Movie Review: Brave

Brave  $$$ 1/2

PG

100 Minutes
Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, and Billy Connolly.
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell.

            As usual, Pixar does a wonderful job with this film. Before I get into that I want to take a moment to comment about the short feature they included with it. I love that Pixar has brought back this form of micro entertainment to the theater. Not only is Luna a fun featurette, but it’s a nod to masterful storytelling. It demonstrates that conflict (which is at the heart of any true story) can be fun and light and that character can be developed without using a single understandable line of dialogue. For all of my fellow authors, take a moment to admire the craft that goes into creative and compact story.

            Moving on to the main event, we are introduced to Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald). She is a free spirit who wants to choose her own destiny. Unfortunately she is the princess and expected to select a suitor from one of the three clans that are allied with her father’s kingdom. None of them are good matches for her, but even if they were she is headstrong and unwilling to accept the life that has been arranged for her.

            The opportunity to direct the helm of her own destiny is given to her when she follows a trail set by the will-o-wisps and encounters a witch. Merida purchases a spell from the witch that will change her mother and in doing so will change her destiny. As you can imagine, the change is not what Merida expected or wants and she must race to save her mother and her father’s kingdom.

            If I have to find a fault with this film it is in the fact that it is predictable. That’s not always a bad thing. You know coming into a Pixar film that it will be good family entertainment where we have a predictably satisfying ending and a host of laughs along the way. Let’s face it, that’s why we go to Pixar films in such large numbers. The story line is interesting and I especially love the Scottish setting of the story.

            The voice acting was seamless and the animation was beautiful. This is everything you expect from the Pixar studios. Normally, this is where I would make a comment about the villain and how he/she either made the film better or weakened the movie with their sub-standard appearance; however, there isn’t a true villain in the movie. The conflict in the film is provided by Merida and her mother Elinor (Emma Thompson) in a manner that makes the story all the more touching because of it.
            See this first run so you can enjoy all the color and sound in its best presentation, but you can probably wait for a bargain showing. While it caused me to tear-up in spots, I don’t find myself anxiously waiting for it to come out on DVD so I can purchase it, or a need to rush out and see it again right away. This is good fun and worth the money to see, but I don’t expect it to be the best movie of the year or even of the summer. 
 

            Randy’s Rating System

$$$$   = Full Price    See this movie right away and pay full price, it’s worth it.

$$$     = Matinee      Catch this as a matinee or other discounted showing.
$$        = Discount     Wait until this movie reaches a discount theater near you.
$          = Rental         Wait until this movie reaches your local video rental outlet.
0          = No Sale       Don’t see this movie at any price.