Disney/Pixar's 'Brave' -- Film Review

Whenever a newly announced film has Pixar’s name attached to it, given the company’s legacy of master storytellers, anticipation immediately skyrockets. These folks have given us some, or rather, the best of what computer animation - or animation, in general - is capable of, not because the renders look lovely (to be fair, when has any Pixar film looked terrible?) but rather the stories that are told. Thanks to Lasseter and friends, we believed that toys are alive when we don’t see them, and that a robot can melt our hearts. Since their amazing freshman hit with Toy Story, it seemed Pixar could do no wrong.

Then this happened...

Sucked out dry both our fun and wallets. How fitting...

Suffice to say - and I am confident I can speak for many on this regard - Cars 2 was disappointing, to put it lightly. Suddenly that near-perfect slate of Pixar’s suddenly got a nice nickel-sized crater punched in the middle. Granted, as bad as Cars 2 was, it didn’t necessarily tarnish or taint Pixar’s legacy. Yet it could be argued that this meant Pixar put itself under a finer microscope.

Speaking for myself, Brave was seen as a pivotal point, either spelling what I could only fear was the start of Pixar’s fall from grace or the reassurance that Cars 2 was only a hiccup and that somebody on Pixar still had their head straight. Needless to say, Brave may not have been the rebound everyone may have wanted, it’s still a step back to the right direction. Then again, in hindsight, anything would be considered a step-up from Cars 2, and I’ll leave my bitterness about that film here.

Brave is both cut from the same tapestry of Pixar’s legacy, sewn in with bits and pieces of that whimsical, lighthearted fairytale charm abundant from Disney’s Second Golden Age favorites including The Little Mermaid, stirring in the mix the themes familiar in that era - the pressures of expectation and the internal desires of the protagonists aggressively colliding, often resulting in the discovery with a lesson in humility and understanding the dangerous consequences of heedlessly seeking those dreams. One can understand this noble notion to weave these themes into any story story, the film’s reluctance for subtlety serves, what I believe, the film’s biggest flaw. While not a dealbreaker, it potentially makes Brave for a more jaded experience, the sort of arsenal that Disney is famous (or notorious) for packing.

Rest assured, if I make it seem that Brave is a bad film, it's not. Far from it. While it certainly plays out like the typical Disney parable, Pixar’s execution of the material is to be commended, with the pacing smartly keep on a rolling pace, and never missing an opportunity to provide comedy where it can be taken advantage of (and doesn’t shy from a few kilt jokes for good measure, much to my amusement). The colorful cast of characters, each with their own charm without overstaying their welcome, is also present as a Pixar trademark; notably the protagonist Merida’s mischievous, triplet brothers that easily give Tangled’s determined-as-hell steed Maximus a run for his money.

The Bottom Line:
Albeit formulaic, Brave is a gorgeous and fun adventure, as well as valiant addition to the Pixar legacy.