A subversive magic trick

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2012)

I think Pixar's last two films have perfectly replicated how bipolar and easily disappointed a studio's fans can be when they decide to go in a different direction or, the second they make something they aren't fond of, they immediately lose all hope in them ever bouncing back. Of course I'm talking about the immense hate Cars 2 got last year and how obvious skepticism rang during the coming weeks of Brave's theatrical run.
Cars 2 is, in my opinion, the weakest Pixar movie, but it still managed to earn a positive review from me due to its entertaining setup, kinetic energy, entertaining characters, and clear inspiration from Lasseter and everyone involved. It was pleasant entertainment, but lacked the emotional drama and the subversive narrative that recurred in a Pixar spectacle, not to mention, completely abandoning the original film's beautifully mosaic nostalgia and heavy themes of change and adapting to a new way of life. All and all, while fun, we can see one of the direct motivations to make the sequel was the original Cars film, while churning the lowest profits theatrically and being the first Pixar film to not garner a critical consensus of "positive," grossed $8 billion in merchandise, and by making a sequel, they could usher in a new line of toys while welcoming huge profits commercially.
Now comes Brave, unfortunately victim to the pungent aftertaste Cars 2 left in many audiences' mouths. Had this come out when the company just began, say 1998, instead of A Bug's Life, when Pixar hadn't even begun showing audiences what they could do, perhaps it would've been viewed differently. The story is simple enough; Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is the teenage daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) who is required to become a princess thanks to her mother's strict, unforgiving rules and the outdated traditions of the Scottish land. Her mother plans an arranged marriage between her and another man, while neglecting the fact that her daughter has a whole other agenda she wants to pursue. An agenda that allows her to be a free-spirited archer, and a brave, fearless woman of power.
Thirty minutes into Brave left me somewhat underwhelmed. The animation, as expected, was evoking and extravagant, but the storyline screamed Disney instead of Pixar. I felt little involvement with the film and its characters, little urgency, and little originality between scenes and found the slapstick humor encompassed way more of the film than it should be entitled to. Then, sometime during the second act it hit me...
One must recognize first and foremost that while this will not be a subversive Pixar film like Toy Story, WALL-E, or Cars, but a fairy tale with compromising story devices from Disney and Pixar. Clearly, Disney's influence on the picture's look, story, and characters shines through more than Pixar's, but extracting the morals and the impact of this picture is what really gives us the idea that Pixar had more influence on the crafty, genuine themes and moral setups. To begin with, there is no love story, at all. You think there will be during the competition in the beginning to win Merida's hand in marriage, but it is quickly abandoned for good reasons.
Secondly, we are spared the story of a young, directionless teenager who can't find out what to do with her life. The kicker here is we already know what Merida wants to do and she does to; be a more open, free-spirit, riding horseback, equipped with her trusty bow and arrow. While she is self-aware and confident, here problem lies with her mother's resistance to let her pursue such a dream and therefore, she is not roadblocked by indecisive life choices, but indecisive others.
And finally, we see a beautiful portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship and how defying tradition is frightening at first, but a compromise between the two parties can be reached in some way. To hear people call the Merida character "whiny" and "selfish" pains me greatly. Put those people in Merida's shoes, where they are victim to a stubborn, controlling ideology, outdated traditions, and forced to do things that will not better them as a whole, and see what they'd rather do; stay confined or break free from the shackles of convention to be their own person.
As stated before, the animation here is just gorgeous, with evocative shots of Scottish landscapes, thrilling scenes of horseback riding, and heavy emphasis on Merida's long, luscious red hair flowing in the wind as she races through the forests of her home. This could possibly be viewed as the least colorful Pixar film, considering it has more of a "green, gray, and teal" color scheme, where as every other Pixar film occupies a poster with colors of the rainbow. I, however, see no flaws with the look, style, or feel of this film and the fluency and liveliness between characters and dialog is commendable.
Nonetheless, Brave, for now, will be the red-headed (no pun intended) stepchild of the Pixar family, unless in years down the line, when the company has surely made more groundbreakers, audiences and fanboys will look back at this and reminisce their foolish hatred for a film that is deeper and more narratively satisfying than many gave credit for. Can this be viewed as one of the weaker films by the renowned studio? Definitely; it is a bit more reliant on slapstick humor than the many other wonderful pictures, but the more I examine this picture, the more I realize that all of this material may be subversive after all.
Voiced by: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, and Emma Thompson. Directed by: Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman.