When a movie carries the Pixar brand, the expectations are
high, very high. So it’s unfortunate that “Brave,” Pixar’s latest about an
unconventional fairytale princess having mother issues in medieval Scotland,
doesn’t measure up. Technically and visually, “Brave” is up to Pixar’s
standards. The curly red hair of the heroine is rendered with a naturalness
that’s distracting. But in terms of story and emotional impact, this movie
comes up short. If you loved WALL-E, Up
and Toy Story 3, with their ability
to be simple yet profound, you’ll be disappointed here. Merida (voiced by Kelly
Macdonald) is supposed to be the heroine, but the narrative tilts the balance
too far in Mom’s direction so instead of being adorably spunky, Merida becomes
more of a willful brat and it’s really hard to like her let alone root for her.
Mom, Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson) is really the heroine. She is the most
complex of the characters and the one that best exemplifies the film’s title.
Merida’s father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) is a
happy-go-lucky fellow who indulges his daughter, teaching her how to use a bow
and allowing her to roam freely, doing what she wants. Her mother is prim and
critical and would prefer that Merida spend her time in ladylike pursuits
rather than practicing archery and galloping about on her horse, Angus. The
situation comes to a head when Merida reaches adolescence and is expected to
wed to maintain order among the potentially warring clans. Her husband is to be
the son of one of three clan leaders and the sons will compete in an archery
contest. When Merida enters the games herself and wins with her archery
ability, her mother tries to punish her by throwing her bow into the fireplace.
Merida rides off in a tempter and meets a slightly dotty witch (Julie Walters)
who casts a spell to help change Elinor’s mind. However, the spell changes
Elinor into a Mama Bear. Now mother and daughter need each other to try to find
a way to break the spell. “Brave” isn’t a bad movie. It’s just not one of
Pixar’s best. 6/22/12
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