Pixar’s track record for great animated movies has been close to perfect. I wasn’t a huge fan of “Wall-E”, though many think it’s the studio’s best. I liked last year’s “Cars 2” a lot, though it didn’t get the overall critical reaction it deserved. The studio’s 13th feature, “Brave”, is their first with a female lead character. And she also happens to be a princess. I was worried that Pixar was going to get sucked into the Disney Princess format. But thankfully, this princess and this movie can stand on their own.
The setting is Scotland. The land is divided-up into four councils. The main one is led by King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connelly), Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) and their daughter Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald from “Boardwalk Empire”). Elinor’s #1 goal is to prepare Merida to become a proper Queen (like herself). As part of tradition Merida has reached the age that she must marry the winner of a challenge among the first-born sons of the other three groups.
But the Princess has other ideas. She loves archery and to ride her horse through the countryside with her bow and arrow, hitting targets along the way. And she wants to decide her own fate and make her own decisions as to where her life will take her. One day, when Merida has finally had enough of her mother, she runs away, following some “wisps” – small, magical creatures who, legends has it, “lead you to your fate”. However, this leads to a decision Merida makes that not only could change her future, but that of the entire kingdom.
“Brave” is interesting on a lot of levels. At times, it’s much darker than most Pixar films, but at other times it’s goofier and sillier than any other Pixar movie. Merida’s has three little brothers who play tricks on people throughout the film. They’re part of the comic relief and it works. The movie effectively balances action and serious themes with the over-the-top comedy. And there are consistent laughs.
The first half-hour of “Brave” is Pixar at its finest. The dialogue between Merida and her mother is sharp and honest, and the set-up is great. Once the main conflict is established, however, the story does get a little out-there. There are obvious points in the script when another layer or two was needed. Instead the narrative is pretty straight-forward, but it still works.
The animation is beautiful. The scenic views of Scotland appear, at times, to be realistic footage. And the authentic Scottish music highlights a very enjoyable score.
All of the characters are quite likeable, thanks to a terrific voice cast led by Macdonald, the perfect choice for Merida (Reese Witherspoon was originally given the role). Even though Macdonald is 36, her true Scottish accent lends a realism to the teenage Merida. Connelly is also good and Thompson is a stand-out as the Queen. She may be British, but she pulls-off the Scottish accent is style.
“Brave” is Pixar’s third film (along with “The Incredibles” and “Up”) to be rated PG – for some action/violence, brief scary scenes and some rude humor. It’s appropriate for kids 9 and up. Girls will especially like it because they’ll love Merida, but boys will enjoy the action and the comedy, along with adults. It’s not the best movie Pixar has produced, but it definitely belongs in the upper half.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Brave” gets a B+.
Next year, Pixar takes another risk with their first prequel. We’ll be seeing Mike and Sulley before they worked for “Monsters, Inc.” in the highly-anticipated “Monsters University”. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for a pure Pixar comedy.