Review: Brave

Review: Brave

In a time where British patriotism is at its peak thanks to some little sports event known as The Olympics, Disney/Pixar's new animated flick Brave casts its spotlight upon Scotland. The land of the free and home of the - appropriate adjective alert! - brave is given a classic fairytale within its stunning setting, yet Disney's takeover of Pixar is more painfully clear than ever as Brave feels much more like a classic 90s princess movie than one of Pixar Studio's finest.

Set in medieval Scotland, Brave follows the coming-of-age story of Princess Merida, a skilled archer who desires to break free from her overbearing mother's bonds. Queen Elinor has Merida's life all planned out - marry a handsome warrior and rule the kingdom professionally. Merida, however, has other plans - breaking an age old tradition between tribes and running away from home, she encounters a witch who claims she can 'change her fate.' Unfortunately this doesn't all go to plan, and Merida finds herself desperately attempting to undo a curse upon her family before it's too late.

"A princess does not wield a weapon."

It sounds like a Disney movie, and primarily it is. It's a credit to the diversity of Pixar that Brave is a million miles away from, say, Cars or Monsters Inc, however the Scottish fairytale feels like one of those classic princess films that a lot of people still cherish with age. This type of narrative may be a first for Pixar, but it is the latest in a very long line of animated flicks.

Still, let's look at Brave objectively. The story itself is fairly predictable - but that's not to say it isn't enjoyable to watch. While a princess, Merida is a hugely relateable character: she is a modern girl in an ancient world, fighting for her freedom from underneath her mother's thumb. The mother-daughter relationship is played out well (with some magical intervention), and the ever-present moral of the story is realised with genuinely heartfelt emotion at the film's climax. However, the backbone of the tale (a young girl, a witch and a princess fighting to escape from her mother) is nothing new and while Pixar have been praised for originality in the past, Brave simply feels...well, not "brave" enough to leap new bounds. Perhaps this slip in originality is what has led to Pixar's current sequel projects, Monsters Inc. 2 and Finding Nemo 2 - and the day Pixar runs out of fresh ideas will be a very dark day indeed.

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Voiced by the Supreme Scot, Billy Connolly.

Meanwhile, the side characters such as Julie Walters' well-meaning witch and Robbie Coltrane's Lord Dingwall provide the comic relief that reminds us Pixar's comedy team are still present behind the scenes, however the boisterous character of King Fergus threatens to steal the entire show. Billy Connolly is on top form as the one-legged liege with vengeance on his mind against the bear who made him so, and while kids will appreciate Merida's triplet brothers causing mischief in the royal family, adults will find themselves chuckling at Connolly's hilarious Scottish tones attempting to find order in the chaos caused by Merida's actions.

Scotland, however, is given a voice of its own within the beautifully realised artwork of the movie. Whereas a few minor components of the voice acting feel patronisingly 'too' Scottish, the architecture and landscape Merida finds herself riding through are nothing short of stunning and a true tribute to the heart of Scottish history. In an early scene, Merida departs the castle with her bow, claiming that today she 'doesn't have to be a princess.' Mounting her horse and disappearing into the wild, we watch as she climbs a mountain and drinks from a fabled waterfall and for once, this is a film worth watching in 3D. The scenery is beautifully rendered and the graphics department can certainly feel proud of their efforts for bringing the land to life in such a colourful, vibrant way.

As for the soundtrack, composer Patrick Doyle (known for his astounding work on Thor) captures the rich spirit of Scotland's musical prowess with flair, providing toe-tapping themes and heroic motifs for the characters. Jigs, reels and strathspeys are all thrown in, serving to pump up the action whilst keeping us constantly in mind of the film's setting. I'm pretty sure I heard one of those bagpipe things somewhere in there too.

Also, as is customary with every Pixar movie, a short film precedes the feature. In this case, 'La Luna' offers us a brilliantly sweet film about a boy who sweeps stars with his father and grandfather on the moon. The short was nominated for an Academy Award, which is no surprise as it is Pixar's best, most smile-inducing short film yet - except, perhaps, the hilarious 'For The Birds' film which entertained us before Monsters Inc.

 Summary

Brave doesn't quite live up to its name, instead choosing the safe option of a princess-grows-up narrative that has been told countless times before. Kudos must be given to Patrick Doyle for providing such a quintessentially Scottish soundtrack, whilst the guys behind the graphics should certainly be given a pat on the back for providing such a beautifully presented setting for the story to take place in. The tale is a charming, beautifully presented movie with plenty of heart and a strong, relatable female protagonist, but while kids are sure to find the film suitably entertaining and enjoyable, adults may be disappointed that Pixar's latest isn't a classic - it's just another animated film. Brave is great, but it's just not Pixar great.

7/10