Summer Movie Series – “Brave”

Summer Movie Series 2012 – “Brave”

Ann Mazzaferro – Writer 

A Pixar film is always awaited with the kind of breathless glee that’s usually reserved for holiday gifts and summer vacations. It holds the promise of spellbinding wonder, enchanting animation and creative storytelling at its finest.

However, this particular Pixar outing left me feeling curiously flat. Normally, I’m a huge fan of Pixar films, but ”Brave”  left me feeling less than inspired.

There’s nothing wrong with the tale or the telling – I appreciated the empowering tale of Merida, a princess who refuses to submit to the traditional roles that women are supposed to play in her Scottish tribe, roles enforced by her mother Elinor. A meeting with a witch gives Merida a spell to change her fate and her mother’s mind, only to have her change her mother’s body as well – the term “Mama Bear” becomes literal, not figurative.

These two women, who struggle to find a common language when they’re human, are really at a loss when words are taken from them. And of course, in true fairy-tale fashion, they have a very limited amount of time to break the spell and return Queen Elinor to her human form.

The animation is exquisite, no one can fault Pixar there – Merida’s fiery curls tumble and float as she rides her horse Angus through the Scottish highlands, and a scene where Merida and Elinor-Bear catch fish in a creek is rendered in stunning detail. There are also the requisite Disney touches – three little scamps who serve as brothers and comic relief to Merida and her family; a monstrous beast that threatens to destroy the kingdom, etc.

But what the tale lost for me was any of the magic and humor that makes a Pixar film so special. In an attempt to be earnest, the story loses any sense of spontanaeity, passion or whimsy. We know there will be a happy ending; we know that Merida will save the day, bonds will be mended and wrongs will be righted. Getting there, however, feels like an obligation, rather than a pleasure. Three and a half pencils out of five.

Alexander Poirier – Writer

I have to disagree, albeit only slightly. I thought Brave was a very different Pixar film than we’re used to. It stumbled at times, but I don’t think it ever truly fell down.

The story itself is one that we’re all used to by now. It’s a story that Disney has told dozens of time, but it isn’t a story that Pixar has told before. This sense of familiarity may be what’s turning some people off of the film, and I’ll be the first to admit that I was slightly annoyed by its predictability. When measured against some of Pixar’s great stories (Wall-E in particular), Brave’s story doesn’t hold much water. When measured against some of Disney’s well regarded classic princess tales, however, I think Brave stands up pretty well.

I thought the film’s art direction was phenomenal. While the story may have lacked the sort of whimsy we’re used to finding in a Pixar film, the art direction definitely picked up the whimsical slack. And, as Ann noted earlier, the animation was gorgeous and I also found the soundtrack to be top notch.

Where Brave gets the most points from me, however, is the mythology on which it is based. Scottish/Irish/Celtic mythology is so rich, it shocks me that there aren’t more mainstream films that draw on it for inspiration. They could have done more with it, but I thought the use of the Gaelic culture, setting and mythology in the film was fantastic.

Overall, I thought Brave was a great film and an excellent addition to Pixar’s legacy, though I probably enjoyed more than most because of my affinity for Disney films and my Irish/Scottish heritage. I give it four out of five pencils.