Brave (June 22, 2012)

Brave is notable for being the first Disney Princess created by Pixar. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it tells the story of a princess named Merida who defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in the kingdom by expressing the desire not to be betrothed. When her mother falls victim to a beastly curse, Merida must look within herself and find the key to saving the kingdom. To create the most complex visuals possible, Pixar completely rewrote their animation system for the first time in 25 years. This resulted in some truly spectacular visuals that still hold up today. The water is particularly stunning, like you could almost reach out and feel its cool touch on your skin. Merida’s hair as well is luscious and wild (much like own head full of curls) it is nice to see a curly haired princess for once. The soundtrack is amazing, a real treat with its Scottish and Celtic influences, and the voice acting is well done as well. The plot is intriguing. I may not agree with the concept of fate as it is laid out in the movie, but I did enjoy the mother daughter relationship, which is rare to see in these Disney princess films. Both sides had valid arguments and concerns which is a breath of fresh air and makes them seem like more fully fleshed out characters. Even the use of transformation magic is handled well (better than in Brother Bear!) My problem is with the characters. Merida is not likable for the majority of the film. She is overly selfish and self-centered and completely unbearable. She does, finally, change her tune by the latter part of the film but it does not make up for her terrible attitude throughout the film. I felt no sympathy for her as she was the one who got herself into this messes instead of talking it out with her mother. I also did not care for her brothers. I felt they were simply used to advance the plot with no real personality other than “being annoying”. The rest of the cast (sans Merida’s mother and father) are idiotic dude bros. Additionally, when I watch I Disney film I expect a timeless romance, not a story of well spurning all advances. This is not to say this different direction is bad, it is actually handled quite well. I just wish it were not considered a Disney Princess film. It is the same problem I have with Moana (and to a lesser extend with Frozen). Overall, Brave is a great looking film, with awesome action sequences (the bow work is mesmerizing) and a mostly compelling story that is let down by some of its characters.

Final Rating: 7.5/10