By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Brenda Chapman | Mark Andrews | Steve Purcell
Starring: Billy Connolly | Emma Thompson | Julie Walters | Kelly Macdonald | Kevin McKidd | Robbie Coltrane
Country: united_states
Year: 2012
Running time: 93
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/
Peter S. says: “This was my first advance screening of a film, and I had to endure giving up my cell phone, having my bag checked, and then being swept for recording devices. Even worse, I had to deal with a theater that was 70% filled with children between the ages of 3 and 8. Was it worth it? Definitely.
“Set in Scotland in the middle ages, wild-haired Merida (Kelly MacDonald) is the princess, and she wants nothing more than to ride her horse Angus, shoot her bow, and work on her swordplay. Instead, she is constantly berated by her mother Elinor (Emma Thompson), who wants her to become more of a lady. Merida barely contains her impatience for the whole process, but things are brought to a head when she discovers three clans are arriving, with the purpose of betrothing her to one of the firstborn sons of the head clansmen.
“This alarming threat causes headstrong Merida to take matters into her own hands. The result is an unexpected visit to a witch, and a request for a spell that will change her fate. From here on out, things, as you might expect, don’t go to plan whatsoever. There are several twists and turns to the story, actually delving far back into the history of the clans, to a legend which has deep roots in truth. To tell more would be to spoil the plot line.
“The heart of this film is Merida’s relationship with her mother. Built on typical teenage angst where the teen and adult don’t understand one another, the story begins rather predictably, and I can’t say that the way it wraps up isn’t predictable, too. However, the in-between bits more than make up for it.
“At times, the story reminded me of THE LITTLE MERMAID, where another desperate red-haired teenager seeks out a witch to make a wish, and earn her heart’s desire. The theme of ‘be careful what you wish for’ remains strong. At other moments, I thought it was like BROTHER BEAR, when being forced into another point of view causes the characters to develop respect for one another. These allusions to other films aren’t a bad critique, for I felt if those bits of plot were stolen, they were taken for the greater good.
“The film does a good job of mixing action and adventure with humor. The majority of the characters in the film, outside of Merida and her mother, are built to be caricatures who will grant us laughs. One of the suitors only speaks gibberish (reminding me of Brad Pitt‘s character in SNATCH). Her triplet little brothers are constantly engaged in humorous trouble, yet they never speak a word in the entire film. The buxom maid Maudie (Sally Kinghorn) is there to have hysterics and to engage us in top-heavy jokes. Merida’s father Fergus (Bill Connolly) plays the typical huge fighter with a soft spot for his tomboyish daughter, and genuine sentiment for his wife. Yet, as I said, they are all just there as supporting roles for Merida and Elinor.
“This is certainly one of the most violent of Pixar’s recent work. While CARS 2 indulged in a great deal of shoot ‘em up violence, this one is filled with a more physical variety. There are several fight scenes that are intense and borderline frightening. While I didn’t hear any children in the theater crying, I did notice the quiet focus of kids completely sucked into the action of the screen. Whether this gives rise to nightmares tonight, I’m not sure. But the violence was enough to cause me to note it. Sensitive movie goers, beware!
“Another point to note for parents is that this is the first Pixar film I can think of that makes a big deal out of nakedness. Elinor is upset about being naked at more than one point (although there is nothing to see). Another funny scene results in viewing a large number of the clansmen sans kilts from behind. Still another scene shows all three little brothers naked as bluejays, although they move so quickly you can barely tell. Whether Pixar was making a point or not about nudity is not something I care about, but some parents may be taken aback (while we know the kids won’t give a hoot).
“The animation in the film is topnotch. I frequently found myself admiring the richness of the greens and grays and reds that make up the landscapes and characters. I grew up as a horse-crazy girl, and Angus is the best horse I’ve seen animated. He looks realistic and well-proportioned. At one point I was simply enjoying how downright beautiful he was to watch. The scenery of woods and lochs and waterfalls was fantastic because of the colors and depth. Our viewing was in 3-D, but I still am of the opinion that most of the time, it isn’t worth the extra price of admission. I’m not budging from that stance, yet.
“At its core, BRAVE is a heartwarming story about finding common ground between a parent and child. Yes, it is a potentially tired story, but one that is worth retelling, when it is told well. There is an awful lot of action that happens before this magical connection between mother and daughter comes about. I can quibble about the ending, and how it felt like it missed a step, and was a tad too contrived. Yet at the finish, I can say I came out of the film glad I saw it and feeling like it was a strong story. Isn’t that why we go to the movies?”