BRAVE

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE A +

Kelly McDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane
Written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecci
Directed by Mark Andrews, and Brenda Chapman
Co-Directed by Steve Purcell

The story begins with Merida, a little princess with a wild mane of red, curly hair, is living in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch with her mother, Queen Elinor and her father, King Fergus. Young Merida is enchanted when she sees a will o' the whisp, a magical little faerie creature, But of course, King Fergus does not believe in such things, but Merida and her mother do.

On Merida's birthday, Fergus gives Merida a bow and arrow. While going hunting, Merida's family are attacked by an ancient bear, Mor'du. Elinor and Merida flee. Fergus stays to battle the bear and loses his left leg, vowing to find Mor'du again.
The narrative then then jumps forward, and Merida has become a young lady of marrying age. And marriage seems to be exactly what is on everyone's minds . . . except for Merida herself. When Lords Macintosh, MacGuffin, and Dingwall present their sons to compete for Merida's hand, a brawl ensues, and it is agreed that the proper suitor will be chosen through a test of skill, which, according to tradition, is decided upon by the princess herself. Seeing an opportunity, Merida chooses an archery challenge, with the secret plan to compete for her own hand.

From there, the story takes some unexpected turns and it went isn't a very different direction then I was expecting, as the film takes on a heavy fantasy element and becomes less of the soaring adventure the trailer might leave audiences anticipating. In the end, this is PIXAR movie, and as such, it falls back on being what PIXAR does best. Brave is a buddy movie, much like Toy story, Monsters', Inc., Finding Nemo – but it's a different kind of buddy movie. It's a mother-daughter buddy movie, and a gloriously heartfelt and insightful one. It breathes a sorely needed element of feminism into the Disney Princess world – even Beauty and the Beast, after all, while centered around a heroine who wanted more than to just defined by a relationship with a man, still ends up being about her relationship with the right man - but it's also a story about the strength of families and the unbreakable bond between good parents and their children.
Merida (as voice by Kelly McDonald) is in a class by herself as a Disney Princess. She's strong willed, can outshout any man in the kingdom with a bow, and even stand up to her own father with a sword. But she's also immature and too impetuous, and perhaps a bit selfish in some of her actions. She's not perfect, which only strengthens the character and the messages of the film. She much to teach her family and her kingdom, but much to learn as well. But the same can be said of Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Fergus (Billy Connolly.). The family dynamic in Brave is one of the strongest and most honest ever portrayed in a Disney film, and in the end, in this royal family, the family element is of far more importance than royalty.
The voice cast is excellent, especially the aforementioned leads, but the addition of such stalwarts as Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters and even talk show host Craig Ferguson are top notch. And of course, there is the obligatory cameo by John Ratzenberger.

The majesty of the Scottish highlands are brilliantly brought to life, not only by the dazzling animation, but by the outstanding musical score by Patrick Doyle (most famous for scoring Kenneth Branagh's films from Henry V to Thor, as well as Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire and Rise of The Planet of the Apes). As an aficionado of Celtic music who actually used to play the bagpipes myself, I was beyond delighted to hear actual Highland pipes featured in the score itself, which is almost never done, and the attention to accuracy to detail, from the clothing to the food the caber toss and the steps of my personal favorite Highland dance, the seann trius, are not something most people are going to geek out over like I did, but they add a flavor and nuance to the transportation of the audience to to a different time and place that enhance the experience even for those who aren't fully aware of it.

The story at times becomes reminiscent of other Disney films, with the slight touch of Toy Story that one would expect from PIXAR and elements of The Princess and The Frog and even the unfairly maligned Brother Bear, but it takes on such a distinct identity of it's own that it never becomes tedious or feels like it's covering the same old territory.

This is a perfect family film on a epic scale, and a very welcome Princess story that is indeed about love, but where romance never enters the picture, and while there's nothing wrong with romance, it's a wonderfully refreshing change of pace for such a story to portray that life, and love, have so much else to offer than just the pairing of a Princess with her handsome Prince and their happily ever after. Life is a journey, and every moment is something to be savored.

Brave is rated G, but does feature some intense moments, as well as brief nudity (male backsides) and a joke centered around a Lady in Waiting's ample cleavage, but both are very tastefully done and it's still appropriate for little ones.