Brave

If my last post tells us anything, it's that audiences have come to expect a certain quality from any Pixar film. Unfortunately, Brave does not live up to those lofty expectations. When the movie ended, my friend turned to me and said, "Well, it was good for a DreamWorks movie." I would add that it wasn't even as good as the best DreamWorks movies (ie: Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon). It's not that the movie is bad, it's just horribly, horribly mediocre.

Brave tells the story of a young Scottish princess, Merida, who just does not get along with her mother, Queen Elinor. Merida wants to be free and run wild, while Elinor wants her to settle down and be a lady. After a handful of defiant acts of independence, Merida runs away, invokes some magic to change her fate, and you can probably guess the rest from here.

The first few minutes of Brave are exhilarating. Merida is fiercely independent and full of wild, exuberant energy as she explores the Scottish Highlands. She's set up to be one of the more memorable Disney princesses. But the movie is quickly bogged down in cliches. The entire supporting cast is made up of big, dumb caricatures. The comedy is slapstick and the editing is frantic and choppy, making this movie most suitable for children under the age of ten. It's as if Pixar thought we'd lose interest if there wasn't a quick cut or a loud crash ever ten seconds. In all honesty, we probably would, as there's nothing very interesting on screen for most of the movie.

The biggest disappointment is that the story fails to engage its audience on any emotional level. Now, as this is decidedly a mother/daughter movie, I'll allow for the possibility that's I've lost something in the translation. The conflict is definitely there, but the resolution is so forced it's dumbfounding and nearly laughable. It also introduces themes (such as betrothal vs. marriage for love) that have heretofore not been addressed by the narrative. This leads me to feel that the core conflict was not resolved, and that Merida and Elinor's reconciliation is only temporary.

It's disappointing to see Pixar, a company known for its excellence in family entertainment, release something so shallow and droll. If you're wondering where this would fit on the list I created in last week's post, I would have to say down at the bottom, just above Cars.

You'll enjoy this movie if you are four years old, or if you want your four-year-old to be quiet for a solid 90 minutes. I can't recommend this movie to anyone else.