Brave

Plot synopsis:
In a prologue, we see Lord Fergus and Lady Elinor in a forested area, celebrating the birthday of their young daughter, Merida. Though Elinor happily plays with Merida, she grows perturbed when Fergus gives the little girl her own bow and set of arrows.As Merida tries to hit a target, one of the arrows sails off into the forest nearby. Merida runs off and retrieves it, but soon encounters a glowing blue willo-the-wisp. Going back to her parents, she tells what she saw, and her mother explains that they can lead a person to their destiny.Suddenly, the mood is broken as an enormous black bear enters the camp grounds. Merida and her mother quickly take leave as Lord Fergus and his men fight against the bear.Time passes, and we see that Lord Fergus has lost his leg to the bear. In the time that has passed, Lady Elinor has given birth to three mischievous boys (triplets), and Merida is now a teenager. While her mother wants her to be proper, Merida is moreso intent on practicing archery, and journeying off in the forest.One evening, a messenger brings word that the 3 neighboring clans have accepted the offer to fight for Merida's hand in marriage. Naturally, the young woman is not at all happy with this situation. Elinor explains to her daughter that the clans must be kept in harmony, or chaos may reign. She relates the story of how the clans were descended from four brothers, but one of them wanted more power than the others, and caused the balance of power to crumble. Even so, this does little to quell Merida's resentment of the betrothal.The three clans soon arrive, and Lords MacGuffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall arrive with each of their sons. Per tradition, each of the first-born of the clans will fight in the event that the Princess chooses. This causes Merida to perk up, and she eagerly suggests archery.When it comes to the sport, almost none of the sons are good at the sport, but everyone is shocked when Merida appears before everyone, claiming that since she's a first-born as well, she'll be 'fighting for her own hand.' Elinor demands Merida stop, but she defies her mother, and makes a bulls-eye on each of the targets.Naturally, Elinor feels angry and humiliated at this, and both mother and daughter have a heated conversation in her room later on. Merida claims she does not want to be like her mother, and in anger, slashes a tapestry depicting the family, slicing a hole between her and her mother in the piece.Upset by this as well, Elinor loses her temper, and throws Merida's bow in a fireplace nearby. Upset by this, Merida flees the castle. Unseen by Merida, her mother regrets what she has done a few moments later, and manages to retrieve the bow from the fire.Merida flees to the forest, where she comes across a circle of stones, and several willo-the-wisps. Following them, she finds a small cottage inhabited by an old woman. The old woman claims she is just a wood carver, but Merida soon realizes she's actually a witch, when she notices an enchanted broom, and the woman's crow (which can talk!).Merida eagerly asks for a spell to change her mother, but the witch refuses, claiming she did a spell once before, and regretted it. However, Merida gets her to reconsider when she agrees to purchase all her wood carvings. The offer is too much to resist, and the witch brews a concoction that produces a small pie. Merida is instructed to give it to her mother, and she eagerly ruses off to do so.Returning to the castle, King Fergus is doing his best to quell the Lords after the events of the tournament. Merida encounters her mother in the kitchen, and eagerly gives her the pie, but after one bite, Elinor claims she does not feel well.Merida happily leads her to her chambers, but soon her happiness that her mother will change turns to shock...when her mother turns into a black bear!Knowing that King Fergus will surely kill Elinor, Merida enlists the aid of her brothers to distract Fergus and the Lords, while she sneaks her mother out of the castle, and back into the forest.The two manage to find the witch's hovel, but find it is now empty. A message left for Merida tells that the Witch has gone away until the next Spring, and that the spell will become permanent within 2 sunrises. However, if Merida wants to reverse the effects, she has heed some specific words, in regards to 'mending.' Merida is unsure just what this means, and the two sleep in the woods that evening, before having breakfast in the morning.Merida manages to catch some fish for her mother, but when her mother demands more, Merida tells her mother she will need to catch them herself. The mother and daughter bond over this method, but when her mother wanders off into the woods, Merida chases after her. However, upon finding her, her mother suddenly attempts to attack Merida, before returning to normal. With less than 24 hours, it seems that if they do not find a way to reverse the spell, Elinor will lose her humanity, and become a bear forever!As they wander in the woods, the two come across the willo-the-wisps again, and follow them. They are lead to a high mountain, and the ruins of a great castle. Inside, Merida finds a stone tablet depicting 4 men, with one of them separated from the group. Soon, Merida realizes that she is in the castle in the legend her mother told her about, and soon makes the connection:The brother who attempted to seize power from his siblings went to the witch, and her spell turned him into a bear...powerful and stronger than his brothers, but he was unable to change back, and became a rampaging beast, the same one who took Lord Fergus' leg!Suddenly, the bear emerges from the darkness and attempts to attack Merida. Elinor manages to save her daughter, and the two head back to the circle of stones. However, Merida is now sure what needs to be done. The witch's spell mentioned mending, and Merida feels that if she can mend the tapestry she cut the day before, her mother will be saved.

Tags: good versus evil, revenge, prank, fantasy, flashback

Review:
Brave is a beautiful and moving new fairy tale that fits seamlessly into the genre; Princess Merida is a wonderfully multi-facted heroine; the film shapes itself around problems that are familiar and understandable and will be well-understood and appreciated by kiddos and parents alike; the supporting characters that are given the most attention are well-crafted (but too bad for those others that fall by the wayside).
The film lacks the trademark Pixar wit we've come to expect from the animation studio's productions, and some humor feels shoe-horned in for the sake of having some laughs; the directorial kerfuffle that took place in the middle of production is not overwhelmingly obvious, but there is a distinct laugh of singular vision driving the film and its tone wavers throughout.
Pixar films are utterly infectious when done correctly, Brave isn't up to the standards of their best, you won't fall in love with it, but forget the scale of its predecessors and you'll definitely be impressed by it..
The hair reflects every known shade or "firey lass" red along with previously unknown shades the computers postulated and shades the human mind cannot grasp.And the hair is wrapped around a familiar, mediocre, largely predictable story that you've seen several times before in several other "girls can do anything boys can do" movies and TV sitcom episodes.Don't let Pixar's technical expertise and visual humor distract you from the cold hard truth that the underlying story is pretty pale.
However, other young children in the theatre were rather nervous and scared in certain parts of the film and a few very small (2 - 4 year old) children had to be escorted out of the cinema by their parents.Personally, after the first five minutes, which were a bit slow, I became absorbed in the story and thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
It had everything a great Pixar film has: a wonderful setting, fantastic CGI, beautiful and interesting characters, and a lot of heart.
As an animated film, however, this is a fantastic and fascinating film, a treat for the summer.Brave tells the story of the aforementioned Merida, a young, Scottish princess whose life is controlled by her mother so that she can be shaped into a queen someday over the surrounding tribes.
I won't get into plot details, as the trailer really doesn't give a lot away in terms of what this film is really about, but suffice to say, there is plenty of fun and adventure to be had.Pixar always manages to create an interesting and unique tale, and this goes right up there with the best of them.
Although the core plot is unconventional and unexpected, it has a fantastic heart and once again proves that Pixar can tell a story like no other.Brave is an entertaining, humorous, and heartfelt story that will be wonderful for kids and adults alike.
Everything about Brave is different from the Pixar norm, save the unequaled attention to detail and quality.The Disney-Pixar animated feature focuses on Princess Merida as she searches for a way to change her fate.
As odd and understandably foreign as the accents felt watching the early previews for the movie, the voice acting was executed following, creating very real characters that fit their animated molds perfectly.
By the end of the movie, what once sounded foreign blended into the scenery and visuals to create a completely immersing environment.In fact, amid the magic spells and tall tales of times gone by, it's the historical, Scottish feeling that made Marida's journey and transformation (and that of her mother) that much more tangible and familiar.Underneath the folk-tale storyline lies the same life lessons that ring true for young and old.
Merida is a true Disney princess, with gumption, heart and an uncanny connection with nature, but the story could have been told from a male perspective and rung just as true, making it easy to empathize with Pixar's first female lead.As has been the case with almost every other one of their movies, the company has reinvented the standard for animated visuals.
Just as with every one of their award-winning films (Cars 2 notwithstanding), a new movie means a new chapter, new story and new style of film.Taken for what it is, Brave is a remarkable step into a whole new style of movie, proving the creative teams at Pixar will continue to write their own fate..
Our family loves Pixar films, so we eagerly anticipated the release of 'Brave.' However, we were very disappointed.
It is the worst Pixar film we've ever seen.The main character, Merida, is not a lovable heroine like Mulan; instead, she is a whining, bratty child.
And, most impressively, when Merida holds her breath to shoot her last arrow the audience holds its collective breath as we watch her arrow shoot away in slow motion and in a beautiful use of depth of field that reminds us why 2D is still highly preferred to 3D.That's not to say Brave is quite as visually astonishing as Sully's fur in Monsters Inc., the magical underwater world of Finding Nemo, or a landfill laden Earth in Wall-E.
Brave doesn't fall into that category, but it's still without doubt one of Pixar's most flawed movies.To start with the positive aspects of this film; The animation is a definite top-notch.
While I was thrilled to see a Pixar film with female leads AND featuring a mother-daughter relationship, the story itself seemed a bit shallow and flat.
It is different and indeed feels more like a standard Disney animated film than Pixar.
The score is wonderful and exciting.Overall, it's a great movie but it's kind of out of place as a Pixar film because it doesn't have any intriguing ideas like toys coming to life, daily life of monsters, a superhero family, a flying house, rats can cook, etc.
Brave is one of the movies i could say amazing.Let's not say anything about the animation because it's 21th and this is Pixar and Disney; they animation is beautiful and very detail.What i want to say amazing here is the story of the movie.
When the time comes for her to get married and fulfil her duty as princess, Merida decides to take matters into her own hands and consults a witch.Brave's biggest achievement is its attention to detail: this might all be CGI, yes, but Scotland has never looked so beautiful.
Pixar has a history of creating well-rounded, real characters - just look at Toy Story, Up and Wall-E – and Brave can be added to that list.There's very little to fault about the movie, if I'm honest.
I have always loved Pixar's films, they are charming, funny, full of heart and have identifiable characters, strong stories and gorgeous animation on the whole.
I was especially taken with Merida, you don't relate with her in the way you do with WALL-E but I liked that instead of her having the predictable romantic fate of the Disney Princesses(no offense intended, I love those movies) and potentially dull as dishwater, she is very headstrong and actually matures throughout the film.
Billy Conolly is a somewhat predictable casting choice- when you think Scotland Conolly immediately comes into your head- but his great sense of comic timing and exuberance still delights to not make that matter too much.In conclusion, rock solid family fun but not Pixar at their best.
Now Merida has to fix her spell but the witch has traveled and she has only one day to bring her mother back."Brave" is a highly entertaining animation from Disney / Pixar, with the enjoyable story of motherly affection, with a rebel princess that makes a wrong choice that serves to show her how much her mother loves her.
That's why she struggles to save beloved mother from the consequences of her own desires.Brave is different from Pixar normal animations and Princess Merida is opposite of all well-known princesses in fairy tail history.
I loved the landmarks of Scottish nature and I find the idea of "Scottish Story" just amazing.On the other hand, screen writing was perfect for animation with lots of dark and light jokes, funny moments and a little bit touching plot.
Brave is an enjoyable animated movie that still manages to have some touching moments, but in the end never reaches the depths of Pixar's exceptional potential.
They needed strong follow-up and whilst its rating is not as strong as high as other Pixar Brave is still a very delightful family film.In a medieval Scottish kingdom Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a rebellious teenage princess who is skilled at archery and wants to decide her own fate.
The directors are able to get to sink the audience into a wonderful medieval world and there are great camera movements that make the action flow wonderfully.Brave had a troubled production: it was originally going to be the first Pixar film to be directed by a woman, Brenda Chapman before being replaced by Mark Andrews.
The film does follow the Hero with a Thousand Face formula as both Merida and Elinor learn from their journey.The first 30 minutes and the final act are excellent pieces of cinema, with great drama and comedy, plenty of action and focused on its themes of family relationships and female empowerment.
History went down after I saw the Disney and Pixar animated film Brave.
Fiercely independent with a mind of her own, and always eager to question, with a penchant to break tradition, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) isn't your typical demure princess, but like Disney princesses in recent years, have grown to encapsulate values of the modern woman, with abilities to equal, or even surpass, the many burly men, and none too burly peers, rather than to be the typical damsel in distress.This is probably the very first mother-daughter story arc for Pixar, and one of the rare few like The Invincibles and Ratatouille that has human protagonists.
Like most animated films from Disney and Pixar, Brave also had some relatively off moments in its comical scenarios, given that for the most parts it's fairly dark in mood, with scenes that deal with the occult and magical beings.What I had enjoyed about the film, is how simple it took the notion of things happening for a reason, and made it a critical emotional punch.
Film Critic, Raven Devanney (age 15) shares her review below: video review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNlM5zTqGHABrave is the all new Disney and Pixar animated film about a young princess who breaks tradition.
Brother Bear and Beauty and the Beast I was thinking because Medora's mother gets changed into a bear although this time it was a whole different reason and also the spell being broken at the end by the words "I love you" from Beauty and the Beast.The only thing I would say that was bad about the movie was the dirtiness of it.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the movie are the articles I've read regarding the details behind how Pixar animated Merida's hair.
But in Brave, Disney manages to do the whole deeper meaning thing with finding one's self, accepting others, and familial love, but also incorporates a strong, caring mother and daughter who find a way to reconnect and understand each other, which is something VERY important in today's society.
In today's society, you always hear about teenagers and parents who don't get along, so coming from a teenager, I think it's ABSOLUTELY GREAT that Disney did a movie where the mother and daughter manage to sort their differences and accept one another.
Brave contains several nice elements, but the "Pixar magic" is, much like Tom Cruise's sanity, lacking.A lot of my disappointment hinges on the film's inability to meet my expectations, and that fault rests on the shoulders of the marketing department.
Pixar knows everyone will get to see many times stuff about their movies long before the actual release; I'm not sure how many times I got to see the BRAVE trailer but it even was present in the DVD of CARS 2.
And the thing is Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell (all doing their very first Pixar feature film) gave me just what I expected: the hugely enjoyable -and visually fantastic- tale of a not very common princess, whose interests go way beyond the traditions of the kingdom (she basically needs to become a -lovely- *princess* and getting an arranged marriage is a big step for that).
I really appreciate and love when a film totally surprises me (in a good way, certainly), and BRAVE did exactly that since Pixar didn't give almost anything away with the trailers.
And it's as great as any other Pixar or Disney film in that respect.It has good characters.
All in all, Brave has the worst storyline compared to other Pixar and even Disney princess films..
She is Brave & willing to fight for what she wants.The other thing which makes Brave unusual is that it's about a mother, daughter relationship rather than a love story and this is a rare thing for a princess's movie.
i thought it was too commercially if that's the right phrase, i barely smiled, and i disliked the triplets, i thought they're trying too hard to make them look cute !I thought it was somehow fast paced, especially when it comes to the connection between Mother and Daughter, even when a fast paced movie doesn't bore you, but in these scenes especially they should have been a bit slower and more detailed.Positive Points :It has Pixar's heart in it.The animation is definitely the best Pixar animation so far.The details are breathtaking, there is a lot of realistic stuff, yet some of the clearly-animated scenes to remind you that you're watching an animated movie, a very good one.The music is just perfect for the movie, with the scenes and the accent and the atmosphere, i thought it was just lovely and suitable for the movie, can't get any better for sure.Even though i didn't like the beginning of it, but the scene where they started to fight caught my attention, i thought it was beautifully animated/written/directed, i didn't get bored of the movie not even for a sec.The bonding scenes were fast paced true, but it convinced me a bit, it could have been better, but i think it was quite alright !
and well, fun !The Triplets : No, just no !Mor'du : i don't care if he didn't say a word and barely was there, i love him.It's not the best Pixar movie, but it's really good, definitely worth watching.
Special mention goes to Merida's dad, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), who's easily the most likable character in the movie and the source of best jokes.The film also looks great.
The ending had a nice twist, but that's about it.Story-wise this movie felt more like a Disney production, and not in a good way.
It's not great, like so many other Pixar films, but that doesn't prevent it from being very, very good.
The film starts of as your average Disney movie does and you meet your princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) right away.
For a studio so pristinely viewed by the masses as the cutting edge of animated storytelling to retreat to one of the world's most ancient forms of storytelling might seem a bit confusing and maybe even disappointing, but Pixar does all that it does so well with "Brave," even if the means and the ends are all too familiar.Firstly, Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) would put all the classic Disney Princesses to shame.
The animation, for example, could be considered among the studio's finest, yet the story and characters are so engaging you forget about it aside from some sweeping landscape shots.Therefore, the bar set by Pixar is the biggest hurdle for "Brave." Innovation has always been the studio's norm, but the only real innovation in in the film is a major plot point that the marketing keeps close to the chest.
She's a character that I think will resonate not just with young girls, but with many women, especially the ones that are at the threshold of adulthood, and the relationship between her and her mother is very poignant.The story itself doesn't break any new ground, and if you've ever seen a fairy tale movie before you can call just about every plot beat a few minutes before they arrive, but that doesn't make the film any less effective because the execution is so spot-on.
It may not be the best movie Pixar has ever made, but Brave is still a great film, and in my opinion the best fairy tale that Disney has put their name on since 1991.A-.
It ain't like any of the other Pixar films, but is a good movie nevertheless.
As a whole "Brave" was a great movie and I highly recommend it for children and all families young at heart.
"Brave" is a phenomenal movie by Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.
If you get the chance to see it in theaters (especially in IMAX 3D), then by all means go for it!TL;DR – "Brave" is a great animated film and I consider it my favorite Disney/Pixar movie of all time.
It was awesome in the way only a Pixar movie can be; and it had one of the best cast of characters I've seen.
the animation is amazing as always with pixar movies and i think its better than ever in brave.
Better to watch in 2D, at least you can enjoy the movie.Overall: Not a great film from Pixar.
It's a great family movie, I would put it one step above "A Bug's Life" and one step below "Ratatouille," not really one I will watch over and over, but a good film that you and your children should enjoy..
4. Brave is definitely on my top 3 list of the best-looking animated movies of all time.
Everything we've come to expect from a Pixar animated film.