Friday, June 22, 2012

Change Your Fate.

Film: Brave
Year: 2012
Director: Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell
Written by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Mark Andrews, Irene Mecchi
Voiced by: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson.
Running time: 100 min.

Whenever I watch an animated film, the little kid always comes out in me. When the Disney introdutction came on, with all the fireworks bursting behind this huge fantastical castle, I saw a kid, maybe five years old, sitting in front of me jumping around in his seat in excitement. While I wasn't exhibiting the excitement in my heart in the same way, I felt exactly like him. And from the first moment I saw Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the new Pixar heroine from their latest, Brave, with her beautifully curled red hair, I retreated to being the little kid that still lingers within my heart. That little kid that exists beyond the little film snob that I've become. Over the years (and the most recent years at that, since I wasn't a huge movie watcher as a really young child), I've laughed with animated movies, I've cried with animated movies, I've sat with big googly eyes in front of animated movies. Most of which have been Pixar movies. In fact, Toy Story 3 held the record for being the movie that made me cry the most until I saw Requiem for a Dream. Pixar has set the bar consistently high, even garnering themselves a spot in the Best Picture for two years in a row, before caving in with their misfire (but honestly not that terrible) Cars 2. Aiming to salvage the so-called 'mess' it created (OH NO! Pixar made a not so great film! The world ended for about two weeks!), Pixar is back with a new original effort. One that got the little kid inside of me to come out and show itself to the world, regardless of whether this will reserve Pixar a spot with the big-wigs in the Best Picture race next year.

Basically my dream family. I love redheads!
Brave is pretty much unlike anything that Pixar has ever done. That's because it comes straight from the Disney world. Looking at Pixar's filmography, they've brought fish, monsters, birds, cars, even toys to life. They've never done a Princess movie. From first glance, Brave's Princess Merida belongs with Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Pocahontas...in fact, this movie does draw a few similarities to Rapunzel's Tangled from a couple of years back, minus the musical numbers. However, while I'm not the kind of lady that likes to toot the girl power horn, Merida is one of the only women that come from the Pixar family and totally kick ass more than the boys get to. Basically coming from an amalgamation of a whole lot of other Disney heroines, she is a young, independent royal who has spent her entire life being groomed for a perfect life by her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). As part of the royal process, once she is old enough she has to find a husband, which her mother arranges for her through a competition filled with eligible bachelors willing to take the honour. However, Merida does not want to be tied down just yet, which leads her to rebel against her mother's wishes and choose a path which will change her fate...and a whole lot of other things, too.



I thought Merida was one cool cat. She had wit, gusto and the most beautiful hair ever committed to an animated flick. Then again, watching a young princess dream for something more is not exactly the most original thing ever. Mind you, it is always somewhat empowering to watch a girl stand up for herself when most girls could only dream of that hopelessly artificial life of pampering. What Brave excels with the most, though, is an excellent mother/daughter relationship. Merida and Elinor appear to be the average mother and daughter with differing ideas of how Merida should spend her life, but then it starts to turn into something so much more. Every animated movie should come with a moral, and lord knows this movie and it's moral came at the right time. Merida is a force to be reckoned with, but she's got forceful reckoning, which leads her to make a mistake that culminates as one of the best morals I've seen come out of a film in a long time. Basically, I think she's a great role model for young girls - and those role models are in scarily short supply.


All throughout the movie I had the little kid inside me bursting out - to the point that I was actually in tears at the end - but I do admit that there were some glaring holes. It was far too short, and didn't have the 'wow' factor that, well, all of the other Pixar films have. Looking back, the large majority of the humour was based on slapstick, which sometimes failed, but most of the time it just went with the rough and tumble Scottish feel of things. However, the movie was consistently entertaining, and the visuals were as flawless as you could expect. If you spend the entire time holding this up against the other Pixar films, you'll only wind up feeling a bit empty. Hey, they can't always make great movies, but it is unfair to say this one sucks because it isn't as good as Toy Story 3. This film is every bit as good as anything I've seen from Pixar, and definitely ranks up in the top range of animated flicks. No Best Picture contender, no ground-breaker from the studio - just them doing what they do well: making wholesome movies for kids. Even if there was a little too much nudity for my liking.

Just a side note: the short film that played before it, La Luna, is definitely one of the cutest things I've seen in a while. My friends and I can't stop talking about it!

What I got:

23 comments:

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed it like I have. I pretty much agree with everything you wrote, the good and the bad - it did feel too short and lacked the wow factor but still very entertaining. I think we should stop measuring Pixar to a different standard. Not every film could be 9s or 10s.

    p/s: I hear there was an after credit scene. I missed it. And no, it doesn't involve Nick Fury.

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    1. I left a comment on your review...I'm not sure of it went through, though!

      There's an after credit scene? Oh good lord, when will they learn that those aren't a good idea?!

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  2. Great review, was a joy to read. I'm really looking forward to seeing this, but unfortunately I've got to wait another 2 months (!) for the UK release.

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    1. Two months? That's ridiculous! Oh well, keep an eye out for it.

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    2. I know! Getting The Avengers and Prometheus one week earlier was in no way worth it.

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    3. That is actually quite bizarre!

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  3. Yeah I was crying in La Luna before Brave even started. I can't help but say that that was a bit better, although I really loved Brave. Yes Brave is so very different from all other Pixar films, but what amazed me about it is that it had an immense amount of heart. I mean instead of making this film just about a princess rebelling or whatever, they tap into something as human and touching as a mother-daughter bond. In terms of heart, Pixar films are second to none, and Brave only reaffirms that.

    Love love love love love Merida. Her hair :'(

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    1. Yeah, I liked La Luna more...but Bave was still awesome! The mother/daughter relationship was so well done, I'm so happy they committed that idea to the film. It was great.

      I know, her hair is the death of me. Since I have the same style hair as her I've now decided that all I need to do is find a redhead daddy and I can have little Merida's. It's going to be a reality show called 'Find Me a Redhead'.

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  4. Replies
    1. You'll be surprised at the amount of Scottish bum in this movie.

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  5. That's ridiculous

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  6. The first 30 minutes or so had me pumped up like no other but once that big twist in the story happens, it all goes downhill from there. However, kids will love the heck out of this film and you can’t go wrong with them. Nice review Stevee.

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    1. I was pumped at the start, too, but it did slightly go downhill. Still, it was a fun movie!

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  7. I can't wait to see this, I am so glad you liked it so much! I also love redheads :) too bad it's only coming in the UK in August, I have to wait a while...

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    1. That is so weird that you're getting it in August. It hardly seems fair!

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  8. Beautiful and very personal review! I can;t wait to see this one and I'm so glad you liked it. I get a kick out of so many people using Merida as their pic for profiles on twitter - we are basically groupies! :)

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    1. Haha, we so are! That's because Merida is so awesome!

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  9. Glad you liked this movie Stevee. I think I will for the DVD to check it out though. It seems like exactly the kind of animation I tend to avoid, ie. targeting a children audience with slapstick. It just seems like Pixar is trying to pitch to the most common denominator here.

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    1. Wait for the DVD, but either way, still check it out.

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  10. Great review! I gave it a bit higher rating than you but generally we're in agreement this is a GREAT film from Pixar once again. That La Luna is something else too isn't it? Man, that is just absolutely magical.

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    1. It is a GREAT film from Pixar, isn't it? La Luna was so magical. I loved that little short.

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  11. I am really looking forward to seeing this -- I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the terrific review.

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You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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