Wanted SO much to like it

Rating: 3/10 (22 June 2012)

Just took my twin 13 year old daughters to see Brave and we all wanted to like it but the film didn't help us much.
Pixar is kind of the Stanley Kubrick of animation studios. Meaning they have been so preternaturally stunning with each of their films, they have set the bar so high, with so many ground breaking, narratively bulletproof films, that when they turn out an ill conceived, bland, and sadly boring film like this, we give it less leeway than we would other mortal film companies like Dreamworks Animation or even Disney. I'm sure Kubrick felt the pressure later in his career to create greatness as much as Pixar head John Lassiter does. And much like Kubrick's streak of great films, maybe Pixar's run as come to a close as well.
And the fact that it is such a utter cookie cutter entry like Disney has been turning out for years is alarming considering John Lassiter is now running both Pixar and Disney Animation. I hope he isn't spread too thin and being tainted by the lost and wandering Disney brand.
I'm not sure why Pixar felt the need to get into the uber saturated princess business. Kinda seen every permutation of that story a few times over. The only thing I could say as a positive on the film, is that the animation of the princess herself is first rate, her luminescent skin, her flowing red hair, is quite an accomplishment. And that might have been enough for another studio, but Pixar has to hit it out of the park each time which has got to be kind of daunting but that's what comes along with greatness I guess.