A Revelation in Female Heroism as well as Family Values

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2012)

At first glance, some may think of "Brave" as a step-down from Pixar's usual revelation, but after much consideration, I figured there really wasn't any fault with "Brave" itself. Some think "Brave"'s weakness comes from the risky choice of using the fiery-haired Scottish, female protagonist (a first for Pixar), but the real throwback comes from Pixar's choice to take their story from a fairy tale take on things. Most of the other Pixar films featured original stories, ones that were only vaguely familiar. Throughout "Brave" I couldn't help but let my mind wander as the film progressed. Each conflict somehow reminded me of other fairy tales ("Beauty & the Beast", "Pinnochio", etc. ), but that's exactly how fairy tales work. Lessons to be learned are hard to come up with, and the classic recycling of tales works in harmony with this still original story. The authentic accents of Kelly Macdonald as the scarlet-haired archer known as Princess Merida, and Emma Thompson as the caring yet sometimes "Carrie"-esque mother, Queen Elinor create an atmosphere of ancient and mystifying Scottish countryside (animated beautifully with lush greens and bright blues). The problem isn't in the voice acting. Animation is a perfectionist practice, they carefully plan and make sure the voices are perfect enough to work the animation around. The problem is in the writing. Something like this dialogue, filled with light (and sometimes crude) humor is often over-played (especially in the beginning), but it's sure to keep kids entertained. But that kind of logic (wanting to appeal more to a certain audience, rather than everyone) is what I would've expected from DreamWorks. When the movie needs to be dramatic or serious, it achieves it with grace and controlled emotion, but it sort of jumps right into it, without much tension building. It's more of an explosion and the movie plays out from there. The problem with fairy tales is; they're always predictable. You can't escape the clichés forever though, and I still applaud the filmmakers for handling their first female protagonist with an elegance and intrigue without having to make a big deal about romance or tradition. The mystifying Scottish culture that surrounds the film's atmosphere is eye- catching. The cheesiness of that family-time goodness seeps in blissfully, even for those who find the humor to be draining at times. "Brave" isn't the strongest Pixar film, but it's not a failure.