Brave

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

 

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Brave

Release Date:  22 June 2012                                                                Runtime:  100 Minutes              

Review Date:  2 October 2012                                                              Rating:  4 (of 6)

     I must say that there was a disparity between the movie I thought I was going to see based on the trailer and the actual film itself when I sat down and watched Brave.  Normally, I'd give kudos for this bit of misleading presentation, annoyed when all the good parts are shown in the trailer leaving no real reason to see the piece in its entirety. 

     But here, instead of being an interesting adventure of a young girl who defies being a party to an arranged marriage and seeks her own way in the world, it is really about a misshapen spell that can tear Princess Merida's family apart and her trying to rectify it.  Which, too, could work well, but I found the results of the spell a little hokey.

     That being said, I think the Pixar fanatic crowd will love it nonetheless, though I myself would rate it in the lower half of the Pixar motion picture library.  It goes without saying that the animation and graphic design are all fantastically done, candy for the eyes, as we've become accustomed to expect.  And, as has become the norm with many Pixar films, Brave does have its moments where the heartstrings are successfully pulled, too.