Brave

As usual this decade whenever a new Pixar film is approaching release, I am watching its rating on the internet as if it is a sports event. Good news: critics were kinder to "Brave" than they were to "Cars 2" (I liked that film by the way). Unfortunate news: "Brave" is not as good as I was hoping it would be. That being said, "Brave" is good. The film also continues to entertain after multiple viewings and I am so thankful for that. Its target audience however is not the whole family but rather females/young children. I think that the two directors of this film had different goals and that is one reason that it doesn't quite live up to the Pixar films of the past. The story was good and there were steps taken to make it less cliche but not enough for me. It is also very different from any other Pixar film and the characters were not as enduring as say Woody or Dory or Carl Frederickson.

I will start by mentioning what I find wrong with the movie so as to end positively because I truly do like "Brave". One blunder was that the trailers spoiled the story for me. If they had been a little more vague like with the advertizing for "Up" or "WALL-E", I would have enjoyed "Brave" a little more. For those aforementioned films, their trailers gave you a general idea of what the movie was about but they did not reveal important story elements. That way, when you went to see the actual movie, you were taken for a dramatic ride. The moment I saw three little bears in the trailer for "Brave", I could easily guess the crisis of the story. Also, the archery competition would have been a great scene if it had not been used in its entirety for advertizing. Additionally, and this is the most important piece of criticism, the characters were good but not great. They were not as memorable as what I have come to expect from Pixar. A good comparison is "The Incredibles" (that film was also a departure from its preceding Pixar films). Brad Bird was able to create a realistic and relatable family in the computer. The royal family of DunBroch was entertaining to watch but seemed a little flat for Pixar characters. An example of this is the triplets because they don't talk. The running gag of them stealing the pastries got a little old by the way because we saw this in the previews too much as well. I wanted to admire Merida for trying to change her fate. Because she goes about it in the wrong way, it was a little hard to root for her. One difficulty I had with the story of the movie is that it was hard for me to relate to it. It has similarities to "Finding Nemo" and Disney's "Brother Bear" except it stars females. I have trouble connecting emotionally to the story of "Finding Nemo" and it is the same with "Brave". The story of the movie was also a little cliché as mentioned. This is a well-used plot: the protagonist wants to change her life, a magical spell is cast with unforeseen consequences and she must work fast to fix things back to the way they were. I have seen this on TV and in movies for years. The climax of the movie is also very typical of a story like this but if creators of "WALL-E" were able to take a cliché climax in that movie and make it suspenseful, then why could they not do it for "Brave". Pixar was more than capable of making this story genuine despite its how familiar it is. When Merida puts the tapestry overtop of Mother Bear, it became obvious that she would turn human again because this is a PG film. More drama was needed in the moment when war becomes a possibility between all the clans. The resolution worked but there should be been less comedic strife between the clans to begin with. As wonderful as Merida's speech was, it would have been better if the conflict between the clans were more serious. Pixar is great at stories and so the only reason that I can think of as to why the story of "Brave" was good but not great is the fact that two different people were directing this one animated movie.

This is Pixar's first film with a female protagonist, let alone a princess. By the way, I am glad that Disney listened to the public and retained Merida's original qualities for marketing and in theme parks. I was very grateful for the opening scene because it establishes essential subtext. That and the flashback in the middle of the film were nice touches because they allow us to remember how close Merida and Elinor were years ago. I was very impressed with the animation of Elinor when she is a bear. The performance of that character during Merida's speech to the clans for example was very good. It was quite genuine. For most of the time that Elinor was a bear, I could tell it was Elinor and not just any human being. The way she used her paws and her facial performance were very reminiscent of Elinor when she was human. The return to the witch's cottage was handled very well story-wise. Merida's line of "Can't believe it. I found it" was perfect in this moment because normally in this classic story pattern, the cottage would have disappeared. The house may be there but the witch is out and all they get is her "answering machine". That is the kind of Pixar storytelling I like. As mentioned, the story is hard for me to relate to because I am male and have no relationship problems with my mother. Setting that aside, the relationship development between Merida and Elinor is quite well handled. The story may have been a tad cliché but this part of it worked because of the voice acting, animation and screenwriting. By the end of the movie, Merida learns to become a princess and Elinor embraces what makes her daughter happy. I love how Elinor's hair is not braided after she is human again. "Brave" is also Pixar's first movie to be set in the past. You might think that it therefore takes place outside the Pixar universe but I plan on treating this film as if it does; it just takes place centuries before the other movies. The Pizza Planet Delivery Truck is hidden on the witch's table if you are watching and you can also find Sulley in her cottage. The fact that this is a period movie is a huge step for Pixar after more than a decade of movies set in the modern world or later. They are afraid of complacency there and I admire them trying to do something different. The humor in the movie is typical of Pixar thankfully. I love how the men get down from the tower for example even though it went little far. I was very happy to see the tribute to Steve Jobs during the end credits but I am betting that many people may miss the subtext behind it. Pixar would not exist without Jobs. He bought the company from Lucasfilm in the early 80's for 5 million dollars but as time passed, that investment increased another 5 million as Pixar struggled to earn money. He was very forgiving in this case however and one week after "Toy Story" came out, the company went public and Jobs raised $132,000,000. Steve Jobs is also the executive producer of "Toy Story".

Co-director Brenda Chapman started out at Disney working in the story department during the Disney Renascence. She later went to Dreamworks before arriving at Pixar where she thought up this movie. The film I will thank her for the most is Dreamworks' "The Prince of Egypt", on which she was also a co-director. Creative differences on "Brave" led to her sharing the directorial credit with Mark Andrews. As with "Cars 2", I believe that this helped save the film. Andrews came to Pixar when Brad Bird brought his teammates from “The Iron Giant” to work on “The Incredibles”. Andrews was the story supervisor on "The Incredibles" and he was also co-director of the Pixar short film "One Man Band". Another thing I will be grateful to him for is that he storyboarded the opening adventure in "Toy Story 3". Andrews even reminds me of Brad Bird. While I could tell that their styles clashed as I watched "Brave", Chapman's experience with fantasy and Andrews' talent for action/adventure made this movie enjoyable. This movie has a few connections with the Harry Potter franchise. Cast members Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters all acted in "The Deathly Hallows: Part 2". "Brave" is the third film that Macdonald and Thompson have been in together actually. I remember Billy Connolly from two other Disney films: "Pocahontas" and "Muppet Treasure Island". He was great as King Fergus. The role of Queen Elinor was tailor-made for Emma Thompson. John Ratzenberger by the way played Gordon, the door guard. This movie is the first time in 8 years that Pixar has welcomed a new composer. Patrick Doyle was a good choice and he composed the music for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". The way the songs in "Brave" are used is typical of a Pixar film. As on the first "Toy Story", the songs portray the feelings of the scenes. The movie does make some great advances in technology. The realistic hair on the characters is quite amazing and the last time I noticed this much advancement in the look of human hair for a Pixar film was back in 2004 on "The Incredibles". For the first time in 25 years, Pixar entirely rewrote their animation system so that they could achieve the complexity that the setting of Scotland demanded. I loved the look and feel of various scenes such as when Merida gets a day off in the forest and she climbs the cliff to drink from the waterfall. This was the movie's "wow moment" but I like these kinds of moments better when they occur during the climax like on Pixar's first four films. "Brave" was also the first movie to use the Dolby Atmos sound format. Simply put, it is another way for theaters to offer a different kind of entertainment experience that is impossible at home. The sound is apparently more dynamic than even 7.1 Channel Surround Sound. I support that kind of decision because going to the movie theater is always more fun than being at home watching a film. Size does matter.

Walt Disney's films had great stories with great characters and technological advancements. Pixar has continued this tradition very well but in "Brave", it was more like a good story with good characters. Most other Pixar films had a lot of drive behind them because the stories were strong, almost as if they were dying to be told. I didn't feel that with "Brave". As you might have guessed, my criticisms concerning the story are a little picky. I do like the movie and I own it on Blu-ray; I am just comparing it to the past masterpieces that have come from this amazing studio. I was a little disapointed when it won Best Animated Film at the Golden Globes and Oscars because I think that "Wreck-It Ralph" was better. That does sound hypocritical as a Pixar fan but I will admit that I am happy that "Brave" won. What I hope for the most is that "Brave" continues to entertain. Current evidence points to yes.

4 Stars out of 5