It sure became cool to rip\u00a0on Pixar all the sudden…<\/p>\n
But lucky for you folks; I don’t have the slightest idea how to join the madding crowd.\u00a0 Despite what you might read on every movie column except for a Brave woman at Slate<\/em>; Brave<\/em> is actually a great movie.<\/p>\n I’m not sure if there’s another studio that approaches the story of a film with more respect than Pixar.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 And Pixar rarely disappoints.\u00a0<\/p>\n I didn’t love Finding Nemo<\/em>, but I have to respect the tale.\u00a0 It played with a number of ‘adventure’ and ‘voyage’ tropes and did so very intelligently.\u00a0 I didn’t love Up<\/em> either.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 And I wish the bad guy had been more thought out.\u00a0 And I didn’t really like Toy Story 3<\/em>.\u00a0 I thought they did basically the same story in Toy Story 2<\/em> and did it better.\u00a0 And I didn’t like Cars 2: Larry the Cable Guy<\/em>.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 There’s never that lame George Lucas excuse for laziness,”it’s just a kids movie”.\u00a0<\/p>\n I went nuts for The Incredibles<\/em>.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 They also have my gratitude for the best telling of 7 samurai <\/em>besides the original (A Bug’s Life<\/em>).\u00a0 It was clear that they understood what made that story cool.\u00a0 Ratatouille<\/em> cut to the heart of the artist and the critic and why they do what they do.\u00a0 Wall-E<\/em> maintained that we are never without hope and that there is heroism ingrained within us and what we build.<\/p>\n Oh, and to date I have enjoyed the shit out of every single short they’ve had.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyway, Brave <\/em>is not my favorite or the best Pixar offering so far.\u00a0 But, it is absolutely the funniest.\u00a0 I laughed my ass off unabashedly for at least two thirds of the run time.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 This time around the fiery red-headed princess\u00a0 would rather not be betrothed.\u00a0 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).\u00a0 Her mother has attempted to prepare her for marriage and queenship; but she more resembles her warrior father.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of her attempts to convince her mother to change her mind has disasterous consequences.\u00a0 Soon marriage becomes the last thing on her mind as she must find a way to save her mother, family, and kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her 3 little brothers have no lines at all in the movie.\u00a0 But they are undoubtedly the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.\u00a0 Her father (Billy Connoly) is funny as hell as well.\u00a0 Also, the other clans, their leaders, their respective suitors, and the general Scottish Highland parliamentary procedure are just too much.\u00a0 You will laugh your ass off.<\/p>\n And though I deem it a secondary consideration; the animation is masterful.\u00a0 Meirda (our princess)’s hair is almost its own character.\u00a0 And who would have thought the eye could be the scariest part of a bear.\u00a0<\/p>\n And Pixar clearly understands what’s cool and hilarious about Celtic culture.\u00a0 They know why people still go to the Highland Games and still throw the caber.\u00a0 Also, Pixar has apparently instituted kilt Fridays.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don’t read any more reviews, see the movie.\u00a0 You won’t be disappointed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It sure became cool to rip\u00a0on Pixar all the sudden… But lucky for you folks; I don’t have the slightest idea how to join the madding crowd.\u00a0 Despite what you might read on every movie column except for a Brave … Continue reading