If Rob had quoted, "Myyy name's Merida, and I'll be shootin' fer my OWN HAAAAHND!" one more time, I would personally call the casting directors at Pixar to see that the role be recast. He's been quoting the movie incessantly for about three months, and being a Pixar movie, I was surprised that this was about as much as I'd heard about Brave.
Outside of the fact that this is Pixar's first female protagonist. And really, it's about time! Unfortunately, Pixar chose to allocate its first heroine into the stereotypical Disney role of the rebellious princess. Being arguably the most creative film studio of the 21st century, I was expecting more progressive thinking with the debut of our Merida-like figure. Between this and Merida's overt bratty disposition, it seemed, at first, that Pixar had taken a misstep.
Alas, I was wrong. Brave is complex, challenging the perception of traditional gender roles within the fairy tale kingdom. Unlike First Aid Kit's ballad "King of the World", being Queen is nothing to scoff at. In this Scottish territory, women control the kingdom and command control over the unwieldy and impulsive men at rule. Merida's mother, Elinor, is simply divine as the matriarch of the kingdom. Both poised and graceful, the queen asserts responsibility as the firm voice of reason- arole she sees Merida must fit. Merida, on the other hand, wants nothing more than be "one of the boys"- shooting arrows, riding through the forest, and exploring her connection with nature.
Upon a glance, the plot is frustratingly familiar, but the clash of two concurrent feminist ideals- the desconstruction of gender and tradition as demonstrated by Merida and Elinor's need to heighten the strengths of femininity sets the stage for some thoughtful discussion on the feminine identity. Contextualizing the argument in a children's feature was a wise move on Pixar's behalf, encouraging families to consider the type of women young girl continue to idolize in modern society. Like Pixar's other features, it's really quite impressive how they are able to integrate fairly complex emotional and social issues within their family features.
The most risky yet rewarding decision behind Brave was setting no definitive antagonist, rather, two radical yet justified opinions in combat. Both Merida and Elinor are identifiable and sympathetic. In fact, it's often hard to avoid becoming frustrated with how RIGHT and good-intentioned both women are. Headstrong, yes, but with hearts in the right place- similar to many realistic conflicts within the family. There has, however, been distinct issue with Merida's behavior, which I agree with. It takes a bit too long to like Merida as much as her mother, which is a bit counter-intuitive; it should be the other way around. I don't see Merida taking off with the target audience in a similar manner as Tangled's Rapunzel.
Recent criticism aside, Pixar continues to set the bar for outstanding visual achievement. Each frame is a piece of artwork in itself; the lush Scottish landscapes feel both real and dreamlike, catapulting Brave to becoming a sincere visual treat. Pixar consistently provide affirmation in the use of CGI- while oft poorly executed, the effect can be unparalleled.
Brave's fatal flaw is in its lack of any distinctive moments. What drives so many Pixar features home is through the studio's ability to rekindle the power of cinematic magic. Like the opening sequence of Up, or Wall-E's romantic fire hydrant ride through open space, Pixar's library offers some unforgettably moving cinematic moments. Brave never really strikes the same chord, comfortably floating below the grandeur scale that it could reach. That isn't to say that Brave isn't touching, it just isn't as breath-taking or captivating as we have come to expect from Pixar.
Grade: B+
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