Brave (2012)

“I want my freedom!”
“But are you willing to pay the price your freedom will cost?” 

I get a kick out of seeing Disney princess films throughout the years. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and the earlier princesses were all about looking perfect, being in line, and looking for the perfect man to marry and live happily ever after. Then the later princesses went against the norm they were feisty, determined women who wanted more out of the life they were living and fell in love with men that other people in their lives did not approve of. Belle is my favorite because she loves to read, she is French, she is brave, and was a feisty determined character. Now Disney/Pixar has created the first Pixar princess in their newest film Brave.

            Merida is a free spirited Scottish princess. From the time she was little she has been very set in her ways and has loved the thrill of adventure. Now that she is older she butting heads with her mother Queen Elinor who is trying to teach her how to be the perfect princess. Merida wants nothing to do with being the perfect princess she just wants to ride on her horse Angus all day and shoot bows and arrows at targets.

            The lords of other clans have accepted the Queen’s invitation to bring their sons to come to the castle to try to win Merida’s hand in marriage. The sons are not very good material at all. Merida gets fed up telling her mother she is going to win her own hand in the archer’s tournament. That night Elinor and Merida get into a huge fight. Merida splits Elinor’s tapestry she had just completed and Elinor throws Merida’s bow into the fire. Merida runs away and stumble across a circle of mystical stones. Magical wisps guide her to the house of a witch. Merida asks the witch if she has a potion for her mother to change her mind about her fate. The witch gives Merida a potion. Merida goes back to the castle with the potion that is in the disguise of a pastry. She gives the pastry to Elinor and immediately the Queen falls ill. Merida brings her mother to her room where in a matter of seconds the Queen transforms into a bear. This is a huge problem because King Fergus has been after bears for years ever since a vicious bear bit off his leg.

            Merida gets her mother as a bear out of the castle into the woods for the night. The following day they find the witches house but she is not home. The witch has left a message for Merida that her mother has only until the third sunrise to be turned back into a human or else she will stay a bear forever and the only way to change her back is to mend the bond that has been torn.

            Merida figures out the tapestry she ripped needs to be sewn back together. Sounds like a simple task but of course there are obstacles and it is a close call at sunrise but the Queen is turned back into a human. Also Merida and the Queen learn valuable lessons.

            As far as reviews goes Brave has been rated only so-so. I thought it was brilliantly made the backgrounds were beautiful and all the characters were adorable. But the story falls a bit short. The story is predictable, yes, I know it is a kid’s movie but still it was predictable and it felt like there was something missing to it. I am not sure what was missing from the story but I just felt there could have been more to it. Merida is a great modern princess. She is feisty who wants her freedom and knows she does not need a man in her life at the moment. Love it! At twenty-four years old I can relate to a Disney princess who is supposed to be like fourteen or fifteen not needing a man! Haha. I really wanted to see the movie for Kelly MacDonald who is the voice of Merida because I adore her on Boardwalk Empire. She was fantastic but I think I just love hearing her talk I love her accent (Berenice Bejo from The Artist voices the French version). Brave is not one of Pixar’s strongest movies but it is cute and fun to sit through.