Pixar Pint #13: Brave
Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out. Honestly.
Welcome back to Pixar Pints, our summer-long journey through all 25 Pixar films in release order. We’re back after a lengthy hiatus because I (Eli) recently started a job. Yay me! Anyway.
Brave is another movie of firsts for Pixar. It’s their first fairytale (and a film that feels a lot more Disney than Pixar as a result). It’s their first film directed by a woman (Brenda Chapman), but only in part, because it’s also their first film with two listed lead directors (Mark Andrews). And least obviously, but perhaps most importantly, it’s their first film using Presto, an elaborate in-house animation software they created to make everything look exactly how they wanted and have used for every film since.
Let’s get into it.
Brave quick facts
Release date: June 22, 2012 | Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman | Music: Patrick Doyle with original songs by Julie Fowlis
Starring: Kelly Macdonald (Merida), Emma Thompson (Elinor), Billy Connolly (Fergus), Julie Walters (the Witch)
John Ratzenberger as: Gordon, the castle guard
Budget: $185 million | Box office: $540.4 million
Academy Awards: Won Best Animated Feature
Eli
Aesthetic: 10/10 | Wow, this movie looks phenomenal. Not only are the sets more beautiful than any Pixar movie to date, but the character designs are a near-perfect blend of real-human-like and cartoonishly hyperbolic (though I do wish the grown male characters were a little less jokey looking). If Cars 2 was proof of concept in Pixar acing set design, Brave is really what seals the deal.
Animation: 9/10 | The way everything moved help to set the mood about as well as you could expect. From Bear Elinor bumbling around and having no idea what to do with her own body, to Angus and Merida hectically scurrying through the glen, to the natural elements of fog, sun, and water working perfectly within the confines of the story. I did sometimes feel as though some of the objects were at odds with each other in how they were supposed to interact, but otherwise, more A+ work.
Story: 4/10 | Maaaan, I dunno. It does everything a Pixar movie (and a Disney fairytale, as this also technically is) should. It's got the action, the tender moments, the character development, the life lessons. It's generally fun to follow along with. My problem with it is that most of the plot is driven purely by magic; the characters have a weirdly small amount of agency. Of course, Merida unwittingly turns Elinor into a bear by magic, but that was borne of her own naiveté and was a decision she made, so I'm not talking about that. But how does Merida find the witch in the first place? Magic. How are she and Elinor led to Mor'du to learn their fate if they can't lift the curse? Magic. Why does Elinor turn primal at the exact worst possible time? I dunno, magic! The advances and setbacks in this story don't feel like they come from the characters doing things well or badly; it just feels like everything is being done for them. The morals are upstanding and you feel good after watching this movie, but in a way, the entire thing seems pointless.
Characters: 9/10 | The story not packing a huge punch hurts even more considering how good the characters are here. They're a little (okay, a lot) archetypal, sure, but you can still write archetypes well if you know what you're doing. The actions from Merida, Elinor, and Fergus are not only believable within the context of the film, but also feel like they could be scaled down to any conflict in any old family. Given this is the first Pixar movie to be directed (in part) by a woman, it stands to reason that the female leads here are well-written and dynamic in a way that female characters in Pixar just haven't been to this point, and that's a breath of fresh air. Also, the three boys are cute and I thought it was neat that they didn't give them any dialogue; they didn't need to.
Acting: 10/10 | Merida was originally supposed to be voiced by Reese Witherspoon, but she couldn't figure out how to do a good Scottish accent, so they dropped her and replaced her with Kelly Macdonald, a decision that was absolutely for the better as Macdonald's Merida is iconic. The rest of the cast continues Pixar's tradition of putting a ton of effort into voice acting, another welcome sight after the odd misstep that was Cars 2.
Music: 10/10 | They got an actual Scot to score this and another actual Scot to provide some original songs, and everything just works perfectly to provide the aesthetic the film is going for in its setting while not slamming you over the head with it. It's done with the same effect as Randy Newman's Western theme in Cars.
Final score: 9/10 | Some uninspiring plot elements notwithstanding, this is a fantastic film. A true return to form for Pixar after tripping over themselves the year prior. It's nothing like anything Pixar had ever done before, and isn't that what these guys used to thrive at? Especially with the last two films being cash cow sequels, this new blood is a delightful addition to the Pixar canon.
Leah
Aesthetic: 10/10 | I love Celtic aesthetics, so I really love the way this movie looks on a personal level. Beyond that, Pixar continues to be technically impressive. The forest, the background, the castle all came together to create a distinct setting that was amazing to watch.
Animation: 9/10 | Merida's hair is amazing! I thought the animation in this movie had a lot of personality. Elinor's movements as a bear were pretty funny and had a nice contrast with Mor'du.
Story: 9/10 | This is the most "Disney" story Pixar has done so far. I like the fairytale framing of a family drama. The conflict between mother and daughter is a tale as old as time, and I enjoyed seeing how Merida and Elinor learned to understand each other better. Also, after decades of Disney princess movies, it's refreshing to finally get one where the princess doesn't have to end up with a prince. I didn't mind the magic aspect of the story as much as Eli did. I think it reflected/symbolized the characters' agency and struggles as opposed to stripping it away/rendering it meaningless. I also liked the story within the story about Mor'du.
Characters: 9/10 | Merida and Elinor are both great foils to each other, and their conflicting personalities made it fun to watch their journey. Fergus and the Clan leaders/sons added a lot of humor to the movie, which I could appreciate. I also enjoyed the humor the little brothers added. The witch was a fun character too; the cauldron scene was one of my favorite parts of the movie.
Acting: 10/10 | Great performances really make this movie feel authentic to its setting.
Music: 9/10 I love Celtic music. This soundtrack really sets the mood of the movie, and even further establishes the setting as a medieval Scotland.
Final score: 9/10 | I remember feeling underwhelmed by this movie when I saw it in theaters, hoping for a Celtic fantasy epic, but now I think I appreciate it more for what it is. I love the Celtic aesthetic, and I think it tells a good story about familial relationships.
Maddy
Brave: a trans person’s least favorite word.
Aesthetic: 6/10 | The world is great and cool. My problem is the humans. Pixar was doing great with human designs but this movie tried to lean into more realistic features alongside previous cartoony styles and it just looks bad to me. The actual "aesthetics" of the world are great though.
Animation: 8/10 | This is a hair animation showcase and it rocks. Rest of the movie is good too.
Story: 3/10 | Merida faces no consequences for her actions in this movie. It is frustrating. This entire story is frustrating. It’s really hard to get involved in the world when the writing is confusing or bullying you every second. I love the world and lore of the world, but man, everything is fighting to kill it. This is but a D-tier Pixar story.
Characters: 4/10 | Merida sucks. She is not a good character. She is not well written. She is the worst Disney princess. I really, really don’t like her. She has one good scene (going up against her mother in that one competition scene) in this movie and she is the main character. The rest of the cast and Elinor are fine. I have no problems with them besides being the subject of very poor jokes.
Acting: 8/10 | I enjoyed all the performances in this movie. Nothing stands out, but it’s good.
Music: 9/10 | Banger. One of my favorite soundtracks of the Pixar lore.
Final score: 37/60 or 6/10 | I like a lot of things about this movie, but none of it is has to do with the pieces that hold a movie together: its writing and its characters. It’s not the worst script Pixar has written, or the worst characters Pixar has put on screen, but I just did not enjoy these parts of the film. It’s a great animation showcase and not much else, a phrase you might hear again soon.
Fun Maddy note: I got nothin’. This movie means nothing to me.
David
We're in the shit now, folks. We were in it with Cars 2 but, like, point stands. This is not a great period for dear ol’ Pixar.
Aesthetic: I love it. I think they did a fine job with the setting here, and despite the way the rest of the film kind of lets it down, I think this might be my favorite part. It's really nicely put together, and supports what I think they were trying to do with the rest of the film the way it was intended.
Animation: Her hair oh my god. Gorgeous.
Story: This one sucks - like, one of my least favorites in the entire Pixar canon. It's a drag, unmemorable, and at best, confusing. Nothing positive to report here, and it's a huge reason this movie falls to where it is.
Characters: Merida isn't good! No one's amazing, and having a very bad character as your absolute front focus for most of the film is a really rough way to get people into a film.
Acting: It's fine. Nothing remarkable.
Music: This shit bangs, I love a good Celtic ripper, but at the same time, when I'm asked to recall individual moments that shine through, I find myself unable to call back to any specific moments. Maybe it's a measure of how weak the story is. Still good, though.
Final score: 5/10 | A bad story and characters that don't pull their weight really drag this movie down. It beats A Bug's Life, but that's only by a very very narrow margin. Is it the worst? No. Is it good? Also no.
Final notes
Merida did nothing wrong.
Next up: Monsters University