Brave charms with its mastery of the studio's animation and mother/daughter bonds

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2012)

Though it may seem bizarre, it's been an entire 17 years since the release of Toy Story, the first-ever feature-length CGI animation, and the first-ever Disney/Pixar film to steal our hearts. Followed by instant classics including Finding Nemo (2003), Wall-E (2008), and Up (2009), it doesn't seem as though the studio is capable of making a bad film (well, with maybe the exception of last year's Cars 2, which I guess is still technically good). Luckily, Pixar manages to uphold its stellar reputation, even after thirteen feature films and even more short films, with Brave, the first of the studio's films to feature a female lead, as well as a female director (Brenda Chapman).
Brave tells the tale of Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a courageous and lively free spirit with an unbelievably fabulous head of hair (then again, I am biased). Determined to remain in charge of her own destiny, Merida refuses when her parents (Emma Thompson and Billy Connolly) inform her she is to choose one of three suitors to marry. In an act of outrage, Merida demands a spell from a witch she meets in the forest (Julie Walters), one that will change her mother and, ultimately, her fate. Merida, of course, gets precisely what it is she wishes for before she realizes it's not at all what she thought wanted, and she's quickly forced to find a way to reverse the spell before it's too late.
Now, right away I will say that Brave is, unfortunately, not the studio's best, however, it does have its own charms (and it is better than Cars). True to Pixar form, this film is stunning to look at— everything from the scenic Highlands of Scotland to the individual firey curls on Merida's head—it's all impressively colored and textured, making the animation truly breathtaking. Likewise, the film boasts excellent voice talent, and the story, while it has its moments of unevenness and utter silliness, manages to to bring Scottish lore to life beautifully, as well as reveal surprising depth and a sentimental center.
It's a shame that, by default, Brave must be compared to its predecessors; alone, this film is charming, funny, and sweet enough to content young and old alike; however, as part of a collection, and more specifically, as a Pixar film, Brave somewhat fails at living up to its studio's high standards. While sweet, the central narrative is essentially a sometimes tonally uneven fairy tale, one that feels more Disney than it does Pixar. In other words, the story feels safe and somewhat timid, and, apart from the relationship between Merida and her mother Elinor, doesn't feature any genuinely memorable moments. It has the tendency to feel familiar and predictable and lacks that unique spark that makes a Pixar movie, well, a Pixar movie.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/brave/