I have been wanting to see Brave ever since I first saw the preview for it. Ever since I knew there was a Disney/Pixar collaboration on a Celtic themed movie. I am a very passionate lover of all things Celtic, and so I was destined to love this movie from the very beginning. I shall try to be as objective as possible in my review, but you must know that I loved it.
First of all, the graphics were phenomenal. I think that Pixar films are getting better and better as far as their graphics go. As the daughter of a professor of computer graphics, I have long learned to appreciate the detail that goes into a film like this. The scenery was beautiful and really did look like Scotland as I remembered it.
The characters were wonderful. They were all voiced by actors I love. Emma Thompson as the Queen was brilliant, Billy Connolly as the King [I'd love it anyway, just cuz we have the same name], Julie Walters as the witch, and then the killer trio of Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and Kevin McKidd as the lords; it was all brilliant. I wasn't familiar with Kelly Macdonald who was the voice of Merida, the princess, but she was perfect. My favorite characters were probably the three princes, brothers of Merida and the most adorably rascally mischievous little buggers since Fred and George Weasley.
The story itself could have been fleshed out a little more, but since it is a Disney movie that was made for an audience of children, I'm not going to make too much of it. If they'd added more plot lines or details, the movie would have been longer and the kids just don't have the attention span for longer.
I loved loved LOVED the music, but then I adore Celtic music. Patrick Doyle was the composer and he is one of my favorites, and he's a Scot, so it was just a brilliant move. The vocalist [I do not know her name right now, but I am finding out] who had a few songs in the film was AMAZING. The tone of her voice was pure and very Celtic and I loved it.
I really enjoyed the theme of the movie, that we decide our own fate and that our bonds with our family and friends are important, not just for us but for our future and the future of those around us. Very heartwarming movie and I ALMOST cried. I would have done, but the loud talking children broke me out of my moment.
It was also a ridiculously funny movie. Almost slapstick, but I found it so unpredictable in its humorous moments that I was pleasantly surprised. I love a movie that can make me laugh without being crude or vulgar or just plain stupid. This had none of that, which I appreciated.
Now for my warning: parents, if animated naked rears bother you, don't take your kids. It's Scotland, so there's nothin under those kilts, and....there's a few surprises. I thought it was hilarious, but there you go. Other than that, you're safe as can be. There might be a few parts that scare the really young or really timid, but it's not that bad at al.
All in all, I loved it. I thought it was spectacular. It was like taking a trip back to my beloved Celtic lands of Scotland and Ireland, but without the fresh air. I mean, come on, the movie had haggis! Only those who have actually enjoyed that delicacy can appreciate the humor in it. Merida was a wonderful character who grows a lot, and it was refreshing to have a princess be the main character, and not have her looking for a prince. She is a strong, independent young woman, and the lessons she learns could stand to be learned by many women, young and old, in today's world. And the men as well.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy the soundtrack and get lost in it.
