Pixar’s Brave introduces us to a mythical Scotland where Princess Merida is groomed to be the next Queen by her mom. The movie starts great as we see Merida as a little girl playing outdoors with her mom. A giant battle weary bear attacks her and her dad steps in to rescue her family. Fast forward later and Merida’s mom has totally changed. She’s not playful anymore and just wants Merida to act more like royalty so she can take over the throne with one of the bachelors from a different clan. Merida is really good with a bow and runs away to the forest as she can’t take the pressure of becoming the future queen. She makes a deal with a witch that accidentally brings her closer to her family. Adventure ensues after the wish but I will not spoil it because it’s the main surprise of the movie.
For a Pixar flick, I expected Brave to be more emotional. The characters are likeable and the animation is great but the movie felt like it would’ve been better if another 30 minutes was added. It felt incomplete and some of the setup from the earlier scenes didn’t add up to anything. It felt like the filmmakers had several cool ideas but didn’t know which one to focus on. There are several cool montages and did I mention the beautiful animation? The colors are lush and the characters look cool.
The movie is worth a watch but it’s missing the connection that Pixar is known for. There’s no tear jerker scenes and it could’ve benefited with a longer cut. Then it could’ve been an epic movie in the likes of Lord Of The Rings. How awesome would’ve that been?
The 3D 1080P video is AWESOME. CG animated movies has the best 3d effect and Brave might be the most impressive. I love the panaramic shots of Scotland, as well as the details in the castle and the dark forest. Audio is surprisingly stunning. The movie has a lot of surround, especially in the jungle and the rain scenes. The DTS-HD track is very active and adds a great experience to the movie. Disney, once again delivers with the presentation.
The 4 disc set includes high def extras that’s it its own blu-ray disc. It’s no surprise as Pixar always shares their stories and inspirations in all of their films. The most surprising fact was that the original director was replaced by Mark Andrews. The extras included deleted and alternate scenes that would have made the movie more consistent if they went with a specific storyline. The best documentary was the zoo visits from animators so they can understand horses and bears better. This includes their behaviors as well as the anatomy. Extras for this disc is extensive and highly recommended!
The presentation and bonus raises Brave from a “B” to its final score. 3d fans will be impressed with the effects and audiophiles will be more than pleased with the audio. Brave’s storytelling was a bit inconsistent and the outcome is an average “Disney Princess” flick.
Grade: B+
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