Beary Beary Good...

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2012)

Pixar rebounds from last year's weak entry with a vivacious, delightful, and exquisitely rendered tale of growing up and independence. Merida's adventures detail her period of adjustment to what society expects from her, and how this might be in direct opposition to what she dreams of becoming. In between we have her mother, the queen, a strong presence who has for years tried to keep things in order in her kingdom. With her jolly husband and her four children, things are a bit challenging.
It is time to join the various kingdom with a prearranged marriage, and the day of the tournament, things don't quite go as expected. Soon, Merida has struck a deal with a legendary member of the forest, and things go from bad to worse. This being Pixar, it all happens in a very entertaining way, making the story move fast, with plenty of visual gags, and enough emotions to pull a tear or two from the audience.
Merida begins to appreciate what she is about to lose, and she must race against the clock, as a spell will become permanent in two sunsets, unless she is able to realize a way to fix her mother's condition.
The film is at best enchanting, as we travel through the Scottish lands and listen to the various clans interact with each other. The film retains a magical aura throughout, even in the most intimate scenes, and how far we have gone with CGI that now it seems to blend or recreate nature in a more convincing way. Kelly McDonald and Emma Thompson give royal performances as Merida and her mother, and it is my pleasure to note that know every single pair of eyes, particularly the mother bear have an incredible real and affecting look.
This is a film that will bewitch its audience and extend Pixar's standards to new highs. A classic.