Brave!!!

Disney Pixar never disappoints. The production company’s latest animated blockbuster flick, Brave centers on a young princess, named Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who is not ready to commit to her kingdom’s tradition of choosing a husband after each appropriate suitor competes in certain physical tasks (i.e. archery, throwing tree logs, etc.). When Princess Merida decides to change her fate, she calls upon a witch to cast a spell in hopes to change the path she’s on, but the spell isn’t quite what she asks for, and situations take a turn for the worst. Can Merida find out how to change the spell or will she and her family and their kingdom be doomed for life?


Brave is another beautifully touching film from the creators of Toy Story and Up. The film is about family, and the special bond between a young girl and her overbearing mother. The relationship between Merida and her mother, Queen Ellinor (voiced by Emma Thompson) is believable and sweet. Queen Ellinor is very straight-laced, high maintenance and doesn’t think girls should carry weapons and learn to fight. Merida, is the complete opposite, she lets her gorgeous red locks flow loosely, rides her horse recklessly through the kingdom and shoots her arrows perfectly at any target. The females don’t see eye to eye about their marriage tradition and unfortunately that causes a huge rift between them.


The voice acting in the film is superb Macdonald does a magnificent job encapsulating a strong, spirited young girl that is destined for greatness. Thompson is great as the protective, conservative mother that only wants the best for her daughter.

The cinematography in Brave is outstanding, there are certain shots throughout the film that are truly breathtaking, especially the shot in the end where the sun is coming up on Merida and her mother outside in the Kingdom, and it’s just their silhouettes but it's beautiful. The way directors Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell even captured Merida’s hair was incredible. It truly looked real. There is also another shot where Merida and her mother are fishing in a lake and her mother is eating with her back turned to Merida and Merida is just watching her eat, and that scene was shot as if it was real people, the emotions conveyed through the cartoons were beautiful.

In conclusion, Brave is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys Disney films, fun animated action packed flicks, and to anyone who enjoys a film that is filled with spirit, adventure, love and the belief that the bonds between loved ones grows stronger through each direction fate takes them. And sometimes all anyone needs is the bravery and passion to fight for what they believe in.