It sure became cool to rip on Pixar all the sudden…
But lucky for you folks; I don’t have the slightest idea how to join the madding crowd. Despite what you might read on every movie column except for a Brave woman at Slate; Brave is actually a great movie.
I’m not sure if there’s another studio that approaches the story of a film with more respect than Pixar. I know people go gaga over the digital animation (and they’re fairly uncontested as the world leader there) but, as always, I’m in it for the story. And Pixar rarely disappoints.
I didn’t love Finding Nemo, but I have to respect the tale. It played with a number of ‘adventure’ and ‘voyage’ tropes and did so very intelligently. I didn’t love Up either. I found the story of the protagonist haunting and I very much enjoyed the talking dogs; but I wish the old man had been given something more interesting to do. And I wish the bad guy had been more thought out. And I didn’t really like Toy Story 3. I thought they did basically the same story in Toy Story 2 and did it better. And I didn’t like Cars 2: Larry the Cable Guy. But even in the films I didn’t really like; it was apparent that Pixar respected the story and audience enough to go all out. There’s never that lame George Lucas excuse for laziness,”it’s just a kids movie”.
I went nuts for The Incredibles. It was apparent that Pixar knows what’s quality and what’s not and borrowed almost all that was quality and classic from comic books and wrote a love note to it. They also have my gratitude for the best telling of 7 samurai besides the original (A Bug’s Life). It was clear that they understood what made that story cool. Ratatouille cut to the heart of the artist and the critic and why they do what they do. Wall-E maintained that we are never without hope and that there is heroism ingrained within us and what we build.
Oh, and to date I have enjoyed the shit out of every single short they’ve had.
Anyway, Brave is not my favorite or the best Pixar offering so far. But, it is absolutely the funniest. I laughed my ass off unabashedly for at least two thirds of the run time.
The basic plot is that there’s a fantasy Scottish kingdom where it’s tradition of the royal house that its heir choose a mate from one of the other 3 clans. This time around the fiery red-headed princess would rather not be betrothed. She goes to a number of lengths to assure she’s not forced into marriage (she’s kind of a drama queen about it, but riding her clydesdale through the woods does look fun as shit, I wouldn’t want to grow up either). Her mother has attempted to prepare her for marriage and queenship; but she more resembles her warrior father.
One of her attempts to convince her mother to change her mind has disasterous consequences. Soon marriage becomes the last thing on her mind as she must find a way to save her mother, family, and kingdom.
Her 3 little brothers have no lines at all in the movie. But they are undoubtedly the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Her father (Billy Connoly) is funny as hell as well. Also, the other clans, their leaders, their respective suitors, and the general Scottish Highland parliamentary procedure are just too much. You will laugh your ass off.
And though I deem it a secondary consideration; the animation is masterful. Meirda (our princess)’s hair is almost its own character. And who would have thought the eye could be the scariest part of a bear.
And Pixar clearly understands what’s cool and hilarious about Celtic culture. They know why people still go to the Highland Games and still throw the caber. Also, Pixar has apparently instituted kilt Fridays.
Don’t read any more reviews, see the movie. You won’t be disappointed.