Whilst we all eagerly await Monsters University (Monsters Inc, 2) this Summer brought us another Disney Pixar film, Brave. I should know better than to expect nothing less than an amazing tale that will make me laugh one minute and then burst into tears the next.
In Brave we meet Merida and her family, her father is King and her mother… well, let’s just say they have the relationship that most girls have with their mothers when they are growing up. Merida feels trapped by tradition and feels that her mother doesn’t listen to her. Competing in the competition to win her hand also frustrates her mother and Merida shows herself to be very good with a bow and arrow.
Of course Merida is led astray by a witch and a spell turns her mother into a large bear! Slowly their relationship is reconciled and Merida finds out how she can reverse the spell as it continues to become more permanent. The film is voiced by Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane.
The film, like I mentioned before is full of laughs and tears. There are also a few scenes that are scary for younger audiences, the end fighting scene for example caused my goddaughter (she is six) to disappear under my arm! I wouldn’t recommend it for under five’s based on some of the darker scenes and in particular the end fighting scene. I foolishly wasn’t expecting much from Brave, I actually thought this might be a flop and hadn’t expected there to be a story with such meaning that could appeal to both young and old. We’ve been here before with every single Pixar film before this one and I was suitably wrong to judge it otherwise.
The other major delight of this film was seeing how much animation has become more real. There were times that I had forgotten I was watching an animated film, the characters looked so real. There is a scene involving Merida and her mother (as a bear) and they are trying to catch fish in the river, the water looks so real.
Don’t do what I did and judge this film on anything other than a spectacular film that will have you laughing and sobbing. Yes, even you!
P.S. I want Merida’s hair!