure will have some people rolling with laughter.  IMDB summary: "A Wall Street investment banker who has been set up as the linchpin of his company's mob-backed Ponzi scheme is relocated with his family to Aunt Madea's southern home."  If you didn't want to pay to see this film in theaters, it may be worth catching on DVD or Netflix at some point.
Rated PG-13 for some crude sexual remarks and brief drug references.


Limited Release this Weekend:
Take This Waltz
IMDB Summary: "A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street."  There isn't much more information available about this film, but it looks like a promising emotional comedy.  It's rated R for language, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity.

Unforgivable
IMDB Summary: "A crime writer living in Venice while working on his new novel meets and soon marries his real-estate agent. Relocated to a remote house on Torcello Island, his obsession with his wife's daily whereabouts takes a dark turn."  Seems to be an interesting take on the tale of love turning sour with suspicion and paranoia.  The tagline "You can't escape the sins of your past." promises a dark and perhaps horrific film.  This film is French, though I'm not sure if it will be in English or if it will have subtitles.  It is unrated.


So that's the lineup for this weekend!!  Hope you have a film you're planning to see, whether it be one of these new releases or one that's been in theaters for a while now.  Enjoy the movie :).

~Victoria

PS: Katelyn and I are currently working on our review of Brave!  Look for it in the next week or so!

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You...

Here are the new releases you can look for your movie night!  The line up this week looks great.  I want to see all three films that are opening this Friday, how about you?

Brave (PG)

Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Meirda defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Meirda must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo a beastly curse.  -IMDb

I am ridiculously excited for this movie!  How could you not love a kick-butt princess like Meirda?  She rides, she fights, she shoots a bow, and apparently she climbs mountains with her bare hands.  With Pixar and Disney teaming up for this endeavor, I don't see this being a box office flop.  The animation is as sophisticated as we have come to expect from Pixar film with the magic and whimsy of a good Disney film.

There has been a noticeable lack of kids films this summer, so Brave already stands out.  The action will appeal to boys, while a female heroine will appeal to the girls.  100 minutes of peace will no no doubt appeal to parents.  Victoria and I are going to see this tomorrow afternoon, so expect a review soon!

Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Hunter (R)

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.  -IMDb

A... unique look at the 16th president of the United States brought to you by Tim Burton.  This is an adaptation of a popular novel that I saw in the bookstore a few months ago and put down laughing.  The trailers make me wish I had given it a second look.  Producers and directors are calling it a classic super hero origins story.  This has the potential to be weird and wonderful, so it may be worth a shot.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (R)

As an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan. -IMDb

"The final mission to save mankind has failed."  This sounds like an better suited to a doomsday tragedy film, but this is a comedy.  A humorous take on the very serious question, What would you do if you knew the world was going to end?  Starring the unlikely duo, Steve Carell and Keira Knightly,  Seeking a Friend for the End of the World seeks to answer this question.

Here is the list of what will be on limited release this weekend.

To Rome With Love (R)

A story about a number of people in Italy, some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors, and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. -IMDb

It is worth mentioning that this is a Woody Allen film.

The Invisible War (NR)

An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.  -IMDb

Grassroots (R)

After losing his job, a journalist reluctantly agrees to help his oddball friend with his bid to earn a seat on the Seattle City Council. -IMDb

What will you choose to see this weekend?  Happy watching!

Katelyn

Snow White and the Huntsman

My first thought leaving Snow White and the Huntsman was, "It could have been better, but it could have been much worse."  I liked the darker take on the classic Snow White fairy tale, and who doesn't love a princess that can fight for herself?  However, I think that this film did not realize its own potential.  There were moments of excellent symbolism that hinted at a deeper meaning, especially the scene with the White Stag.  I felt that the plot was under-developed and, at times, relied too heavily on the audience to not ask the question, "Why?"  You need a horse?  Oh look, there is one right by that rock!  Man, I really wish I could get out of here.  BAM!  There is the key to your escape that you have overlooked for the past ten years.  So what if I just broke out of imprisonment and the Huntsman just showed me how to use a knife like, yesterday?  I totally have the training to go into battle.


Visually, this film was very nice.  It was visually and thematically dark, with the exception of a few minutes in the middle, but it did not fall into the trap of being flat, as some 'dark' films do.  The whole palate drew on Snow White's physical description, "Skin as white as snow, hair as dark as a raven's wing, lips as red as a rose."  The contrast made the shots interesting and dynamic.  The battle scenes were sweeping and epic.  I cannot think of a single scene where I could not find something to look at.  The production values were easily the best part of the film.

There was one particular casting decision that left me wondering who even thought it would be a good idea.  I have made my opinions on Kristin Stewart's acting known before, but in case you missed it, I am not a fan. That being said, she was better in this one and only fell back on her default pained expression in a few moments where it was not appropriate.  What really confused me, was why she was even considered.  This film was full of British, Irish, South African, and Australian actors, with one random American--Kristin Stewart.  Her accent was decent, and had the happy side-effect of more deliberate line delivery, but could they really not find a single young British actress to play Snow White?  I will give her this, her performance was more emotive and did not often distract from the rest of the film.  She even smiled.

I really liked the twist on the Queen's character.  If she was not so evil, I would feel sorry.  I wish that filmmakers would have explored her background more.  It appeared they did not have time to delve into the Queen and establish the superfluous, half-baked love triangle.  In the original fairy tale and the animated Disney film, the Queen is very flat.  Charlize Theron does a wonderful job reinventing the character.

All things considered, I do not think this film was a waste of my money and time.  I enjoyed it as a unique take on an old classic.  I do not think it will be listed as one of the great films of the summer, but it was a good time.  I rate this film a D+.

Katelyn

New this Weekend!

Yes, this comes a bit late this weekend, I know, but better late than never!  Here are the movies that are new at a theater near you!

Rock of Ages (PG-13)

A small town girl and a city boy meet on the sunset strip while pursuing their Hollywood Dreams. -IMDb

A small town girl and a city boy?  I don't know about you, but I am feeling some Journey coming on.  Not just Journey--this Broadway musical turned film also features music from fellow 80's rockers, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Poison, and Twisted Sister.  From what I have seen in the trailers, Rock of Ages promises to be big, flashy, and sexy.  The movie spot failed to do it justice, but the theater trailer intrigued me.  Hopefully, this film will love up to the hype.

That's My Boy (R)

While in his teens, Donny fathered a son,  Todd,  and raised him as a single parent up until Todd's 18th birthday.  Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd's world comes crashing down when Donny resurfaces just before Todd's wedding.  -IMDb

This film seems like a mash-up of the standard wedding and dead-beat dad comedy plot lines with extra raunchiness thrown in for good measure.  Call me a prude, but I don't think sex and swearing make up for an unoriginal plot or make a film funny.  Based on its 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the critics seem to agree with me.

Here are the films coming out this week on limited release...

Marina Abramovic:  The Artist is Present (NR)

A biography that documents Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovic's preparations for a retrospective of her work at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Something from Nothing:  The Art of Rap (R)

Ice-T directs this film documentary and interviews Rap talent including its founders, newcomers, and superstars.  This film explore's Rap's origins and what makes it relevant, 'living' art through interviews and performances by the entire cast.