Pixar is Dead - Narcissism is Alive and Well

Rating: 3/10 (29 November 2012)

Time was, the word "Pixar" virtually guaranteed high quality animation and superb storytelling, certain to entertain the entire family. Now, it seems, "Pixar" is just a high profile moniker slapped onto corporately written Disney cartoons. Some would argue that 2006's "Cars", a vehicular retelling of the oh-so-classic story "Doc Hollywood", began this downhill slide. However, I believe the real dumbing-down of Pixar was ushered in by 2009's scatterbrained "Up". After all, Dodo birds and talking dogs who fly airplanes do seem a step or two down in intellect from anything in "WALL-E" or "Ratatouille". This trend toward the lucrative 'toddler' demographic continued with 2010's forgettable "Toy Story 3" and hit its low (or so I thought) with 2011's nearly unwatchable spy parody, "Cars 2" (unwatchable for anyone old enough to have seen an actual spy movie, that is). Granted, these are all just technically advanced cartoons, but Pixar has a well documented history of attempting to be something... better than that.
Now, we have "Brave". The trailers were impressive. The story seemed to hint at substance. Surely, the past few Pixar forays into cinematic mediocrity had to have been flukes, right? Wrong. "Brave" may just be the worst of the lot.
The movie begins in a familiar storybook vein, with the ideas that a person should be free to determine the path his or her own life takes and that the traditional ways may not always be the best ways. Disney films have visited these themes time and again - 1998's "Mulan" comes immediately to mind. "Brave" moves the story from China to Scotland, but soon strays into morally unfocused concepts that deal with things best left to the four screenwriter's therapists to resolve.
Unlike "Up", which innocently traded sincerity for silliness, "Toy Story 3", which was unnecessary to anyone but a Disney accountant, or "Cars 2", which was simply infantile, "Brave" defiantly sends a series of truly disturbing messages to children: 'It's okay to disrespect your parents.' 'Be as selfish as you wish.' 'Apologize only when it benefits you personally.' 'To get what you want, the ends always justify the means.' So, if these are the kinds of values that you wish to instill in your kids, I recommend "Brave" as your next babysitter. However, don't blame me for how messed up those kids may be in ten or fifteen years... that responsibility lies with you!