Pixar faithful were excited for a return to relevancy once again. After the cash-cow misfire of Cars 2, the crafty 3-D studio was ready to unveil their newest delight, in their first female protagonist, Merida. Brave, while certainly an upgrade from Cars 2, still leaves you a bit disappointed. It feels like your straight-A-student brought home a B-.
As far a children’s movie, the film is still a lot of fun. Kelly MacDonald (Boardwalk Empire, Trainspotting) delivers a fiery performance, giving Merida a precocious and delicious spunk. The film balances both mischievous slapstick and charged action sequences. However, all of this is set in a majestically crafted backdrop of the lyrical and misty highlands of 10th century Scotland. Pixar has truly outdone themselves this time. The cinematography is completely immersive, give both a somber yet enchanting ambiance. The technical proficiency of the animation (for instance Merida’s fiery bob) is absolutely stunning. You can feel the mist tickling your face and the smell of pine enticing your nose.
However, that is where the good news ends. Brave is your typical story of teenage daughter clashing with close-minded mother. The mom gets turned into a bear and now they have to learn to get along, or she’ll remain a bear forever. Just like Studio Ghibli, an animation of Pixar’s caliber can’t get away with such elementary plot lines. The studio has become renowned for blending both innocence and mature themes allowing to them to appeal to a wide array of audiences. But with such a recycled writing style, older crowds become quickly alienated and bored. While the movie does delve into interesting themes with its handling of mature decision making and the mother-daughter relationship, the movie doesn’t reach the heights of adulthood that other Pixar movies achieved.
While Pixar latest venture is a fun-flick, presenting mature characters packed with complexity to a wide-eyed audience, that truly would have been brave.
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