I needed a few days to digest what I had seen in “Brave.” My knee-jerk reaction was “That was the worst Pixar movie I’ve seen.” Upon further reflection, that would have been an exaggeration… But not much of one.
“Brave” tells the story of Merida, a princess in a more fantastic, medieval Scotland. While Merida has always been drawn to the fighting and adventuring ways of her father, she has been forced to fit into the “proper” princess mold set by her mother, Queen Elinor. When the time comes for Merida to choose a suitor for marriage from amongst the kingdom’s clans as tradition dictates, Merida chooses instead to set her own destiny. When Elinor protests, Merida begs a witch to cast a spell to alter her destiny by “changing” her mother and making Elinor see Merida’s way of thinking. Anyone that has been watching “Once Upon a Time” this past season knows that all magic comes with a price. What happens causes both mother and daughter to look within themselves and each other as they must work together to break the spell before it is too late.
“Wait… He said you hired a WHAT?!”
What makes “Brave” so weak is its premise. While not a bad subject for a movie, it has been done many times. Pixar has been known for these innovative movies that has made viewers care about toys, a robot that can only say a few words, a rat that wants to cook, the monsters that lurk in the closet, and a dysfunctional family of superhero has-beens. All of these movies took chances in storytelling and setting and succeeded largely because they were different from everything else that had been seen to that point. For a movie called “Brave,” it was the least brave of any film Pixar has done. Does this make “Brave” a bad movie? No. There is a reason this story has been told many times: It is a good story. And, truthfully, “Brave” does a few things going for it.
While this may true, this does not diminish its effectiveness as a film. The visuals are beautiful, as with every Pixar movie. I was stunned by some of the sweeping scenes of the Scottish landscape. The colors are amazingly bright and colorful. Other studios would be wise to take lessons in how to use color and scenery to express feelings and ideas from Pixar. The voice work is mostly magnificent, with only a few hiccups. Craig Ferguson in particular can grate a nerve in his role, but it is a minor role and thus can be overlooked. This minor annoyance is more than made up for in the voicework for Merida. Strong, confident, and well-voiced, Merida is a great addition to the Disney Princesses. The score is not something most will listen to often, but is fitting for the setting. For a movie set in Scotland, it sounds exactly how viewers would expect Scotland to “sound.” The sad cry of the bagpipes in key scenes do a very nice job of setting the emotional tone. This will still be one of the best acted, best looking, and best sounding films you will have the chance to see all summer. At least in that, “Brave” shows the Pixar pedigree.
“Brave” does a great job expressing itself in scenery and color
Bottom line: “Brave” IS a very good movie and a great way to spend a summer afternoon with the family. It will keep the kids happy for an afternoon, while providing a few laughs and smiles for parents too. On the other side, movie fans without the kids may want to find something else to see at the theater and just wait to rent it on DVD. I just don’t see “Brave” having the lasting appeal of Pixar’s other movies. If done by another animation studio, I would have given “Brave” a solid four out of five; possibly even a five out of five… But it wasn’t another animation studio. This was Pixar. This is the studio that made me cry over toys, a pet cockroach, a clown fish, and possibly the best love story put on film. (In 7 minutes, no less!) Pixar could have done better. I give “Brave” a (rather weak) 3/5.
There you have it! My take on “Brave”! Will everyone agree? Probably not. Did I hold it to an unfair standard? That is debatable. Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments.
Coming up soon, I will tell you what thought about “Drive,” which I FINALLY got to watch this weekend. Until then, I’ll see ya’ at the movies!
I no likey this post!
I think those with children probably enjoyed Brave much more so than those without. However, while Pixar has been able to move you so deeply before, you must remember that as a whole, their audience aim is at children. So, I think you reviewing it as an adult with no child to accompany your review…well doesn’t hold much flame to the wind.
I actually disagree with you on several points. A.) Just b/c we do not have kids does not mean that we can not appreciate animated movies. Disney is more geared towards kids and yet 3 Disney movies make my top 10 movies of all time list (Beauty & the Beast, Little Mermaid, and Lion King) with Lion King being in my top 3. Animated movies don’t stop being relevant to people once they hit a certain age and they aren’t more relevant to others just because they have kids. B.) My second point is less of a point and more of a wondering…would you have found his opinion more relevant even with out the kids had he liked the movie? Ultimately it is my opinion that whether you agree with him or not doesn’t matter, however, don’t say someone’s opinion doesn’t matter based on a qualifier that has no basis on the movie.
Thanks for posting! While I appreciate your views, I have to disagree. I don’t think having kids would have made me enjoy this movie any better. Pixar has always been a studio that appeals not only to children, but to adults as well. They have done this through their voice casting, sense of nostalgia, and intelligent humor that is funny to kids but a “wink, wink… nod, nod” to adults as well. I just felt “Brave” lacked this complexity and heart. I feel this is what allows Pixar movies to stand the test of time. They grow with you. It is the same way the movies of the Disney Renaissance were. “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” and the others all had a spirit and humor and just the undeniable IT factor that drew you back over and over again as you grew up. Pixar has been the same way (with the exception of “Cars” and “Cars 2,” in my opinion) with its films. “Brave” just doesn’t live up to that for me.
As I said, I don’t think “Brave” is a bad movie at all. It is just a good animated movie. I am sure that there will be children that will love this their entire lives and look back on it fondly as adults. There are some Disney movies that do that. You seem to either really love them, or you enjoy them but forget them. My wife thoroughly enjoys “Pocahontas,” for example. For me, however, it has always been on the low end of the resurgence to glory that Disney had in the 90’s. And there IS enough here for parents to enjoy. There will be some parents/adults that thoroughly enjoy it. However, I feel that many will feel the same way I did, whether they had children or not.
Remember, 3/5 is not a bad score. It is an average score. I feel Pixar put out an average movie with this effort. Whether I have children or not is not going to change that.
But what did “Brave” do for you? Is there something you think I missed not being a parent? Please share! I am always open to new opinions and perspectives on movies and would love to discuss this further.