Brave 3D Review

Rated PG (Some Scary Action and Rude Humor)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes

Cast (voice):

Kelly Macdonald-Princess Mérida

Emma Thompson-Queen Elinor

Billy Connolly-King Fergus

Kevin McKidd-Lord MacGuffin/Young MacGuffin

Craig Ferguson-Lord Macintosh

Robbie Coltrane-Lord Dingwall

Julie Walters-The Witch

Steven Cree-Young Macintosh

Callum O'Neill-Wee Dingwall

Sally Kinghorn & Eilidh Fraser- Maudie

John Ratzenberger-Gordon

Patrick Doyle-Martin

Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell

Princess Mérida (Kelly Macdonald) confronts her destiny in Pixar's latest, "Brave."

It's hard to believe that sixteen years have passed since I saw my first Pixar film, "Toy Story." Since then I've been a fan of the stalwart animation studio, whose name alone stood as a rock-solid guarantee that their film would achieve widespread critical acclaim and commercial success but this all changed with "Cars 2" last summer, which earned a shockingly low 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, breaking Pixar's consecutive winning streak after eleven films spanning fifteen years. The original "Cars" from 2006 has always been viewed as the black sheep of the family despite receiving generally good reviews but while its 2011 sequel was never expected to reach the high standards set by Pixar's previous films, the overwhelmingly negative reception from critics still came as a total surprise to fans. Audiences, however, still flocked to see "Cars 2" in droves, to the tune of $560 million at the worldwide box office and selling countless merchandise to children that left Disney with a big smile on their face. Pixar's thirteenth production "Brave," originally titled "The Bear and the Bow" and the studio's first to feature a female protagonist, was viewed with cautious optimism after the debut of its teaser trailer last year but is it a return to form for the animation studio that could formerly do no wrong? "Brave" is definitely a better film compared to "Cars 2" but it still does not quite reach the heights of Pixar's earlier work due to a predictable storyline, uneven pacing, and hit-and-miss humor. Despite these problems, the film remains engaging throughout and once again sets the bar even higher for CG animation.  

"Brave" is preceded by a charming seven-minute short titled "La Luna." During a prologue set in the Scottish kingdom of DunBroch, a young princess named Mérida is happily playing hide-and-seek with her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Mérida receives a bow and arrow on her birthday from her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), and begins to practice immediately despite the objections of Elinor. While retrieving one of her arrows that has landed in the woods, a strange blue light called a 'will o' the wisp' appears before the princess. Her mother explains that wisps are said to 'lead you to your fate.' However, an ancient demonic bear called Mor'du leaps from the woods and attacks Mérida's family. King Fergus jumps to his wife and daughter's defense, driving the bear away but losing his left leg in the process. Fast forward to the present day, where Princess Mérida (Kelly Macdonald) has grown into a fiery-haired woman whose archery skills are unmatched throughout the kingdom but her relationship with her mother has soured in the intervening years. Queen Elinor tries to teach her daughter about being a proper princess and the responsibilities she has to DunBroch but these lessons often leave Mérida exasperated, who wants nothing more than to ride her horse Angus and hone her archery skills in the woods. One day, a pile of letters arrives for Queen Elinor from the other Scottish lords: MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane), who have agreed to present their firstborn sons to compete for Mérida's hand in marriage. Mérida is extremely upset at the news but has no choice in the matter. The lords arrive and Mérida chooses an archery challenge to determine the best suitor. Dingwall's dimwitted son wins by pure accident but Mérida instead shoots all three targets herself as an act of defiance against her mother. The two have a huge argument and Mérida leaves the castle grounds with her horse in anger. She comes upon a Stonehenge circle in the woods, where a group of will o' the wisps leads her to a witch's (Julie Walters) cottage. Mérida asks the witch to create a spell that would change her mother's mind and thus change her fate. However, the spell proves to have disastrous consequences for not only Queen Elinor but also for the kingdom of DunBroch as well, forcing Mérida to desperately try and undo her mistake. 

"Brave" is an original fairy tale from Pixar that breaks away from the clichéd tropes of evil stepmothers and charming princes to focus on one overlooked aspect—the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. Queen Elinor wants her daughter to learn that being responsible often means putting aside your own wants and needs but Mérida does not want to be someone that she is not and finds herself trapped by her mother's stodgy adherence to tradition. Neither one is wrong in their position but both suffer from a failure to communicate and most importantly, do not listen to each other. Such a relationship will resonate strongly with mothers who have faced similar predicaments but "Brave" feels dramatically lightweight and worse, predictable. Much of what happens in the film won't come as a total surprise to adult audiences and the second half suffers from a rushed pace as Mérida tries to undo the spell she cast on her mother. I won't spoil what happens to Queen Elinor but the film's original title already provides a major clue. Although Mérida is destined (no pun intended) to become popular among young girls, the character inspires little sympathy and comes off as a whiny, petulant brat who needs to be smacked upside the head (that's how we Asians discipline our children), not the independent, strong-willed warrior woman that the initial previews made her out to be. When she finally realizes the error of her ways, it rings hollow and feels as if Queen Elinor is conceding to her daughter's demands. The humor also clashes with the story's darker elements, creating an uneven tone. Much of the comedy is derived from the mischievous antics of Mérida's three adorable triplet brothers, Harris, Hubert and Hamish, and the boorish behavior of King Fergus and the other Scottish lords but while there are some chuckles to be had, none of it is particularly sharp or creative. "Brave" is flawed and is definitely 'lesser Pixar' but the film remains enjoyable while the story, largely the brainchild of Brenda Chapman, is solidly written and offers a new perspective from your run-of-the-mill fairy tale; it just lacks that special spark that was present in the studio's first eleven productions. Chapman was reportedly fired and replaced with Mark Andrews following 'creative disagreements,' which may be the reason for the film's uneven quality. 

What really saves the film is the stunning CG animation and enthusiastic voice acting. Each individual strand of Mérida's hair is realized and it is clear the animators went to great lengths to create an authentic Scottish setting, which extends to Patrick Doyle's impressive score as well. Unfortunately, all this effort is marred by the 3D, which is shocking considering Pixar's technological pedigree. The vibrancy and brightness of the film has been lost and there is jarring motion blur during chase scenes. The image lacks depth and appears flat for most of its running time. Compared to DreamWorks Animations' "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," there is no competition; "Brave" really dropped the ball when it comes to its 3D. The voice cast is uniformly excellent with convincing Scottish accents. Kelly Macdonald makes up for Mérida's character shortcomings while Emma Thompson lends a subtle wisdom to Queen Elinor. The rest of the all-male supporting cast play one-note characters and are largely there to provide laughs. 

Released on June 22, 2012, "Brave" has received positive reviews with 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, on par with 2006's "Cars." Critics admitted that it 'may not live up to the lofty standards of the Pixar brand, but [the film] offers young audiences and fairy tale fans a rousing, funny fantasy adventure with a distaff twist—and surprising depth.' I saw the film at a packed screening this past Wednesday and the audience responded enthusiastically but it was clear that certain scenes were too intense as I overheard some children crying, much to my annoyance. Box office wise, this will be Pixar's thirteenth number one debut and early projections are at $55 to $60 million, although $65 million is feasibly possible. The other competing films, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," appeal to specific audiences and are unlikely to breakout during the weekend baring some unexpected surprise. It has its problems but "Brave" is an entertaining and competently-made animated film. However, Pixar has never settled for such modest standards. Yes, it is a return to form for the studio but it’s clear that there is still work to be done if they are to reclaim their former status among critics and fans.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Some say fate is beyond our command, but I know better.  Our destiny is within us.  You just have to be brave enough to see it."