Going into the theater for “Brave”, I was experiencing mixed emotions. Yes, I knew this was the newest Disney-Pixar film. I also knew that we have come to expect anything from Pixar. In the past two years alone, Pixar has made two sequels. In 2010 was the smash hit, “Toy Story 3”, which broke records and became the highest grossing animated film in history, earning $1 billion worldwide. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Film and was honored by being nominated for Best Picture – the highest accolade – that year. The following year, 2011, Pixar released “Cars 2”, which was panned by critics and disappointed many a Pixar fan. However, the movie was a commercial hit, earning more than $500 million worldwide and even more in merchandising revenue.
Thus, I was slightly worried. What if Brave turned out to be another disappointment? I wanted to see Pixar back on top. And in the end, I got my wish. Brave is another winner for Pixar.
In development since around 2006, Brave was caught up in a few controversies. Its original title was “The Bear and the Bow”, and was being helmed by Disney veteran Brenda Chapman. A few years later though, the story hit a rough patch, and seeing that it was going nowhere, Brenda Chapman was made to exit the film. New director Mark Andrews was brought in, and the title was changed to simply, “Brave”.
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| Shooting for her own hand. |
“Brave” was the brainchild of Brenda Chapman, who wanted to make a movie about her relationship with her own mother. Thus, Brave tells the story of Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a young Scottish princess, who is an expert at archery. A free spirit whose personality matches her fiery locks, Merida wishes to live her own life at her own pace. Unbeknownst to her, her mother, Queen Elinor (voce of Emma Thompson) wishes to have Merida married off. The Queen arranges for three suitors from neighboring Scottish clans to compete for her daughter’s hand. When Merida finds out, she has a disagreement with her mother and storms off, very upset. Stumbling upon an eccentric witch deep in the forest, Merida asks her for a spell to “change her mother”, and thus, her fate. Sadly, Merida gets more than she bargains for and it is up to her to undo a terrible curse before it is too late. Family relations are tested and true bravery comes to the fore.
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| Definitely Brave. |
First things first. The film is simply gorgeous to look at. Pixar always pushes themselves with every film they do and this is hands down one of their most technically advanced films. Merida’s intricate hair itself is a technical marvel to behold. The Scottish locations are beautifully created, with forest scenes being a standout. The 3D effects are put to good use as well, with this also being one of the best 3D movies I have ever seen.
Brave is, in essence, a feminist story. The film centers on Merida and her mother, with King Fergus (Merida’s dad), Merida’s mischievous triplet brothers, the Lords and their sons all being relegated to supporting roles. In fact, much of the comic relief comes from the male characters. The action scenes, while few and far between, are gripping and very effective. The film relies on magical and mystical elements, which move the story forward.
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| "Wee devils, more like." |
Critics were not very keen to embrace Brave. The movie currently holds a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com, which while still better than Cars 2’s dismal 38%, is pretty low for a Pixar film. The film was attacked for being a retread of past Disney classics, and most reviews said that it lacked originality. That is true, the movie does feature similar plot points from Disney fairytales, and may not be the most innovative film ever. But here is my retort. If a formula works, why change it? Brave is great as it is, but just because it is a Pixar film does not mean you give it a negative review. Excellence does not happen every single time. And Brave may be far from excellent, but it is definitely a very good film. And besides, didn’t recent films like Tangled follow the same “formula”? Brave isn't even a romantic film! My guess is that had Bravebeen a native Disney film, it would have been met with glowing reviews and accolades. But since this is from Pixar, from whom everyone (me included) has come to expect nothing less than excellence every time, I guess that is the reason Brave is being unfairly bashed. Pixar was very “brave” indeed to make a film like this. It shows their commitment to doing things differently.
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| "...It is the one thing we must always be." |
Say what you may, I think Brave was one of the best films this year, and easily the best animated film of 2012 (so far!). It is a story of love, friendship and finding yourself. Brave is another great film from Pixar. That said, I look forward to next year’s Pixar outing, Monsters University!
RATING: ★★★★
RATING: ★★★★