A true best of both worlds for classic Disney and classic Pixar fans. It had already been many years since the acquisition, but for me this was the first time Disney's buyout felt like a positive direction for the animation pioneers. Filled with possibly Pixar's most attractive environments, character designs (Side note: Merida has my favorite character design of any animated human character. I mean seriously her hair alone is a thing of beauty.), and easily its best score, the studio does a deft send up of classic princess movies while instilling the pure feeling of magic they are known for though Scotland's rich Celtic lore and cryptic mysticism. Brave is a criminally underrated installment in the Pixar cannon that I hope grows in stature over the years. If Wreck It Ralph is Disney doing Pixar, Brave is Pixar doing Disney.
400 Reviews
The CGI was incredible!
planktonrules21 June 2012
While I must admit that "Brave" is not among my favorite Pixar films, I was totally blown away by the computer graphics. To some extent this is to be expected--as years pass, the CGI is bound to get better and better. But it's more than that--the textures, colors and depth were all incredible and I was in love with the animation throughout.
As far as the story goes, it was a mixed bag. 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 wasn't bad, but never hit that emotional spot within that you'd find in "Up" or "Toy Story 3". Now this isn't to say it's bad---it just isn't among the very best of the studio and is STILL well worth seeing. It's especially nice to see a FEMALE protagonist--and one who does NOT need to be rescued by a prince! Incidentally, my daughter and her friend loved the film--and my bet is that girls would generally prefer this film but it's a lot of fun for everyone.
By the way, there is a cute inside joke in the film in which they mention someone being out of town at the "Wicker Man" ceremony! This could be a reference to the wonderful 1970s film (see this one--not the remake) or to the actual ancient ceremony. I actually had no idea that this was a real event until dlwagner sent me an email informing me of this--but I certainly did NOT expect to hear them talking about it in "Brave".
As far as the story goes, it was a mixed bag. 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 wasn't bad, but never hit that emotional spot within that you'd find in "Up" or "Toy Story 3". Now this isn't to say it's bad---it just isn't among the very best of the studio and is STILL well worth seeing. It's especially nice to see a FEMALE protagonist--and one who does NOT need to be rescued by a prince! Incidentally, my daughter and her friend loved the film--and my bet is that girls would generally prefer this film but it's a lot of fun for everyone.
By the way, there is a cute inside joke in the film in which they mention someone being out of town at the "Wicker Man" ceremony! This could be a reference to the wonderful 1970s film (see this one--not the remake) or to the actual ancient ceremony. I actually had no idea that this was a real event until dlwagner sent me an email informing me of this--but I certainly did NOT expect to hear them talking about it in "Brave".
Another Great Pixar Film
cadillac2022 June 2012
Brave is a film I've been looking forward to since I first laid eyes on it's beautiful trailer. It had everything a great Pixar film has: a wonderful setting, fantastic CGI, beautiful and interesting characters, and a lot of heart. In fact, Merida alone was such an interesting and adorable character, that it was instantly on my to watch list. Granted, this isn't Pixar's best, but that's holding it up to extremely high standards. 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. In an effort to change her fate and be free of her oppressive, but loving mother, she attempts to change her fate, and in the process makes a huge mistake. 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. Using the Scottish highlands is both an inspiring choice and allows them to craft a beautiful film. With sweeping mountains, water, and thick and colorful forests, this is one of Pixar's best looking films to date. It trumps the jungles of UP and even the magical underwater world of Finding Nemo. There is a certain amount of magic in the environments alone, and gazing on it is a wonder. The characters are also fantastic. Merida is a wonderful addition to Disney's princess lineup, and unlike those others, she is no damsel in distress. She, like her mother, is perfectly capable of handling herself, with her trusty archery skills and even tackles a few dangerous situations on her own instead of having someone there to save her. In fact, this could be seen as an inverse, as Merida actually becomes a hero in many ways and triumphs over the males in her own age bracket. Also of note is Billy Connolly, voicing Fergus, who lends his comedic chops to create a wonderful and likable character.
While this film may not be up there with Pixar's best, it still has a wonderful story and character interaction. Merida's relationship with her family feels genuine and most children will probably be able to relate. At the heart of the story is her relationship with her mother. This is more than a story about fate, but a story about obligations to family and how growing up means taking responsibility and putting away childish selfishness in place of those responsibilities. 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. Merida is a wonderful new character and the entire film looks beautiful. Even if you don't have children, I recommend this film if you've loved other Pixar's before it.
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. In an effort to change her fate and be free of her oppressive, but loving mother, she attempts to change her fate, and in the process makes a huge mistake. 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. Using the Scottish highlands is both an inspiring choice and allows them to craft a beautiful film. With sweeping mountains, water, and thick and colorful forests, this is one of Pixar's best looking films to date. It trumps the jungles of UP and even the magical underwater world of Finding Nemo. There is a certain amount of magic in the environments alone, and gazing on it is a wonder. The characters are also fantastic. Merida is a wonderful addition to Disney's princess lineup, and unlike those others, she is no damsel in distress. She, like her mother, is perfectly capable of handling herself, with her trusty archery skills and even tackles a few dangerous situations on her own instead of having someone there to save her. In fact, this could be seen as an inverse, as Merida actually becomes a hero in many ways and triumphs over the males in her own age bracket. Also of note is Billy Connolly, voicing Fergus, who lends his comedic chops to create a wonderful and likable character.
While this film may not be up there with Pixar's best, it still has a wonderful story and character interaction. Merida's relationship with her family feels genuine and most children will probably be able to relate. At the heart of the story is her relationship with her mother. This is more than a story about fate, but a story about obligations to family and how growing up means taking responsibility and putting away childish selfishness in place of those responsibilities. 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. Merida is a wonderful new character and the entire film looks beautiful. Even if you don't have children, I recommend this film if you've loved other Pixar's before it.
Another fine movie by Pixar
Vartiainen16 October 2012
Pixar's thirteenth movie and the first one with a female protagonist. And naturally there have been loud and prolonged arguments about the pros and cons of this said character, Merida (Kelly Macdonald). Whether she is a much needed breath of fresh air, a female that can stand on her own feet, or whether she's just as clichéd as the rest of the so-called strong independent woman wannabes and a whiny kid unable to accept responsibility to boot.
I thought she worked marvelously. She is independent and very headstrong, but she doesn't fall to the usual clichés at all or if she does, she reinvents them and makes them feel unique to her. One of the great things about her is that she doesn't try to rebel against her gender, like so many lesser versions of her archetype. She is a tomboy, sure, but her rebellion is only against the role of her gender in her society. She doesn't wish to be a man in a man's world. She just wants to live her life as she wants, while still being a woman. A very small, but important difference and one that made her feel real.
Furthermore, the characters overall are the real strength of this film, as is usual for Pixar. Not every one of them work as intended, though. I, for one, thought that Merida's younger brothers, the triplets, were an unnecessary distraction. They were the constant source of comic relief, and admittedly they made me chuckle a few times, but they were a tad overused. But fortunately the rest of the characters more than made up for them, being memorable, diverse, funny and identifiable. 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 whole animation system of Pixar was rewritten for the first time in 25 years and it shows. The improvement is not mind-blowing, but it's noticeable. The small details, the smoothness of movement, the landscapes, they all look great and I couldn't have been happier. The score is also very decent and the voice acting is one of the strongest aspects of the film. How can you not love these Scottish accents. Unfortunately I had to see the film in 3D, and it didn't add anything. Complete waste of my money, that.
On the downside, the story isn't all that great. It's not bad, really, but it doesn't reach that bar that Pixat has previously set for its films. The plot has some new and interesting things in it, and I liked how the invert some of the usual clichés completely, but then they proceed to play some of the worst ones completely straight, which just makes me seethe in disappointment. And it's not like a film cannot use clichés in order to be good, far from it, but it shouldn't be too predictable, and that's what this movie is. The moment a new plot point was introduced, I could tell how it'd play out. And I was correct most of the time. 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 had song sequences, it had fairy tale elements, it had the children against parents kind of thing going on, it had a moral lesson to be learned... It just didn't feel like Pixar.
That being said, it's still a good film. It's not great, like so many other Pixar films, but that doesn't prevent it from being very, very good. It has great humour, it has great characters, it has great animation, it's just the story that's a bit subpar.
I thought she worked marvelously. She is independent and very headstrong, but she doesn't fall to the usual clichés at all or if she does, she reinvents them and makes them feel unique to her. One of the great things about her is that she doesn't try to rebel against her gender, like so many lesser versions of her archetype. She is a tomboy, sure, but her rebellion is only against the role of her gender in her society. She doesn't wish to be a man in a man's world. She just wants to live her life as she wants, while still being a woman. A very small, but important difference and one that made her feel real.
Furthermore, the characters overall are the real strength of this film, as is usual for Pixar. Not every one of them work as intended, though. I, for one, thought that Merida's younger brothers, the triplets, were an unnecessary distraction. They were the constant source of comic relief, and admittedly they made me chuckle a few times, but they were a tad overused. But fortunately the rest of the characters more than made up for them, being memorable, diverse, funny and identifiable. 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 whole animation system of Pixar was rewritten for the first time in 25 years and it shows. The improvement is not mind-blowing, but it's noticeable. The small details, the smoothness of movement, the landscapes, they all look great and I couldn't have been happier. The score is also very decent and the voice acting is one of the strongest aspects of the film. How can you not love these Scottish accents. Unfortunately I had to see the film in 3D, and it didn't add anything. Complete waste of my money, that.
On the downside, the story isn't all that great. It's not bad, really, but it doesn't reach that bar that Pixat has previously set for its films. The plot has some new and interesting things in it, and I liked how the invert some of the usual clichés completely, but then they proceed to play some of the worst ones completely straight, which just makes me seethe in disappointment. And it's not like a film cannot use clichés in order to be good, far from it, but it shouldn't be too predictable, and that's what this movie is. The moment a new plot point was introduced, I could tell how it'd play out. And I was correct most of the time. 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 had song sequences, it had fairy tale elements, it had the children against parents kind of thing going on, it had a moral lesson to be learned... It just didn't feel like Pixar.
That being said, it's still a good film. It's not great, like so many other Pixar films, but that doesn't prevent it from being very, very good. It has great humour, it has great characters, it has great animation, it's just the story that's a bit subpar.
A Visual Feast and a Solid Pixar Film
Loving_Silence20 June 2012
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 visual effects are flawless, in my opinion, the best if all Pixar films.
Brave is at its best when it's smartly and charmingly changing what we think think a Disney Princess can be, but it wavers when it tries to somehow reinvent the Pixar wheel. 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.
It may not live up to the incredible standards of the Pixar brand, but Brave offers young audiences a lot of entertainment and adventure. Highly Recommended.
8/10
Brave is at its best when it's smartly and charmingly changing what we think think a Disney Princess can be, but it wavers when it tries to somehow reinvent the Pixar wheel. 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.
It may not live up to the incredible standards of the Pixar brand, but Brave offers young audiences a lot of entertainment and adventure. Highly Recommended.
8/10
Pixar's latest effort enchants us with stunning visuals, and charismatic characters, but misses the X factor that makes Pixar film's great
Joe_Chadowski25 June 2012
This should have been an easy review to write. Brave should have been a film that cemented itself as one of the all time greats, a necessary addition to any Top Films list. It should have been a film that claimed a place in our hearts as so many other Pixar films have in the past. But it's not. And writing this review is proving anything but easy. It's hard because I'm sitting at my Dell Latitude feeling bewildered at how a film from the best animation studio in the world left me feeling lukewarm at best.
A bit of background on the film first; this film went through two directors. After Brenda Chapman left the film for reasons I don't know, Mark Andrews was hired as a shoe in. This wasn't the first Pixar film to have multiple directors, just unplanned multiple directors. This is where my major problem with this film stems. Everything from Brenda Chapman is textbook Pixar class and charisma, but once Mark Andrews gets the reins (and you WILL know when it happens), the film takes an abrupt and uncomfortable shift towards the dark, and really challenges the boundaries of PG. It feels like two different films tacked on to one another with Gorilla Glue, it's as if the directors had no collaboration with each other. A real shame because up until it takes this dark turn, the rest of this film is a class act bursting with potential.
However to lament on the pitfalls is to ignore the positives. Pixar created two characters with copybook classic credentials in Princess Merida, and her father Fergus. Merida as the independent, self-confident, inurbane princess has a tongue-in-cheek charm and a personality that brings a genuine smile to your face. The other hero of character is Fergus, his character of a bumbling king with an overpowering queen is cliché, but he's executed brilliantly and is the provider of the majority of humor on Brave. Another immensely impressive aspect is its supremely dazzling animation aesthetics, the resplendent beauty of the Scottish countryside sometimes stealing scenes from its characters. Whether or not you agree that's brilliant is more subjective.
Now this may seem like the ranting of a spoilt wannabe movie critic weaned on delusions of grandeur, and hollow satisfaction from demeaning films with hype behind them, but I can assure you my size 10.5s remain firmly on the ground. This film is still a damn sight better than a majority of animated films out there, and it no doubt sets a new bar for animation quality other films won't be able to reach without a pole vault. I generally like this film and its good moments are plentiful and remind you why we love these films so much. 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.
A bit of background on the film first; this film went through two directors. After Brenda Chapman left the film for reasons I don't know, Mark Andrews was hired as a shoe in. This wasn't the first Pixar film to have multiple directors, just unplanned multiple directors. This is where my major problem with this film stems. Everything from Brenda Chapman is textbook Pixar class and charisma, but once Mark Andrews gets the reins (and you WILL know when it happens), the film takes an abrupt and uncomfortable shift towards the dark, and really challenges the boundaries of PG. It feels like two different films tacked on to one another with Gorilla Glue, it's as if the directors had no collaboration with each other. A real shame because up until it takes this dark turn, the rest of this film is a class act bursting with potential.
However to lament on the pitfalls is to ignore the positives. Pixar created two characters with copybook classic credentials in Princess Merida, and her father Fergus. Merida as the independent, self-confident, inurbane princess has a tongue-in-cheek charm and a personality that brings a genuine smile to your face. The other hero of character is Fergus, his character of a bumbling king with an overpowering queen is cliché, but he's executed brilliantly and is the provider of the majority of humor on Brave. Another immensely impressive aspect is its supremely dazzling animation aesthetics, the resplendent beauty of the Scottish countryside sometimes stealing scenes from its characters. Whether or not you agree that's brilliant is more subjective.
Now this may seem like the ranting of a spoilt wannabe movie critic weaned on delusions of grandeur, and hollow satisfaction from demeaning films with hype behind them, but I can assure you my size 10.5s remain firmly on the ground. This film is still a damn sight better than a majority of animated films out there, and it no doubt sets a new bar for animation quality other films won't be able to reach without a pole vault. I generally like this film and its good moments are plentiful and remind you why we love these films so much. 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.
Not among Pixar's finest, but solid family fun regardless
TheLittleSongbird16 August 2012
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 strongly anticipating Brave as I would do for any animated movie, and while I still enjoyed it very much I was a little disappointed as well. Ranking it with Pixar's other films, I don't consider Brave as good as the Toy Story films, Up, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and WALL-E, but I consider it better than the Cars films(which I did like actually) and put it on the same level as Bug's Life(Pixar's most underrated), Ratatouille and The Incredibles.
Does Brave have flaws? I personally do think so. The dialogue does get better later on but felt rather cheesy and awkward to start with. The story is still entertaining, polishedly told and is solidly paced but just lacks the heart of previous Pixars and comes across as old-fashioned in places. The kingdom's menfolk are also clichéd, and as much as I hate to say it unfortunately some of the clichés came across as lazy to me.
Starting with the best asset of Brave though, the animation is simply amazing. The Scottish countryside is beautifully shaded and very evocative and Merida's hair is very life-like. The colours look gorgeous also, and the characters are well modelled. The music score is beautiful in its Celtic lilt and haunting in the atmosphere it creates in the forest. While not as good to start with, the writing does at least have some pitfalls and gags to amuse children and adults alike with the more dramatic/intense moments unforced and convincing. The main characters are engaging. 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. The Witch and the mother are also well done characters. The voice acting is great. Kelly MacDonald is very spirited as Merida, and Emma Thompson is a sympathetic mother figure. Julie Walters is appropriately formidable as the Witch, and Robbie Coltrane amuses. 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. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Does Brave have flaws? I personally do think so. The dialogue does get better later on but felt rather cheesy and awkward to start with. The story is still entertaining, polishedly told and is solidly paced but just lacks the heart of previous Pixars and comes across as old-fashioned in places. The kingdom's menfolk are also clichéd, and as much as I hate to say it unfortunately some of the clichés came across as lazy to me.
Starting with the best asset of Brave though, the animation is simply amazing. The Scottish countryside is beautifully shaded and very evocative and Merida's hair is very life-like. The colours look gorgeous also, and the characters are well modelled. The music score is beautiful in its Celtic lilt and haunting in the atmosphere it creates in the forest. While not as good to start with, the writing does at least have some pitfalls and gags to amuse children and adults alike with the more dramatic/intense moments unforced and convincing. The main characters are engaging. 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. The Witch and the mother are also well done characters. The voice acting is great. Kelly MacDonald is very spirited as Merida, and Emma Thompson is a sympathetic mother figure. Julie Walters is appropriately formidable as the Witch, and Robbie Coltrane amuses. 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. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Amazing movie. Completely underestimated.
AustinOswald7 June 2012
After last years Cars 2, many began to underestimate Pixar and believed that it would begin to fall out of the radar. Well this movie will definitely prove them wrong. This movie was a visually stunning masterpiece with a great story. Even before the movie started it was exciting because of the unique and creative short La Luna along with the Monsters University teaser trailer. If you are reading this and haven't seen the movie yet make sure you STAY TILL THE END OF THE CREDITS for just a little scene about something that happened earlier in the movie. Thanks to everyone at Pixar studios for creating a true masterpiece!
Engineering
tedg16 September 2012
Steve Jobs remade Apple, embedding a very specific philosophy. Usually called 'design,' the idea is simple and the goal is simple. Have a vision of what you want to accomplish, a clear vision. Then engineer to that vision, ruthlessly eliminating all else. It sounds simple, but no Apple competitor has been able to emulate the approach; it is usual to start with a list of features and jam as many in as you can.
Jobs had far less work to do with Pixar because they started as an engineering shop and ended up making movies. The stories are effective because they are carefully engineered, based not initially on intuition, but on the science (such as it is) of narrative dynamics. As Pixar matured, they started to engineer the cinematic techniques as well.
Now Pixar is part of the Disney machine, and Disney has a princess franchise to feed, and I am sure that a very specific set of goals was supplied to Pixar to engineer to. So we have the story and the rather blunt girl-mother issues that apparently have market traction. You, dear viewer, will be in their scope and satisfied with the engineered results or not. I don't care much about that.
What I do appreciate is the parallel engineering, the cinematic engineering. Pixar in the past has been experimenting with space, particularly the position occupied by the camera and the space that is defined around it. Lots of consideration of dimension that gives something like a visual score. Sometimes it directly supports the goals of the story; sometimes it does so indirectly by just making the images more enticing.
I think what they did here is fascinating. The spatial experiments are muted, at least the space occupied by the action. Instead, the space around the chief character's head is engineered, no doubt using proprietary motion technology. You can see it in two recent Pixar patent applications (12/717,530 and 12/717,540) with the implementation here using NURBS rather than polygons. As a matter of hidden history, the technique of using linear NURBS to define things like hair came directly from military aircraft radiation modeling for stealth.
But that is another story. What interests us here is the ability to both *realistically* emulate the effect that curls of hair have in gravity, wind jostling and rubbing up against each other, *and* the agent system where tufts to have some individual character and personality within the assembly. They are characters in their own filmworld. The more glum I got over the story-in- front, the more joy I was able to find in what they did with this hair. Some of the 1500 individual curls work against the assembly just as Merida works against her constraints.
The personality of each of the tufts remains the same throughout the film, but the nature of the agentworld of the tufts develops.
Because they have to emphasize the hair, they de-emphasize hair elsewhere. For instance, the bearhides are from a bygone technology. The snow that originally would have used the same technology and echoed the hair dynamics would have made a great film. But 'creative differences' and a shift in the director killed this.
Red hair in cinema has a long history, and it can be said that film at least clarified certain stereotypes. I have a small project tracing the development from "It!" and following black and white films where the red was known from tinted fan magazines, through Technicolor. Many actresses were forced to dye their hair just so the filmstock would register their skin properly. By then we had the three main archetypes.
Merida has a rare double swirl. Fantastic research on that account.
So, an engineered hairworld, as a collection of characters, acting as a character to subvert the Disney constraints. Too bad about the original visionary leaving. Jobs would not have allowed it.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Jobs had far less work to do with Pixar because they started as an engineering shop and ended up making movies. The stories are effective because they are carefully engineered, based not initially on intuition, but on the science (such as it is) of narrative dynamics. As Pixar matured, they started to engineer the cinematic techniques as well.
Now Pixar is part of the Disney machine, and Disney has a princess franchise to feed, and I am sure that a very specific set of goals was supplied to Pixar to engineer to. So we have the story and the rather blunt girl-mother issues that apparently have market traction. You, dear viewer, will be in their scope and satisfied with the engineered results or not. I don't care much about that.
What I do appreciate is the parallel engineering, the cinematic engineering. Pixar in the past has been experimenting with space, particularly the position occupied by the camera and the space that is defined around it. Lots of consideration of dimension that gives something like a visual score. Sometimes it directly supports the goals of the story; sometimes it does so indirectly by just making the images more enticing.
I think what they did here is fascinating. The spatial experiments are muted, at least the space occupied by the action. Instead, the space around the chief character's head is engineered, no doubt using proprietary motion technology. You can see it in two recent Pixar patent applications (12/717,530 and 12/717,540) with the implementation here using NURBS rather than polygons. As a matter of hidden history, the technique of using linear NURBS to define things like hair came directly from military aircraft radiation modeling for stealth.
But that is another story. What interests us here is the ability to both *realistically* emulate the effect that curls of hair have in gravity, wind jostling and rubbing up against each other, *and* the agent system where tufts to have some individual character and personality within the assembly. They are characters in their own filmworld. The more glum I got over the story-in- front, the more joy I was able to find in what they did with this hair. Some of the 1500 individual curls work against the assembly just as Merida works against her constraints.
The personality of each of the tufts remains the same throughout the film, but the nature of the agentworld of the tufts develops.
Because they have to emphasize the hair, they de-emphasize hair elsewhere. For instance, the bearhides are from a bygone technology. The snow that originally would have used the same technology and echoed the hair dynamics would have made a great film. But 'creative differences' and a shift in the director killed this.
Red hair in cinema has a long history, and it can be said that film at least clarified certain stereotypes. I have a small project tracing the development from "It!" and following black and white films where the red was known from tinted fan magazines, through Technicolor. Many actresses were forced to dye their hair just so the filmstock would register their skin properly. By then we had the three main archetypes.
Merida has a rare double swirl. Fantastic research on that account.
So, an engineered hairworld, as a collection of characters, acting as a character to subvert the Disney constraints. Too bad about the original visionary leaving. Jobs would not have allowed it.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
Motherly Affection
claudio_carvalho26 November 2012
In Scotland, the rebel Princess Merida is a skilled archery raised by her mother Queen Elinor in accordance with the traditions of the Kingdom of Dun Broch. Her father King Fergus lost part of one of his legs eaten by the fearful bear Mar'du and dreams on slaying the animal. In accordance with the costumes, Merida shall marry the first-born of the lords of her kingdom. Lord Dingwall, Lord MacGuffin and Lord Macintosh bring their sons to dispute the princess in a competition among them.
Merida lures the first-born and flees to the forest where she meets a witch. She asks a spell to change her mother and the witch prepares a small cake to give to her. When her mother eats a slice of the cake, she is turned into a bear and Fergus mistakenly takes her as being Mor'du. 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. There are funny moments, with the practical jokes of the three young brothers, the crow and the witch's broom, and the conclusion is well resolved. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Valente" ("Brave")
Merida lures the first-born and flees to the forest where she meets a witch. She asks a spell to change her mother and the witch prepares a small cake to give to her. When her mother eats a slice of the cake, she is turned into a bear and Fergus mistakenly takes her as being Mor'du. 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. There are funny moments, with the practical jokes of the three young brothers, the crow and the witch's broom, and the conclusion is well resolved. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Valente" ("Brave")
Beautiful movie
emmathomde3228 July 2013
What a fantastic film that has gotten such a terrible backlash.
Reasons for backlash:
1)People hate princess films and according to them it is the same as the others. Well anyone with an iota of intelligence will tell you that each princess film has a different story, a different message and a different but ever so present soul. We live in a society where two characters who have the same hair color and different faces and different personalities are viewed by the masses of people to be identical and the same person because people are superficial and so this film has a princess and that one SINGLE fact makes the film the SAME as all other princess films. Oh how intelligence has plummeted.
2) This is story about tradition and myth. That is part of the core of the tale. We live in a society with no tradition or real culture other than pop culture. So obviously the turmoil of the leads will go over the heads of the masses. I have friends who have been in situations where they were forced to marry someone and refusal to do so would have ghastly consequences for their families. It is real and heart breaking. In our society however people sleep with a hundred people before and even after marriage and can marry and divorce as they please without giving a rat's ass for their families who could suffer the brunt of their decisions. We live in a selfish society so obviously putting ourselves in the shoes of or even imagining what Merida and her mother go through and their reasons will not register with millions. No one will understand how breaking tradition could have disastrous consequences. They have no idea how in other countries how tradition and culture is a backbone of societies other than ours. people cannot in our society put themselves into the shoes of others as we are too selfish. And that is the truth.
3) This story has legends and stories, myths, tales that guide our heroines. In a society without stories that date thousands of years, cautionary tales and tales of truths to guide us, i doubt the impact of that will reach the minds of the public. Though abroad many and i mean many nations have tales, legends that date back thousands of years before our country received its name. These tales would guide people and be sources of moral and brainy wisdom for the children and adults. So obviously that went over everyone's heads. People in other countries hundreds upon hundreds of years ago used these legends and myths, these tales, to grow as a people.And to this day people in such countries still tell these tales to their kids as a moral message, teaching and preventing history from occurring.
4) Apparently it has no humor and people want humor over substance. I mean anyone seen The Hangover trilogy. Well people loved it as it shows what society is all about and that is public mindset.
5) It is about a mother-daughter story, it has moral messages and a lot of deep meaning. Apparently that means it is 'cliché'. What an overused word by the pseudo intellectual pretentious idiots who lack profound sense and think substance and sweetness is cliché just because they are sick douches. Half the time they don't even know what it means. I mean these days the word cheesy is used to describe anything with substance, sweetness, kindness, soul and love. And so something with profound wisdom and sheer lovely heart is considered cheesy while on the other hand depraved psycho disgusting buffoonery is considered amazing. Oh how far moral and substance has fallen in this society and how pretentious pseudo-intellect has taken over. Wisdom and profound thought and substance is dead or according to the depraved superficial and supposedly know it all generation 'cheesy'. Our society is so egoistic and full of itself that it cannot be educated or told great messages since according to them, they know everything and no one should dare question that by putting a real message in a movie. Even if these people know nothing they still must be considered to be the greatest and smartest. People hate their families or have been so poorly raised and some in favor of pets or vice versa where pets are considered better family than people so obviously their hate for the real meaning of life and family and love which they look down upon is 'cheesy' and 'cliche'. Well that is society for you and i hope that great movies with substance don't get the boot in favor of what such people want.
Reasons for backlash:
1)People hate princess films and according to them it is the same as the others. Well anyone with an iota of intelligence will tell you that each princess film has a different story, a different message and a different but ever so present soul. We live in a society where two characters who have the same hair color and different faces and different personalities are viewed by the masses of people to be identical and the same person because people are superficial and so this film has a princess and that one SINGLE fact makes the film the SAME as all other princess films. Oh how intelligence has plummeted.
2) This is story about tradition and myth. That is part of the core of the tale. We live in a society with no tradition or real culture other than pop culture. So obviously the turmoil of the leads will go over the heads of the masses. I have friends who have been in situations where they were forced to marry someone and refusal to do so would have ghastly consequences for their families. It is real and heart breaking. In our society however people sleep with a hundred people before and even after marriage and can marry and divorce as they please without giving a rat's ass for their families who could suffer the brunt of their decisions. We live in a selfish society so obviously putting ourselves in the shoes of or even imagining what Merida and her mother go through and their reasons will not register with millions. No one will understand how breaking tradition could have disastrous consequences. They have no idea how in other countries how tradition and culture is a backbone of societies other than ours. people cannot in our society put themselves into the shoes of others as we are too selfish. And that is the truth.
3) This story has legends and stories, myths, tales that guide our heroines. In a society without stories that date thousands of years, cautionary tales and tales of truths to guide us, i doubt the impact of that will reach the minds of the public. Though abroad many and i mean many nations have tales, legends that date back thousands of years before our country received its name. These tales would guide people and be sources of moral and brainy wisdom for the children and adults. So obviously that went over everyone's heads. People in other countries hundreds upon hundreds of years ago used these legends and myths, these tales, to grow as a people.And to this day people in such countries still tell these tales to their kids as a moral message, teaching and preventing history from occurring.
4) Apparently it has no humor and people want humor over substance. I mean anyone seen The Hangover trilogy. Well people loved it as it shows what society is all about and that is public mindset.
5) It is about a mother-daughter story, it has moral messages and a lot of deep meaning. Apparently that means it is 'cliché'. What an overused word by the pseudo intellectual pretentious idiots who lack profound sense and think substance and sweetness is cliché just because they are sick douches. Half the time they don't even know what it means. I mean these days the word cheesy is used to describe anything with substance, sweetness, kindness, soul and love. And so something with profound wisdom and sheer lovely heart is considered cheesy while on the other hand depraved psycho disgusting buffoonery is considered amazing. Oh how far moral and substance has fallen in this society and how pretentious pseudo-intellect has taken over. Wisdom and profound thought and substance is dead or according to the depraved superficial and supposedly know it all generation 'cheesy'. Our society is so egoistic and full of itself that it cannot be educated or told great messages since according to them, they know everything and no one should dare question that by putting a real message in a movie. Even if these people know nothing they still must be considered to be the greatest and smartest. People hate their families or have been so poorly raised and some in favor of pets or vice versa where pets are considered better family than people so obviously their hate for the real meaning of life and family and love which they look down upon is 'cheesy' and 'cliche'. Well that is society for you and i hope that great movies with substance don't get the boot in favor of what such people want.
A Celtic Tale to the Core
bjones22 June 2012
I was lucky enough to see this film in a movie with other paying customers. There was a liberal dose of children in the audience who, from the sounds of happiness during the showing, was proof that it should be a solid hit. Add to that a dreamy-eyed little boy of about 8 who said to me after the film, "I gotta get me a bow and arrow!" That's about as good a testimony as you could get.
I had heard a mention from a source or two - who should remain nameless - that they had trouble with the direction the story went or that it may have been too simplistic. First, I vividly recall people complaining that the story for UP! Was too com0plex, too adult, for a kids movie. But kids liked it anyway. So, they made the story simpler this time and there are complaints from other people. You can't have it both ways. Some people would even complain if they were hanged with a new rope.
What this story does try to do is present a flavor of the Highland Scots in the middle ages. Hollywood being what it is, it's certainly not historically accurate in every detail, but my word, was the animation superb! It was simply magnificent in the depth and complexity. The star, Merida's, hair certainly had center stage a lot. I loved it! Such a riotous bouquet of autumn beauty is hard to find in real life, although I have to say I have a friend of long acquaintance who's hair is EXACTLY like Merida's. My only complaint about that character is with that coloring she screamed with the need for freckles! That would have made her visually perfect to type and character and the absence really disappointed me.
Second, as to the story elements; I feel certain that there are few places on earth with a rich a history of mythical and magical creatures; all of which were taken quite seriously and believed without doubt. The old stories are replete with such tales containing Druids, witches, soothsayers, faeries, brownies, ùruisg, gruagach, little people, silkies, water horses, banshees, Bean-shìdh, kelpies, Blue Kelpies, Seonaidh's, Changelings, Wulvers (a sort of kindly werewolves), Will-o'-the-wisps, Nuckelavees (a quite monstrous elf) and on and on. All of which goes to say that this animated film rests smack in the center of an ancient and rich culture and does it some justice, not in overreaching accuracy, but certainly in underlining the look and feel of the land and the people.
I loved it, my daughter loved it and my grandkids loved it (it didn't hurt that this grouping contains several people with red hair). We loved the look of the people, the costumes, the sets - especially the forested ones and the wonderful voices! Billy Connolly, Kelly Macdonald and Emma Thompson all did a wonderful job.
Oh, yeah, my 5 year-old grandson wants the girl ... ;) By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/
I had heard a mention from a source or two - who should remain nameless - that they had trouble with the direction the story went or that it may have been too simplistic. First, I vividly recall people complaining that the story for UP! Was too com0plex, too adult, for a kids movie. But kids liked it anyway. So, they made the story simpler this time and there are complaints from other people. You can't have it both ways. Some people would even complain if they were hanged with a new rope.
What this story does try to do is present a flavor of the Highland Scots in the middle ages. Hollywood being what it is, it's certainly not historically accurate in every detail, but my word, was the animation superb! It was simply magnificent in the depth and complexity. The star, Merida's, hair certainly had center stage a lot. I loved it! Such a riotous bouquet of autumn beauty is hard to find in real life, although I have to say I have a friend of long acquaintance who's hair is EXACTLY like Merida's. My only complaint about that character is with that coloring she screamed with the need for freckles! That would have made her visually perfect to type and character and the absence really disappointed me.
Second, as to the story elements; I feel certain that there are few places on earth with a rich a history of mythical and magical creatures; all of which were taken quite seriously and believed without doubt. The old stories are replete with such tales containing Druids, witches, soothsayers, faeries, brownies, ùruisg, gruagach, little people, silkies, water horses, banshees, Bean-shìdh, kelpies, Blue Kelpies, Seonaidh's, Changelings, Wulvers (a sort of kindly werewolves), Will-o'-the-wisps, Nuckelavees (a quite monstrous elf) and on and on. All of which goes to say that this animated film rests smack in the center of an ancient and rich culture and does it some justice, not in overreaching accuracy, but certainly in underlining the look and feel of the land and the people.
I loved it, my daughter loved it and my grandkids loved it (it didn't hurt that this grouping contains several people with red hair). We loved the look of the people, the costumes, the sets - especially the forested ones and the wonderful voices! Billy Connolly, Kelly Macdonald and Emma Thompson all did a wonderful job.
Oh, yeah, my 5 year-old grandson wants the girl ... ;) By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/
A Simple Magic
billygoat10715 August 2012
The reason why Pixar movies are so special not only because of the filmmaking but also because of their creative high concepts and their heartfelt messages. They have their own kind of magic. Brave has it all but it sometimes feel different. The story is good but the idea is not as mind boggling as their other films. The only thing remains intact here is the heart. Despite from all that, it's still a wonderful film. But some might still be disappointed.
Brave has a little originality to its story. We don't see anything very intriguing but the wisps. The rest is something that we've already seen in other animated movies. But the film obviously points out at the message. Pixar finally returns at bringing genuine emotions after the Cars 2 fiasco last year, but this film doesn't go deeper until the third act. The movie is plodded with too much humor in the intro which it delays to the main plot. It's better when it finally goes to the story.
Some might still complain about being different to the usual Pixar animation. It is different and indeed feels more like a standard Disney animated film than Pixar. The main reason is the lack of high concepts. This is probably the least interesting concept among the others, but again it is more about the heart. The animation just got better. The visuals are undeniably gorgeous and it's enough for making this worth watching. The cast gave plenty of personality to their roles. 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. But the heart is still there and it works effectively. Maybe they wanted to try to be basic and leave the high concepts for a while. For now, we have a heartwarming tale about family. The filmmaking is without a doubt well done. The animation looks great. Pixar never fail at making good movies. Since this is not their best, at least they gave us something sweeter and absolutely beautiful.
Brave has a little originality to its story. We don't see anything very intriguing but the wisps. The rest is something that we've already seen in other animated movies. But the film obviously points out at the message. Pixar finally returns at bringing genuine emotions after the Cars 2 fiasco last year, but this film doesn't go deeper until the third act. The movie is plodded with too much humor in the intro which it delays to the main plot. It's better when it finally goes to the story.
Some might still complain about being different to the usual Pixar animation. It is different and indeed feels more like a standard Disney animated film than Pixar. The main reason is the lack of high concepts. This is probably the least interesting concept among the others, but again it is more about the heart. The animation just got better. The visuals are undeniably gorgeous and it's enough for making this worth watching. The cast gave plenty of personality to their roles. 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. But the heart is still there and it works effectively. Maybe they wanted to try to be basic and leave the high concepts for a while. For now, we have a heartwarming tale about family. The filmmaking is without a doubt well done. The animation looks great. Pixar never fail at making good movies. Since this is not their best, at least they gave us something sweeter and absolutely beautiful.
Great Animation, not so great story
samurai108-406-70046525 June 2012
Animation is spectacular, great setting in the Scottish Highlands. Voice acting is above par. However, this movie is not among the top Pixar films, by far. I felt the sickening presence of Disney all over the film -- weird politically correct preaching, overdone action scenes, and generally random and weird plot.
The story is really disappointing. What exactly makes her 'BRAVE'?? They should have named the movie 'PETULANT'. She's selfish, and the entire plot is about how she can get out of the results of her selfishness while remaining selfish. The magic feels out of place, lots of wasted scenes, and the whole bear thing was just plain annoying after a while.
Not a lot of funny moments, and generally boring! I was really looking forward to this movie, and I did not like it.
The story is really disappointing. What exactly makes her 'BRAVE'?? They should have named the movie 'PETULANT'. She's selfish, and the entire plot is about how she can get out of the results of her selfishness while remaining selfish. The magic feels out of place, lots of wasted scenes, and the whole bear thing was just plain annoying after a while.
Not a lot of funny moments, and generally boring! I was really looking forward to this movie, and I did not like it.
A small pearl
gianmarcoronconi7 August 2021
A Brave New Film From Pixar
jeev788224 June 2012
There's quite a bit about Brave that has marked it as a departure from Pixar's typical fare. The most memorable trailer was one of the best scenes from the movie, with Merida protesting her marriage by shooting for her own hand. That scene alone showcases the detail and quality of animation we've come to expect from Pixar. No other studio has managed to come near what they do. The motion of the characters is natural. Merida's gorgeous curly red hair is distracting in its details only at the perfect times. 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. But, in some ways, it's not meant to be. We're dealing with a primarily human cast for once, and ones meant to look very different than the ones in Up.
Beyond the animation, the story is somewhat flat. The trailers do an excellent job of concealing the twists, but the twists are all easy to see well ahead of time. The story revolves around Princess Merida who is continually at odds with her Mother, Elinor. At the center of their arguments: marriage. Merida is to be married to the first born of one of the leaders of the other three clans. She'll have none of it as she'd much rather ride off on her own and perfect her archery skills than sit at home and be a proper Princess. In her more childish qualities, she's like her father: an overgrown warrior child who also happens to be King. It's not a bad story, but it's certainly a little too basic. Most people will most likely find the lack of creativity in the script's details the biggest disappointment in Brave. There's no moments where we marvel "how did these guys come up with this?"
It's a pity because Merida is one of the best protagonists Pixar has been blessed with. She's likable and hate-able in all the right ways. She has quite a bit of bratty teenager in her - as evidenced by the lack of morality she displays in trying to change her mother's mind about her upcoming betrothal - and yet heaps of bravery - as she shows when confronted with what she's done to her Mother. The best part about Merida and the story is that she's the one continually driving it forward and making the choices. That proves vital as the film doesn't really have a villain. This isn't a good vs. evil battle like all their other movies not named Finding Nemo.
Brave falls somewhere in the middle for Pixar. It's great that it's original (especially with Pixar selling out and giving us Monster's Inc. 2 and Toy Story 4 shortly), it's great the protagonist is female and so well rounded, and it's great the animation is somewhat subdued for once. I can't help but feel that Brave lacks some of the magic and creativity that really separate the upper echelon of Pixar's best work from the rest of it. Of course, that'll still probably be enough to make it the best animated movie of the year.
For more reviews like this one as well as other movie musings, go to http://thethreeacts.wordpress.com/
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. But, in some ways, it's not meant to be. We're dealing with a primarily human cast for once, and ones meant to look very different than the ones in Up.
Beyond the animation, the story is somewhat flat. The trailers do an excellent job of concealing the twists, but the twists are all easy to see well ahead of time. The story revolves around Princess Merida who is continually at odds with her Mother, Elinor. At the center of their arguments: marriage. Merida is to be married to the first born of one of the leaders of the other three clans. She'll have none of it as she'd much rather ride off on her own and perfect her archery skills than sit at home and be a proper Princess. In her more childish qualities, she's like her father: an overgrown warrior child who also happens to be King. It's not a bad story, but it's certainly a little too basic. Most people will most likely find the lack of creativity in the script's details the biggest disappointment in Brave. There's no moments where we marvel "how did these guys come up with this?"
It's a pity because Merida is one of the best protagonists Pixar has been blessed with. She's likable and hate-able in all the right ways. She has quite a bit of bratty teenager in her - as evidenced by the lack of morality she displays in trying to change her mother's mind about her upcoming betrothal - and yet heaps of bravery - as she shows when confronted with what she's done to her Mother. The best part about Merida and the story is that she's the one continually driving it forward and making the choices. That proves vital as the film doesn't really have a villain. This isn't a good vs. evil battle like all their other movies not named Finding Nemo.
Brave falls somewhere in the middle for Pixar. It's great that it's original (especially with Pixar selling out and giving us Monster's Inc. 2 and Toy Story 4 shortly), it's great the protagonist is female and so well rounded, and it's great the animation is somewhat subdued for once. I can't help but feel that Brave lacks some of the magic and creativity that really separate the upper echelon of Pixar's best work from the rest of it. Of course, that'll still probably be enough to make it the best animated movie of the year.
For more reviews like this one as well as other movie musings, go to http://thethreeacts.wordpress.com/
Sadly homogenized
Mr-Fusion20 April 2015
I dunno what to make of "Brave". It says PIXAR before the title, but this is very much a Disney movie, from the gags and rhythms right down to the cutesy tone. I think that's the biggest thing; it's just kinda generic. Which is disappointing because it's set in the underused Scotland (and features some really picturesque locales). But mostly, it's the weak story, and it feels surprisingly long for 90 minutes. There was some great buildup with Merida's archery, but no payoff for such an independent female warrior.
It started out with promise, but falls right in line with "Tangled" and "Frozen" product.
5/10
It started out with promise, but falls right in line with "Tangled" and "Frozen" product.
5/10
A More or Less Average Film
gavin694211 February 2013
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
The people who select the Golden Globes winners... something is very, very wrong with them. Somehow this film became the winner of the Golden Globe for animation. Now, maybe the vote was split on two others and this one sneaked through... but I think somehow they thought it was the best. It is anything but.
Having now seen the five Oscar nominees for best animated feature, I sincerely hope this film does not walk away with the award. While it has a strong feminist message that may appeal to young women (which is good), the overall plot is your standard Disney story: girl gets in disagreement with parents and rebels, has to learn that she was wrong. We saw this in "Little Mermaid", to some degree in "Beauty and the Beast"... it is nothing new.
The animation is well done, that is true. But even if we judge the film only on technical merits, it would have to compete with the other nominees. Add in actual plot and a level of innovation and fun, and this one is nothing -- "ParaNorman" and "Wreck-It Ralph" are clearly better films, and even "Pirates" is probably the greater contribution to cinema.
The title and concept are confusing. Being called "Brave" and taking place in Scotland made me think it was a Disney version of "Braveheart". No. Not even close. The plot says she has to use her bravery and archery... well, sort of. But it is not actually an important aspect of the story.
This is a film you can play for your kids if you want the television to babysit them. But it is not a new Disney classic by any means.
The people who select the Golden Globes winners... something is very, very wrong with them. Somehow this film became the winner of the Golden Globe for animation. Now, maybe the vote was split on two others and this one sneaked through... but I think somehow they thought it was the best. It is anything but.
Having now seen the five Oscar nominees for best animated feature, I sincerely hope this film does not walk away with the award. While it has a strong feminist message that may appeal to young women (which is good), the overall plot is your standard Disney story: girl gets in disagreement with parents and rebels, has to learn that she was wrong. We saw this in "Little Mermaid", to some degree in "Beauty and the Beast"... it is nothing new.
The animation is well done, that is true. But even if we judge the film only on technical merits, it would have to compete with the other nominees. Add in actual plot and a level of innovation and fun, and this one is nothing -- "ParaNorman" and "Wreck-It Ralph" are clearly better films, and even "Pirates" is probably the greater contribution to cinema.
The title and concept are confusing. Being called "Brave" and taking place in Scotland made me think it was a Disney version of "Braveheart". No. Not even close. The plot says she has to use her bravery and archery... well, sort of. But it is not actually an important aspect of the story.
This is a film you can play for your kids if you want the television to babysit them. But it is not a new Disney classic by any means.
Solid fare in the old-school Disney tradition
dfranzen7010 July 2012
Brave, Pixar's new animated film, doesn't quite match its predecessors for whimsy, emotion, and awesomeness, but it's a pretty fine movie nonetheless. It has its scary parts, like most Disney movies, but the five year old who saw the movie with me wasn't scared one bit, so you probably won't be, either. But I don't know, she's kind of tough.
Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) is the first-born princess in a mythical Scotland kingdom. Unlike most princesses, though, Merida is feisty, passionate, and more willing to shoot a bow and arrow than to be a demure little lady. Sort of the opposite of what her strict mother, Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson) desires.
The feud between headstrong mother and child comes to a head when the former announces there will be a huge party attended by the three other major clans, the head of each bringing along his first-born son to offer to Merida as a husband. It's tradition, of course. That tradition gets upended by Merida's unyielding will, and in her desperate defiance of her mother she encounters a witch (Julie Walters) who grants her a spell that will change Merida's destiny. Not an uncommon theme in these movies; the trouble is that the characters never seem to understand that changing a destiny doesn't mean it's changed for the better. In this case, Merida's destiny - not a spoiler here - is changed in that her mother becomes a bear. Hilarity ensues.
All curses in movies, particularly in animated movies, have some kind of loophole. Here, it's that if Merida can repair a certain bond before two sunrises, she can reverse the spell; otherwise, dear old mum will be a bear forever. For a queen who hardly ever ventures outside her enormous castle, this is quite the fish-out-of-water dilemma.
From an animation standpoint, Brave is elegant without being too flashy. It doesn't try to be overly realistic, with a tremendous attention to detail, like the earlier Pixar films had. Truth be told, the movie has much more of an old-time, traditionally animated Disney film than a new- wave Pixar movie. The movie is presented in 3D and in 2D, and I recommend the latter - if only because there are many dark scenes (in a forest, mostly) that will be rendered indiscernible in 3D, which vacuums light up. Some of the forest scenes are very pretty indeed, specifically those involving the appearance of the will o' the wisp, a spirit that helps Merida find that which she seeks.
The movie is not without its fair share of humor, even slapstick. Merida's father, the King (voice of Billy Connolly) is a rough-and- tumble, huge, no-necked man who's just as soon drink a gallon of ale with you than break your nose. He's also missing a leg, the tale of which he never tires of telling, to the chagrin of his family. Merida also has three little brothers who, being boys, get away with anything they wish, while the poor princess must conform to strict rules of order. Ain't no fun being a princess, apparently.
Brave is a modest movie by Pixar standards, but its plot is a little more enriched than those of its predecessors, with myths, legends, and oral traditions leading the way to, in some cases, more questions. Well, more questions if you're eight years old and want to know more about everyone's intentions. If you are eight years old and are reading this, congratulations - our schools has made you a learny person. In any event, the plot is simple on the surface but contains deeper layers of provocative intrigue, never a bad thing. Kids will either gloss over the details or will find them fascinating.
Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) is the first-born princess in a mythical Scotland kingdom. Unlike most princesses, though, Merida is feisty, passionate, and more willing to shoot a bow and arrow than to be a demure little lady. Sort of the opposite of what her strict mother, Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson) desires.
The feud between headstrong mother and child comes to a head when the former announces there will be a huge party attended by the three other major clans, the head of each bringing along his first-born son to offer to Merida as a husband. It's tradition, of course. That tradition gets upended by Merida's unyielding will, and in her desperate defiance of her mother she encounters a witch (Julie Walters) who grants her a spell that will change Merida's destiny. Not an uncommon theme in these movies; the trouble is that the characters never seem to understand that changing a destiny doesn't mean it's changed for the better. In this case, Merida's destiny - not a spoiler here - is changed in that her mother becomes a bear. Hilarity ensues.
All curses in movies, particularly in animated movies, have some kind of loophole. Here, it's that if Merida can repair a certain bond before two sunrises, she can reverse the spell; otherwise, dear old mum will be a bear forever. For a queen who hardly ever ventures outside her enormous castle, this is quite the fish-out-of-water dilemma.
From an animation standpoint, Brave is elegant without being too flashy. It doesn't try to be overly realistic, with a tremendous attention to detail, like the earlier Pixar films had. Truth be told, the movie has much more of an old-time, traditionally animated Disney film than a new- wave Pixar movie. The movie is presented in 3D and in 2D, and I recommend the latter - if only because there are many dark scenes (in a forest, mostly) that will be rendered indiscernible in 3D, which vacuums light up. Some of the forest scenes are very pretty indeed, specifically those involving the appearance of the will o' the wisp, a spirit that helps Merida find that which she seeks.
The movie is not without its fair share of humor, even slapstick. Merida's father, the King (voice of Billy Connolly) is a rough-and- tumble, huge, no-necked man who's just as soon drink a gallon of ale with you than break your nose. He's also missing a leg, the tale of which he never tires of telling, to the chagrin of his family. Merida also has three little brothers who, being boys, get away with anything they wish, while the poor princess must conform to strict rules of order. Ain't no fun being a princess, apparently.
Brave is a modest movie by Pixar standards, but its plot is a little more enriched than those of its predecessors, with myths, legends, and oral traditions leading the way to, in some cases, more questions. Well, more questions if you're eight years old and want to know more about everyone's intentions. If you are eight years old and are reading this, congratulations - our schools has made you a learny person. In any event, the plot is simple on the surface but contains deeper layers of provocative intrigue, never a bad thing. Kids will either gloss over the details or will find them fascinating.
Mediocre and strictly by the Disney rule book
scramcat-122 June 2012
I suffered through the endless parade of BRAVE trailers for months. So many months. I began to feel the movie had already come and gone. And the trailers told me the single most important thing about this movie: Pixar hired a crack team of PhD mathematicians, created 5 new fields of modeling mathematics, and bought 27 BlueGene supercomputers just to render the girl's hair.
The hair bounces. The hair swings. The hair toussles. The hair drops stray locks here and there. The hair compacts. The hair billows. The hair responds to the wind. The hair responds to momentum and interia. The hair responds to humidity. 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. The visual styling is dazzling and inspiring, the attention to detail is mind-boggling. Pixar makes unprecedented use of technology to create a previously unseen richness of environment.
Which may explain why they had no energy left to craft a story you'd want to sit through.
You've seen each fundamental step of the story anywhere from a million to infinity-minus-one times before. Puberty-straddling girl wants to be a free spirit. Girl complains that NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HER. Girl uses various tricks and ruses to try to demonstrate she's capable but only demonstrates that she's impatient and devious. Girl resorts to a dirty trick to manipulate parents who JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HER. The dirty trick back-fires and girl spends most of the rest of the movie trying to undo the harm she caused and mistakenly comes to the conclusion that cleaning up her mess proves she's as cool as she thought she was, and isn't a stubborn, willful, spiteful, selfish, manipulative, deceitful, self-absorbed little bitch, not even a little.
Remind you of an episode of "That's So Raven"? See BRAVE at a second-run dollar cinema. Or wait and see it on NetFlix.
The hair bounces. The hair swings. The hair toussles. The hair drops stray locks here and there. The hair compacts. The hair billows. The hair responds to the wind. The hair responds to momentum and interia. The hair responds to humidity. 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. The visual styling is dazzling and inspiring, the attention to detail is mind-boggling. Pixar makes unprecedented use of technology to create a previously unseen richness of environment.
Which may explain why they had no energy left to craft a story you'd want to sit through.
You've seen each fundamental step of the story anywhere from a million to infinity-minus-one times before. Puberty-straddling girl wants to be a free spirit. Girl complains that NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HER. Girl uses various tricks and ruses to try to demonstrate she's capable but only demonstrates that she's impatient and devious. Girl resorts to a dirty trick to manipulate parents who JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HER. The dirty trick back-fires and girl spends most of the rest of the movie trying to undo the harm she caused and mistakenly comes to the conclusion that cleaning up her mess proves she's as cool as she thought she was, and isn't a stubborn, willful, spiteful, selfish, manipulative, deceitful, self-absorbed little bitch, not even a little.
Remind you of an episode of "That's So Raven"? See BRAVE at a second-run dollar cinema. Or wait and see it on NetFlix.
recommended for ages 6+
janisgale18 June 2012
I watched this movie in 3D with my (very mature for his age) five year old grandson. He loved it and wanted to talk about the plot for most of the afternoon to anyone who would listen. 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. There was lots of action and the plot was attention grabbing and unique, with no soppy love story and little slang included.
Personally, after the first five minutes, which were a bit slow, I became absorbed in the story and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. There was lots of action and the plot was attention grabbing and unique, with no soppy love story and little slang included.
A Great Movie.. But not 'Pixar' Great...
ShaShank_MovieFreak22 June 2012
I am a great fan of Pixar studios, so I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can while writing this review. Brave sure does mark a comeback to Pixar. After Cars 2, many thought that the beloved animation studio lost its vibe and magic, but this movie proves everyone wrong. I mean it. Pixar is back. But... The movie is not extra-ordinary or marvelous like Up or Wall-e. Its great, but not in a 'Pixar' kind of way. But then again, the movie is much different from the usual Pixar style of movie-making, which might be the reason why I made the previous point.
Firstly, the visuals. I mean, come on, no one beats Pixar when it comes to Animation and visual effects. And this time, the studio has really outdone itself. Brave should probably be the greatest animation work of Pixar up to date. The Characters, the ancient Scotland, the Artwork, the Scenery, you name it. It was splendid. Even the voices were perfectly cast. Kelly McDonald was very convincing as Merida and so was the case with everyone else. Also, I loved the way she spoke in her Scottish accent.
Talking about the story, it sounded more like a Disney story than a Pixar one. It was, of course, the darkest Pixar tale so far and even the jokes got a little matured this time around. And I have to say this, though. The message the movie gives about freedom and family was very good. You may not actually appreciate it and get impressed as soon as you see it but once you see the movie and after a while you think of it, you'll start liking it. It did happen to me.
I only have a few things against the movie, the first one being that the studio didn't reach its previous standards of story-telling. The second one was the pace, which was alright for most of the movie except for at the beginning of the second half. Also, I must have raised my expectations dramatically after watching the trailers, so probably I did get a little disappointed. But nevertheless, the movie is without doubt, a very good movie. Only, it's neither the best nor the worst of Pixar films. It dangles somewhere in the middle of the list.
Also, there was a very beautiful short movie called La Luna at the beginning of the movie. By the way, 'If you had the chance to change you fate, would you?' This line is kind of cool. Who knew? You might find it useful someday.
Firstly, the visuals. I mean, come on, no one beats Pixar when it comes to Animation and visual effects. And this time, the studio has really outdone itself. Brave should probably be the greatest animation work of Pixar up to date. The Characters, the ancient Scotland, the Artwork, the Scenery, you name it. It was splendid. Even the voices were perfectly cast. Kelly McDonald was very convincing as Merida and so was the case with everyone else. Also, I loved the way she spoke in her Scottish accent.
Talking about the story, it sounded more like a Disney story than a Pixar one. It was, of course, the darkest Pixar tale so far and even the jokes got a little matured this time around. And I have to say this, though. The message the movie gives about freedom and family was very good. You may not actually appreciate it and get impressed as soon as you see it but once you see the movie and after a while you think of it, you'll start liking it. It did happen to me.
I only have a few things against the movie, the first one being that the studio didn't reach its previous standards of story-telling. The second one was the pace, which was alright for most of the movie except for at the beginning of the second half. Also, I must have raised my expectations dramatically after watching the trailers, so probably I did get a little disappointed. But nevertheless, the movie is without doubt, a very good movie. Only, it's neither the best nor the worst of Pixar films. It dangles somewhere in the middle of the list.
Also, there was a very beautiful short movie called La Luna at the beginning of the movie. By the way, 'If you had the chance to change you fate, would you?' This line is kind of cool. Who knew? You might find it useful someday.
A quality change of fate for Pixar
lovgrena17 June 2012
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. In a journey of magic, adventure and family, the fiery Scot is launched into the ranks of the elite Disney princesses.
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. Though the movie heavily focuses on a mother- daughter relationship, it's not just for girls anymore than Mulan was. 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. The environments are based on real Scottish landmarks, adding real depth to the story, and the colors are as bright as they are grounded, creating a wonderfully real world. Such visuals lend credence to the upcoming 3D re-release of Finding Nemo, though not much, but also show just how far the studio has come.
All of the elements put together, Brave is a different sort of movie than many were expecting. More focused on a single pair and their quest together, not to mention darker by far, the story of Merida was a leap of faith for the once small studio.
Many will have their doubts, left wanting another heart wrenching love story from Up or creative take on a beat to death genre like The Incredibles. That was never the purpose. 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.
The Disney-Pixar animated feature focuses on Princess Merida as she searches for a way to change her fate. In a journey of magic, adventure and family, the fiery Scot is launched into the ranks of the elite Disney princesses.
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. Though the movie heavily focuses on a mother- daughter relationship, it's not just for girls anymore than Mulan was. 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. The environments are based on real Scottish landmarks, adding real depth to the story, and the colors are as bright as they are grounded, creating a wonderfully real world. Such visuals lend credence to the upcoming 3D re-release of Finding Nemo, though not much, but also show just how far the studio has come.
All of the elements put together, Brave is a different sort of movie than many were expecting. More focused on a single pair and their quest together, not to mention darker by far, the story of Merida was a leap of faith for the once small studio.
Many will have their doubts, left wanting another heart wrenching love story from Up or creative take on a beat to death genre like The Incredibles. That was never the purpose. 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.
Better is difficult
valadas5 September 2012
This animation movie reaches the top of its kind not only in technical terms (images, movements, scenes, landscapes, special effects, characters' human-like expressions) but also in terms of contents (a good touching story of good values). We almost forget we are watching an animation movie at some moments. The character of Merida the young rebel princess is very well conceived and designed and it's also morally convincing. In visual terms it is sometimes delirious and overwhelming and it's very well proportioned in terms of comedy, drama, action, poetry and angles of vision. An excellent movie not only for children but also for grownups
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