Scary for kids, but refreshingly feisty for a Disney Princess movie.

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2012)

I've gotta say, it's hard to find negatives about "Brave". The animation is breathtakingly lifelike - it's easy to forget you're watching an animated movie. And the scenery is a beautiful, if not accurate, representation of Scotland. And it's nice to see a princess movie that's about the princess, not her romantic prospects. Finally, he cast is incredibly talented, and all the Scottish brogues can be enchanting at times. Considering that voice actors record their parts separately, the interaction between Thompson and Macdonald is almost too good to be true. The mother-daughter relationship is believable and sometimes even comic - like when Bear-Elinor fusses at Merida to get her makeshift weapon off the table.
The problem is, "Brave" isn't original or sophisticated enough to join the Pixar hall of fame. The story is simple and sweet, but unlike Pixar classics like "Toy Story", "Finding Nemo", and "WALL-E", if you look hard enough, there's a similar movie out there. He most obvious example is Merida: while she may be a strong female character, she falls into the trap of being yet another frustrated, self-absorbed teenager. The artistry is incredible. Merida is probably the most admirable Disney princess yet. But it's a little disappointing for a Pixar movie. It's still a great family movie - just don't expect it to hold up to Pixar standards.