MOVIE OF THE WEEK (6/22/12): BRAVE
KEY VOICE CAST MEMBERS: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Kevin McKidd, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, Julie Walters and John Ratzenberger
WRITER(S): Mark Andrews, Irene Mecchi, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell (screenplay); Brenda Chapman (story)
DIRECTOR: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell
WEB SITE: disney.go.com/brave/index.html
THE PLOT: An animated adventure catering to tomboys and their mothers alike, Brave centers around Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire). Growing up under the watchful eye of her mother Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson), who is ever the proper lady, Merida is much more like her father, King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connolly) – a loud, whirling dervish of a man who loves a good adventure as much as he does telling the story of how he lost his foot to a monster of a bear with whom he still has a score to settle ...
Anyway, as Merida matures, she becomes more and more of a free spirit ... Which leads to a problem when it becomes time for her to be paired with a suitor. While she doesn't mind being a role model to her triplet younger brothers Harris, Hubert and Hamish, Merida is nowhere near ready to be the lady her mother wants her to be ... Because that is not the lady she wants to be.
As fate – pun intended – would have it, Merida ventures into the forest where she runs into a witch (voiced by Julie Walters) who offers her the opportunity to change her fate ...
So what does she do? If it is your fate to find out, you will know likely soon after the time you read this ...
Anyway, as Merida matures, she becomes more and more of a free spirit ... Which leads to a problem when it becomes time for her to be paired with a suitor. While she doesn't mind being a role model to her triplet younger brothers Harris, Hubert and Hamish, Merida is nowhere near ready to be the lady her mother wants her to be ... Because that is not the lady she wants to be.
As fate – pun intended – would have it, Merida ventures into the forest where she runs into a witch (voiced by Julie Walters) who offers her the opportunity to change her fate ...
So what does she do? If it is your fate to find out, you will know likely soon after the time you read this ...
THE TAKE: Given the success of franchise films like Toy Story and Cars coupled with that of individual movies like Up, Finding Nemo and WALL–E, the Pixar name is pretty much the cinematic equivalent of Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to animated movies. While there are plenty of other studios who offer up good competition, there's nothing quite like the Pixar experience.
That's why some people might be a tad disappointed with Brave; for while it is in fact a solid movie, it lacks that distinct quality that makes it another Pixar classic.
I really don't have much more I can say about Brave than that. For sure, it's a fine adventure that provides a good lesson for children (young girls in particular) and parents alike about listening to one another and learning to accept someone for who they are instead of who you want them to be ... But it's just lacks that special something to make it phenomenal. Think of it this way: It's like a really great hamburger ... Unless it has some super-rare, one-of-a-kind quality (farm-raised kobe beef that is hand-rubbed with spices flown in from a medicine man's shack in Peru, perhaps?) to it, it's still a hamburger at the end of the day. And in a sumer full of pretty decent meals, Brave lacks the ingredients to take home top prize.
That's why some people might be a tad disappointed with Brave; for while it is in fact a solid movie, it lacks that distinct quality that makes it another Pixar classic.
I really don't have much more I can say about Brave than that. For sure, it's a fine adventure that provides a good lesson for children (young girls in particular) and parents alike about listening to one another and learning to accept someone for who they are instead of who you want them to be ... But it's just lacks that special something to make it phenomenal. Think of it this way: It's like a really great hamburger ... Unless it has some super-rare, one-of-a-kind quality (farm-raised kobe beef that is hand-rubbed with spices flown in from a medicine man's shack in Peru, perhaps?) to it, it's still a hamburger at the end of the day. And in a sumer full of pretty decent meals, Brave lacks the ingredients to take home top prize.
PARTING SHOT: A nice animated adventure that should help uplift the spirits of young ladies everywhere while delivering an entertaining experience for the whole family, Brave is a fine outing and another Pixar hit ... Just not an all-time one.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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