Brave
(Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly)
Disney/Pixar’s newest
blockbuster hit Brave has audiences falling in love everywhere. The movie is much darker than other movies
from the same company, and is the first to feature a female as the protagonist
and hero.
Princess Merida, voiced by Kelly
Macdonald, became an expert archer at a very young age, much to her mother’s
dismay. Merida is spontaneous and is
determined to use her arrow to find her own target and passion in life. She wants no part in being the princess her
mother taught her to be and after some serious conflict resulting in the loss
of her bow she enlists a witch to help solve her problem with her mother.
Merida’s adventurous and
stubborn ways get not only her and her family into danger but also her entire
kingdom. But unlike other “princess”
stories Merida is not opposed by an evil queen she is opposed by her straight
laced traditional mother, Queen Elinor.
Elinor has worked hard to bring Merida up how a true princess should be
raised, but Merida has other plans for her life. She does not want her entire life to be
defined by being betrothed to a man she does not love. Instead, Merida decides to choose her own
fate by simply splitting a man’s arrow in half.
Merida’s impetuous personality creates a curse that will change a
mother/daughter relationship forever.
Queen Elinor is voiced by the
talented Emma Thompson, but the twist comes when Elinor is magically turned
into a bear and does not utter another word until the last few scenes of the
movie. The plot twist created in Brave
added just enough softness to the movie before anarchy was inadvertently
unleashed, turning Merida’s world upside down.
Evenly matched to Queen Elinor
is her husband Fergus, voiced by Billy Connolly. Fergus is the fun loving dad to Merida, a
father who wants her daughter to be happy.
He is the one who gives Merida her first bow and arrow that is so dear
to her. Fergus acts like a big kid, so
all he wants to see is his daughter being herself.
Constantly keeping the royal
family on their toes are the triplet brothers who are skilled in causing
trouble and sneaking around the castle.
The nosey little boys must endure an adventure of their own when they
eat the wrong thing at the wrong time and have a much different life for a
bit. The boys bring comedy to the movie
without being overly obnoxious like younger siblings are almost always portrayed.
The animation and scenery was
beautifully done, as it always is in a Disney/Pixar movie. The thriving Scottish land was in full bloom
creating the perfect atmosphere for a headstrong princess to save her
kingdom. The music was perfectly chosen
with uplifting titles such as “Touch the Sky” and “Into the Open Air” but by far
the best song was “Learn Me Right” by British Folk Band Mumford & Sons.
The newest Disney Princess has
flaming red hair and a bow and arrow, and get this she doesn’t want a man at
this time in life. Merida has enough spark
and bravery to live her life the way she wants.
She has proven to her parents and the kingdom that love shouldn’t be
forced. They all learn that in time
everyone can find their one true love on their own terms.
Brave is a must see adventure
movie. After you see the movie you
should follow the wisps right back to the theater and see it again to truly
take in the gorgeous scenery of Scotland and its breathtaking castles. Brave isn’t about a love story, it’s about a
mother/daughter relationship and the way they can be broken and repaired. It’s about a girl’s destiny, not about the
love she is forced into. Brave shows
that finding Prince Charming isn’t something that needs to happen right away
instead it can be put on the back burner to find one’s own path in life first.
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