Brave marks
several firsts for Pixar. It's their first period piece and their first fairy
tale. It was to be the first Pixar project directed by a woman in Brenda
Chapman (inspired by her relationship with her daughter) until she was replaced
by Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell though she still receives credit. Brave is also the first Pixar film to
feature a female protagonist in the lead role.
Set in the Scottish Highlands long ago, Brave follows the strong-willed Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald)
and her equally stubborn mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida prefers
to roam free and practice archery while the Queen prefers Merida be molded into
a proper lady. That includes lessons in refinement and diplomacy. Now that
she's come of age, tradition calls for Merida to be married off to one of the
sons of the neighboring clan leaders. Merida discovers a witch (Julie Walters)
deep within the forest and asks her for a spell to change her fate. Of course,
it all goes wrong with Elinor being turned into a bear. It's Mother Bear, instead of Brother Bear.
You can't help but be awestruck by the beauty of the
animation. Pixar has outdone themselves once more in creating a vibrant world
of misty mountains, dark forests, and evergreen hilltops. Even Merida's flowing
red locks seem to have a life of their own. Animators actually created new
software just to render her wild mane of hair, which symbolizes Merida's thirst
for freedom. The contrast between mother and daughter is never more apparent
than when Merida is forced to wear a restrictive Maid Marian outfit. She slips
a tuft of hair from underneath her cap in a defiant expression of identity. There's
a palpable tenderness to their relationship even when Elinor is in bear form.
The animators do an impressive job in making her emote strictly through paw and
facial movements. The creative minds of Pixar have been behind some of the most
memorable father-son relationships depicted in cinema, from Nemo and Marlin in Finding Nemo to Russell and his
crotchety surrogate Mr. Fredricksen in Up.
No surprise that their first exploration of maternal bonds should be as equally
heartfelt.
There's plenty of humor (and naked buttocks) to be found in Brave. Much of the humor derives from
the "wee devils" that are Merida's younger brothers, the triplets
Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. Kelly Macdonald (who replaced Reese Witherspoon)
heads up a cast of talented Scottish thespians who end an aura of authenticity.
The actors include Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and the great
Billy Connolly as Merida's father King Fergus, who lost a leg in battle against
the demonic bear Mor'du.
The critical response to Brave
was surprisingly mixed. Perhaps, reviewers were expecting Pixar to completely
deconstruct the Disney princess genre. However, Pixar didn't need to reinvent
the wheel with Brave because it is so
lusciously animated and well-crafted.
Rating: *** (*****)
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