Brave

Brave produced by Pixar.

Plot: Princess Merida, a headstrong, athletic, intelligent seventeen-year-old, is determined to stop her mother's plan to betroth her. By contrast, Queen Elenor observes her daughter's reluctance, but insists the only way to maintain the kingdom comes through submission to tradition. After a chance encounter with a wood witch, the princess gains a spell guaranteed to "change her mother." The spell works, but instead of changing Elenor's mind, the magic changes her into a bear. After escaping the castle and feuding clans, the queen and princess discover the spell will be permanent after two days. Miranda and her mother must work together to break the spell before Elenor's mind is lost forever.

Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Movies

Reading Level: Rated PG for scary moments and crude humor

Similar Titles: Finding Nemo

Personal Thoughts: I am not sure why this movie gets the negative reviews it receives. Most sources site slow pacing, undeveloped characters, lack of surprises, and mixed plotlines. Personally, I found the pacing considerably quicker than other Pixar films, particularly Toy Story, Finding Nemo, or Cars. While the film includes many characters and plots, their interactions with each other define their personalities. The movie does not feature the monologues or personal speeches present in, say, The Incredibles or Ratatoullie, because the characters act on their intentions instead of stating them. Not too many twists appear in the film, but they did not need to, since the traditional "princess doesn't want to get married story" morphs into a "mother-daughter film," causing a subtle shift rather than a dramatic twist. Pixar seems to take everything it learned from prior films to create a solid offering.

Perhaps the favor or disfavor stems from the viewers, rather than the film itself. For example, the movie features more "cartoony" moments than prior features, so non-animation fans may find the film tedious. Also, background can influence the viewer. For example, my mother liked the film because she raised three teenage daughters. She understood Elenor's struggles in trying to raise a good kid in an unkind world of mixed messages. Non-mothers may have a very different view of the conflicts Elenor faces.

I like the movie, though, because like the modern tween, I grew up with The Little Mermaid. Nearly every movie I watched featured a strong, independent, female character instantly hailed as the ideal women...until actually viewed her outside of the movie. I will use Ariel as an example. She is an athletic, friendly, beautiful, independent women who, ultimately, is selfish, unwilling to learn, and irresponsible. Like Merida, she gains a spell to get what she wants, and ultimately threatens her family and her kingdom in the process, but still receives her desire without cost. She receives everything she wants without facing her own faults and, as a result, never really changes for better or worse. Real people do not live in consequence-free situations. Unlike Ariel, though, Merida eventually confronts her faults with tears, realizing her choices, not her situation, caused the problems. This, combined with her other qualities such as laziness and stubbornness may not make her a "strong female character" but, with her intelligence and athleticism, it does make her into a realistic, attainable one. Merida acts like a real person, not a caricature, bringing the fantasy movie to a new height.