A rebel redhead defies her culture’s marital tradition in order to determine her own fate in the latest Pixar creation, BRAVE.
Princess Merida, a spunky and free-spirited young archer, is slated for a suitor which will come from one of three lord’s sons. Each son will attempt to win a competition, one determined by Merida, and in winning the event, will claim the Princess’s hand in marriage. Merida selects an archery competition, and proceeds to best each of her suitors in the event, staking her claim to determine who she’ll marry. This doesn’t sit well with her controlling mother, Queen Elinor, and Merida flees to the woods.
In the woods, Merida meets a witch, and requests that the witch place a spell on her mother to make her mother change. Merida’s wish is granted, but it doesn’t turn out the way the princess had expected.
Conflict between parent and child is nothing new to Disney or Pixar, and needless to say, neither is a princess-centered tale.
In spite of these similarities, Pixar’s BRAVE finds something distinct in its myth, a heroine-centered children’s yarn, one which benefits from a change of scenery. This Scottish fable feels fresh due to its remote woodsy setting, characters dialect and the head-strong nature of Merida.
Past Disney heroine’s from Belle to Mulan, have been strong in spirit, but never so eager to slash from convention and strike out on their own. Merida’s confidence and independence enable her to take chances and risks that veer out-of-bounds from ordinary kid fare.
The remainder of BRAVE’s characters aren’t as inspiring. Elinor is as conventional as Merida is original, leaving little personality or gusto to the other central figure. Merida’s father King Fergus is a jolly ole soul, both a brute and a goof, and her three brothers are equally ornery, but their impact is minimal both in terms of laughs or relevance. Even the witch, who’s reluctance to assist marks a nice change, serves as merely a plot device to progress the internal family struggle between Merida and Elinor.
BRAVE doesn’t break any new ground for the genre or studio, but it does create a real original in Merida, a character who’s as memorable as any past princesses.
Grade: B
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