Exquisite scenery, shame about the plot.

Rating: 5/10 (30 August 2012)

There are certain unwritten rules by which we all abide and one of those seems to be that it is entirely unacceptable to dislike a Pixar film. Fortunately, Brave is likable.
I didn't say it's brilliant, just likable.
Much has been said about Brave being the first Pixar film with a female protagonist but that is far from being the reason to see it. Back in 1995 we marveled at the uniqueness of Toy Story and how new benchmarks had been set in much the same way as with Spielberg's Jurassic Park. Then, in 2001, we raved at how far Pixar had advanced and delighted in the movement of Sulley's hair. Today, I gawped at the vast screen and was stunned, amazed at the almost photo-reality of the Scottish scenery. Lochs, mountains, glens and clouds filled the screen as the camera glided across the Highlands so perfectly defined that the panoramas could almost have been lifted from a documentary.
I have nothing but the highest praise for the scenery, the backgrounds of Brave. What troubles me is that that is what was foremost in my mind after 100 minutes of animated magic.
It's not a bad film, not by a very long way, but it is weak. The plot is simpler than implied by the trailer (Princess Merida takes umbrage at her parents' plans for her betrothal to one of three clan chief's sons and heads off into the woods with a scheme that, naturally, goes awry) and has but a single strand. There are no great subplots, no great surprises, no great laughs, no great scares It weaves along happily with some pleasant touches, a few smiles and a couple of cute episodes but there's nothing really about Brave that stands out. There are no jaw-dropping scenes, no standout moments to talk about later (WALL-E keeping the box but discarding the ring, Buzz Lightyear actually flying...) and no memorable quotes with which to entertain over dinner.
There are plenty of adequate vocal performances: Kelly Macdonald gives life and emotion to Princess Merida while Billy Connolly obviously relishes his latest animated role and a fine supporting cast, led by Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane, make the most of their expanded cameos without being particularly memorable. The surprise amongst the cast is Emma Thompson as Princess Merida mother, Elinor. Her vocals, in my distinctly English ears, were perfect but, in much the same way it was baffling why Mike Myers played Shrek as Ewan McGregor instead of casting Ewan McGregor in the first place, it seems a little odd that Thompson was cast instead of, say, Blythe Duff or, oh, um Maybe that's why. Surely there must be more Scots actresses.
For those south of the Hadrian's Wall, there is still a week or so of summer holidays and this is almost certainly the best of the pick if you have a(nother) rainy day and stir-crazy children, but I can't help thinking there'll be far more memorable and entertaining cinema outings in the autumn with the arrival of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, Rise of the Guardians and even Paranorman.
In five years time when you find yourself reviewing Pixar's finest moments, I suspect Brave will not immediately come to mind. Certainly, it will rank above Robots and Cars 2, but it falls a long way short of Monsters Inc., WALL-E and Toy Story. But at least the scenery was attractive.