Brave review

Princess Merida: There comes a day when I don't have to be a Princess. No rules, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day where I can change my fate.

Despite appearing to be Pixar attempting to do a classic Disney style fairytale, Brave is much more than what initially meets the eye. In the place of the stereotypically evil villain, we have a troubled relationship between a princess and her mother. Our heroine Merida (Kelly McDonald) isn't looking for a prince charming but is repulsed by the idea, in spite of a grand tournament being held to find the most eligible bachelor. When her mother Elinor (Emma Thompson) pushes her to breaking point with incessant nagging to be more like a princess, she utilizes magic to try to change her fate.

Despite what seemed like a promise of a fresh take on the fairytale genre, the first half of brave is rather run of the mill, and unfortunately plays to its predictable stereotype of being another Disney fantasy. There's a castle, a king and queen and a set up for the antagonist.  Only during the second half does brave transcend its genre and becomes an enjoyable film. To try and avoid the marriage that she desperately doesn’t want, she consults the help of a witch (Julie Walters). This is very much the point where Pixar show us the quality they can produce that was sorely lacking in cars 2. They effortlessly shift events into the high gear, just as we've come to expect from them. The amount of action is higher, scenes hold more tension and with more screentime for Merida’s triplet brothers, things are much funnier as well.

 The biggest stumbling block in the second half of brave is that it lacks the grand scale needed to accommodate its story. Much of the story continues to take place in and around Merida’s castle home, only once venturing far out into the highlands. This scene gives the required scope to augment the films adventurous side, an aspect that was sorely lacking and then disappears, once again becoming absent for the remainder of the film. Culminating with what is best described as a chase scene is merely good instead of the brilliance it could have been.

All in all, brave is still a good film. It features enjoyable characters, good dialogue and enough emotion to satisfy with a strong finish. Many were concerned after the stumble that was last year’s cars 2, worried that it marked the fall of Pixar’s golden age. While it was by far their worst entry in their 17 year history, brave can be considered as their revival, albeit a small one. It’s not as fun as the Incredibles or as poignant as UP, but is something of a landmark for Pixar; Merida is their first female protagonist after all. Brave is a solid film that appeals to both adults and their children, and could well become one of the best animated films of 2012.

7