An ongoing series looking back at the feature films of Pixar Animation Studios
In the Pixar roster, Brave stands out by being the only one to date to have a female protagonist at its helm. Add the fact that it's their first princess for the Disney line and it was originally run by Pixar's first female director (Brenda Chapman, who left during the project due to creative disagreements), and you get a film which some of the audience were unhappy with. Its surprise Best Animated Feature win at the Oscars angered those who wanted Disney's Wreck It Ralph to win, and many were shocked when the film won. But with all these difficulties and lukewarm receptions aside, is Brave a good film, and a better film than Pixar's previous critical failure Cars 2?
Princess Merida (Kelly MacDonald) is a partially likable lead, making a great start for hopefully a long run of female protagonists. There is one scene in which she is annoying - during Elinor's (Emma Thompson) first stages of transformation, she is incredibly uncaring for her mother and constantly asks the same question over and over - but thankfully that passes by quickly and she gets distracted by Bear-Mum. Outside of that moment, she's a good watch with some superb archery skills. Elinor is also a good character, with the dynamic between mother and daughter being a brilliant story unused by both Pixar and the Disney Princess line (unless you count Mother Gothel in Tangled, but she's not a real mother). She's humourous in the first stages of Bear-Mum, and it brings forth an ending filled with emotion. Father Fergus (Billy Connolly) is hilarious, with his care for his family being a great viewing. He is very briefly a villain in the story, but once real villain Mor'du reappears, he rejoins the side of the angels. As for the mainly mute triplets, they provide some slapstick comedy and a great chase scene, but are absent in the second act of the film. Other characters provide some humour, but not much as the contemporary family of Dunbroch. Mor'du is likely going to scare younger viewers, and he isn't the strongest enemy in Pixar's roster, but does provide some good action sequences. As for Julie Walters' witch, she is sadly underused as her presence would add more to the film.
The story, as previously mentioned, is a good one. Not the most original, as it falls for the likes of fate and curses - pretty much a staple in Disney's filmography - but a good one nevertheless. Add the parent-child dynamic, and it is enjoyable. Perhaps if there was more depth and a larger role for some characters, the story would be better. It's humour is hit and miss, but too is strong. At times, it relies on jokes about breasts and nudity, which seems rather out of character for the studio as they usually use a higher class of humour.
The visuals are stunning, which medieval Scotland never looking so beautiful. Merida's hair is complex and luscious and the Wisps - whilst underused - are lovely little things. However, these visuals are hidden within the designs of the humans, which are a bit lacklustre. When compared to the great lands and the Archery scenes, it does pull you out of the film - especially with a main who looks like a child's doll.
Brave is a good film, with a nice story which does dip in the middle, some strong animation amongst some rather dull human designs, and humour which is a mix of good and bad. The film does get a lot of bad word of mouth despite its good quality and the break from sequels, and it does have some faults, but it's an improvement over the last Pixar film. 7/10.
Next Time: It's my job to make great students greater, not make mediocre student less mediocre
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