I have considered myself a fan of Pixar's films since I first laid eyes on Sully and Boo. Sure I liked A Bugs Life, and hadn't yet discovered the joys of Toy Story, but Monsters Inc was the one that turned me back into a child. And it made me cry like a little baby.
I've gone to see every Pixar film since. I've laughed (mostly at the fun ones like Cars), I've cried some more (at Wall.E) and I've routed for a team of toys on more than one occasion!
So of course, when Brave was announced I couldn't wait to see it. Even though I didn't really know what it was about. Anyone who's seen the trailer will probably be scratching their head as much as I was. Let's just say that the bosses at Pixar have kept their cards very close to their chest on this one.
Brave is the story of a young princess in Scotland who has a very unladylike hobby. She loves nothing more than riding her horse and shooting things with her trusty bow and arrows. So when her mother tells her that three prestigious families are coming to their land to win her hand for their sons, she is more than a little against the idea. The princess Merida runs away as fast as her horse's legs will carry her and soon stumbles upon a witch who promises to solve all her problems. As tends to happen in these type of stories, the spell doesn't go quite to plan and Merida must work with her mother to try and undo what she has done.
I don't want to give too much of Brave's story away as the trailer doesn't at all really. What I will say is that it's not too complex for kids and not so dumb that adults won't appreciate it either. It's not overly sad for a Pixar film (no-where near UP or Wall.E standards) but one little kid in front of me balled his or her eyes out at the end. The animation is stunning as always. From the girl who loved Sully and just wanted to curl up in his beautiful blue fur I can say that the team have really pulled it out of the bag again with Merida's hair. What a stunning mane she has. Just take your time looking at those lushious locks of hers, you won't be disappointed that you did.
Similarly stunning were the landscapes and the sky. Just gorgeous backgrounds on this film that really make it worth seeing in 2D. Yes you read that right. The 3D makes it darker so don't pay the extra for this film as it's really not required. The colours come to life in 2D so don't make the wrong choice by opting for 3D.
It's not Pixar's best but it's stunning to look at and the voice work as ever is superb. 7.5 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 19th August 2012
UK Release Date - 13th August 2012
Cast Overview:
(If you don't like knowing who the voices are DONT SCROLL DOWN! ;0)
Kelly MacDonald ~ Merida
Billy Connolly ~ Fergus
Emma Thompson ~ Elinor
Julie Walters ~ The Witch
Robbie Coltrane ~ Lord Dingwall
Kevin McKidd ~ Lord MacGuffin/Young MacGuffin
Craig Ferguson ~ Lord MacIntosh
Director(s) ~ Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell (co-director)
Writer(s) ~ Brenda Chapman (Story), Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi (Screenplay)
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