Brave
Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Mérida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Mérida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Mérida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Mérida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall.
-
- Cast:
- Kelly Macdonald , Emma Thompson , Billy Connolly , Julie Walters , Robbie Coltrane , Kevin McKidd , Craig Ferguson
Similar titles
Reviews
Sick Product of a Sick System
It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
Absolutely the worst movie.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
We all have different opinions, I really loved this movie, the moral was great, and the concept was amazing, I've watched it so many times to the point that I knew nearly all the lines. It definitely looks away from what we would usually see.
Brave is kind of bland. It doesn't have the same heart, wit or power that other Pixar films have. It's just a regular, old animated family film. It's entertaining, but it's not one that I would put up in the realm of Toy Story or Ratatouille. Maybe I'm just holding Pixar to too high of a standard.
Merida is an unusual princess. She's not very well mannered, she's very stubborn, she's not even good at being a princess, but she's the best archer of all. Being under constant supervision from her very strict mother who wishes to "train" her daughter as herself, Merida even feels her freedom slipping away. Thus, when the time comes for her to choose a husband from the other three clans, a huge argument occurs between her and her mother which is about to introduce a change in their relationship and even regarding the future of the kingdom, for better or worse.It's an animation which follows Merida, the young red-haired princess, who seems to love her bow and her freedom more than her kingdom, as she's about to face the biggest challenge of her life. Her whole world will be turned upside down after what looks like a disastrous mistake, so she'll have to rethink it all in an attempt to make things right. This movie features an apparently simplistic plot which will prove to be much more complex and well put together, managing to create a wonderful world for the action to take place. Its characters are simply superb, very well thought, described and also animated, being able to create an unique atmosphere, one which you'll definitely enjoy.Besides its intense action sequences, the movie generates so much emotion, so much drama, especially as you get attached to the characters, that you'll always be eager to find out what will happen next. And to make matters even better, it possesses an incredible sense of humor. The amount of moments which will make you laugh out loud is simply astonishing and incredible, not to mention that it leaves the impression that it's not even trying. In terms of visuals, the movie is simply gorgeous. Flawlessly animated and very well colored, it also presents some breathtaking scenery which is sure to impress anyone who sees it.To sum things up, it's a truly impressive movie, with a very good story and impressive characters, superbly animated and extremely funny which managed to impress me multiple times, even more as time passes, making it one of the best pieces of animation out there. A true masterpiece!
'BRAVE' - 2012Directed by Brenda Chapman and Mark AndrewsStarring Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson and Billy ConnollyPlot Overview: Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous but courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is a skilled archer who wants to carve out her own path in life. Her defiance of an age-old tradition angers the Highland lords and leads to chaos in the kingdom. Merida seeks help from an eccentric witch (Julie Walters), who grants her an ill-fated wish. Now, Merida must discover the true meaning of courage and undo a beastly curse before it's too late.As much as I do like this movie, which I do, I will confess that is lacks the 'Pixar Touch' and if it didn't literally have the Pixar title emblazoned across it, I would have second guessed it as a Pixar film. While the building blocks are certainly there, it just feels like a half-baked Disney Princess movie and that is unfortunate. I can recommend this film with confidence, but I am not confident in guaranteeing your enjoyment of it. I would definitely see it but don't blame me if it disappoints you. Go in expecting a Disney Princess movie and not a Pixar movie, and you'll be at least satisfied.From what I can tell is that the general consensus of this film is as follows: first third is good, second third is okay and the final third is poor. I am not at all in agreement with that sentiment. I think that each third of this film are just as good as each other BUT I do think that they are all thirds of three separate movies. With the exception of character and animation style, judging purely based on content. I'd have though that this was three different films in one.I do wish that the ending was a little more bittersweet. I am not a fan of the ending and definitely think the film would have been improved IF they cut the climax by 30 seconds in which a major plot point occurs. Remove that point and I think the film is better as a whole. The theme and setting were both very interesting and creative choices so props for not being boring and bland. I like the story as a whole but it just feels more like Disney and not like Pixar. I know Pixar is a subsidiary of Disney but Toy Story is a PIXAR movie, Finding Nemo is a PIXAR movie, Up in a PIXAR movie. This feels like a classic Disney princess tale, which is fine, but not like the Pixar I love. I am sure this will be a turn off for most people which I can understand because it isn't Pixar but if you can look past that, it isn't a bad movie.Kelly MacDonald was the clear standout as Merida. Merida was a good Disney princess as a whole and I appreciate her entire goal being achieving independence. That said, I think she lacked a form of sincerity to make her great. Not being a cliché Disney princess was a great idea, but I still think she lacked a certain amount of precision in her character design which would make here more interesting to watch. Nitpicking aside, she was a pretty good character as a whole.Emma Thompson was good as Queen Elinor. I do admire her character arc and admire the sheer simplicity to it. She grows as a bearson and I definitely bought that. Mor'du in this movie is such an atrocious villain. We know next to nothing about him. He has nothing(literally) interesting to say. He isn't likable. He is a bland, boring, brash bear barking toward Merida and trying to attack; that is his entire character; truly awful stuff Pixar, truly awful.As for comedic sidekicks, this film has three. The witch, voiced by Julie Walters, was a critical plot point and entertaining in her short run on screen but I would have liked to know a little more about her. Billy Connoly's was good as King Fergus and I did like his character as a whole. The triplets were pretty funny and sourced a good portion of the film's good jokes.The animation for this film does look very nice and it is pleasing to look at. The costume and set design were both good and mirror the stereotypical perception of Scotland. Both the cinematography and editing were good. No real complaints on the technical side of the film.There is definitely humour in the movie but it basically boils down to Triplets, Fergus and Witch. Our lead wasn't that funny. Granted that wasn't her character but would it kill her to crack ONE joke. Be funny ONCE. I know I am nitpicking to the nth degree but still, one joke. Just one?There is definitely emotional payoff in this movie. I won't dispute that. What I will argue however is that there is no where near enough as there should be. This does loop back to my earlier point about a preference for a bitter sweet ending. I think that would pull at our heartstrings more and would have made the film so much better. As a whole, I was satisfied with Brave. It did disappoint me slightly but that is because it wasn't a PIXAR movie. It was entertaining for what it was but I cannot say that it grabbed me like other Pixar films do. Nothing about it, bar the setting, really stand out and it just blends into other Disney princess movies. I cautiously recommend you see the film however. I personally think it is worth a watch but I cannot guarantee you will like it. I'd rate 'Brave' 6 'Wee Rascals' out of 10.