Retrospective Reviews- Brave (2012)

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2013)

From the Creators of 'Toy Story' comes the mediocre, but heartfelt 'Brave.'
PROS: As always, Pixar's animation is gorgeous and draws you in to the Scottish landscapes (even if you don't really get to enjoy them). The land in created to the finest detail, and it's the exact thing I expected from the animation Gods! The character of Merida is both funny and engaging, she is a well written character who you like and hope to see her story come full circle. The other characters, such as King Fergus and Queen Elinor are good, too. Those 3 characters actually get most of the funny lines and situations. As always, the animation and characters are the highlight of the film, but the downside is Pixar's best quality... the story.
CONS: The story, I think, should have gone on for far much longer, the trailers and promotional material promised us a huge, epic quest with stunning visuals but what did we get? A small hike outside of the castle, and then the same hike back. I was greatly disappointed with this film's story and lack of heart. Let me remind you that this is from the creative minds that did an entire film about a rat who wanted to be a chef in a 5 star restaurant. WHAT HAPPENED? I'm ranting too much. To make a long story short (like this one) this film isn't Pixar's best, but I'm looking forward to see if they can improve with 'Monster's University.'
Directed by: Brenda Chapman & Mark Andrews
Written by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman & Irene Mecchi
Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Julie Walters, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson & Robbie Coltrane