Merida is a fiery and headstrong princess of a Scottish clan who resents the life of decorum and propriety insisted upon by her mother, and would much rather be riding through the forest and indulging her passion for archery instead of brushing her hair and squeezing into dresses. Upon discovering that to maintain her father’s alliance with three clans she must marry the son of one of their chieftains, she looks for a way to change her fate. But, as they say, you should be careful what you wish for.
The reason why Pixar has such a richly deserved reputation for producing quality films is that its creative heads are also in charge of the studio. Without executives higher up the food chain constantly interfering with the filmmaking process, the story is allowed to roam free. While complaints abound that the story of Brave is more “Disney than “Pixar, it still differs in several important ways. Whereas traditional Disney films end with a marriage, the plot of Brave is driven by the consequences of Merida actively trying to avoid such a resolution.
Like Jasmine in 1992’s Aladdin, the main source of her frustration is that nobody bothered to ask her what she wanted. Merida’s self-reliance is a refreshing change from the traditional depiction of princesses, and at no point does it even occur to her to enlist anyone else’s help. She accepts responsibility for the problem her actions cause and goes about finding a solution for it.
Billy Connolly is clearly having a riot as King Fergus, a man whose boisterous personality remains at odds with the behaviour expected of him as a king, a trait he apparently passed on to his daughter. Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor might be frustrating in her constant correction of Merida’s behaviour “A princess doesnae stuff her gob! but it’s made clear her desire to encourage Merida to behave “properly is done out of love.
Historically, the setting of Brave is all over the place, but since it’s effectively a fantasy story it doesn’t really matter. It would be a little hypocritical to accept the existence of will-o’-the-wisps, magic and curses while decrying a couple of minor anachronisms. The animators have clearly done their research, as even in CGI the untamed majesty of the Scottish landscape has rarely looked so captivating. Visual details like a wooden arrow wobbling in flight or the chaotic geometry of Merida’s hair offer rare instances where 3D actually adds something.
Pixar would not be Pixar without good-natured humour, and Brave has it in abundance, whether it be the antics of Merida’s brothers an adorable trio of hellraising toddlers a somewhat inventive use for kilts, or a unique take on an automated answering service. Also, as was so memorably shown in 2006’s Tangled, Brave offers further proof that animals certainly don’t need to speak in order to be expressive.
Overall Verdict: While Brave is not as groundbreaking as many of Pixar’s previous efforts, films should be judged on what they are, rather than what they’re not. What Brave is, is a masterfully produced tale that’s straightforward yet charming, and one that people of all ages can enjoy.
Reviewer: Andrew Marshall