Brave (2012) Review

“Get the key”

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

We all want to change part of ourselves that we dislike, but we have to realize how big of a decision it’ll be or we’ll end up regretting it.


PLOT


Brave takes place in Medieval Scotland and follows Princess Merida. She lives in the fictional clan of Dunbroch with her parents, King Fergus & Queen Elinor, and her three brothers, Harris, Hubert & Hamish. Now at the age of 16, she learns she is set to be betrothed by an allied clan. Elinor reminds her that not going through the marriage would result in a big backlash. This of course makes her uncomfortable due to how she’s never thought of being one’s wife, and has spent most of her spare time with the hobby of archery. The three houses of Dingwall, MacGuffin & Macintosh later arrive with their respective lords (Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd & Craig Ferguson) and their suitors to offer the princess’ hands. Knowing only first borns can compete for it, she chooses archery to be the game to do it. Merida does this knowing she’d compete for her own hand. She ends up besting all suitors which upsets her mom more than her dad. She calls out the queen for never asking what she’s ever wanted and defiantly destroys the family tapestry, claiming she’d rather than die than be like her. Elinor retaliates by throwing her bow into a fire pit. This causes the princess to run away and although she tries salvaging it, the damage towards the childhood gift is already done. Deep into the woods, Merida would find a will-o-the-wisp, a folklore ghost light she hasn’t seen since she was a kid. The wisp guides her to a cottage where an elderly witch (Julie Walters) resides. She asks the witch for a spell to change her mom so that she can change her fate and the result is being given an enchanted cake. When she returns home, she gives Elinor the cake, which results in her turning into a black bear. She does keep her memories, but is incapable of speaking English. Since she wasn’t expecting this, Merida has to hide her from all the kingdom, including Fergus who lost his leg to the demon bear Mor’du the same day she saw a wisp as a kid. When returning to the hut, they find a message left by the witch that in order to undo the spell, they must mend their bond by second sunrise or Elinor will remain a bear. More wisps would direct them to the ruins of an old castle. When finding what is left of an old throne room, Merida realizes the bear Mor’du was a prince who asked for the same spell after destroying an engraved stone of his brothers and remained a bear when unable to undo his actions. She and her mother get chased by the opposing bear and are able to escape as they return to their home. When returning to DunBroch, Merida is able to sneak her mom back inside by giving a speech on her behalf to change the rules that she and her brothers can marry whoever they want. All the houses rejoice of this decision, but Fergus would panic when finding his wife’s clothes ripped and their bed damaged as a result of her transformation. When she finds the bear, she mistakes his wife to be Mor’du. Merida assures him it’s not, but it doesn’t him stop trying to protect her by locking her in a tapestry room. The nursemaid Maudie guards the door until the key gets taken from her by Merida’s brothers who also ate the cake and became bear cubs. Once they free her, she sews the tapestry while simultaneously following the wisps that guide her to her dad confronting Elinor. Just when Merida confirms again he’s after the wrong bear, Mor’du shows up again to attack. He almost attacks the princess until Elinor breaks free from restraints to protect her. Both bears fight until the queen pushes Mor’du into a stepping stone that collapses. A wisp emerges from the bear’s body before it vanishes. Elinor is able to reconcile with her daughter when returning to human form by second sunrise, as do the boys. The film ends with the visiting clans going their separate ways whereas Merida & Elinor continue to strengthen their bond with a new tapestry.


THOUGHTS


Everyone knows that Pixar has been the most consistent in quality from Walt Disney’s many owned studios, so seeing this was a must. From the get go, it’s a step up from Cars 2 because apart from the animation feeling quite immersive for its setting, let alone the design for creatures like the wisps, the comedy is way better. The triplets gave a real knee slapper as their way to be playful causes a ruckus. Pretending to be a bear before actually becoming cubs themselves, tying their dad’s leg to the dining table or instigating a fight with the clans are nonstop hilarity. The laughs on my end even get higher due to the childishness between said groups because they’re all so desperate to prove their worth. I mean you know you're crazy if you're flashing the competition out of spite. I was also chuckling over the fact the descendant representing House MacGuffin had such a thick gaelic accent that I didn't understand a damn thing. I even respect that House Macintosh is named after the computer created by the original Pixar owner, the late Steve Jobs. It was also a big surprise to see that the witch might be a traveller of the multiverse by having carvings of a Pizza Planet truck and a portrait of Sully. What really impressed me the most of this movie was its way to say traditions are not the only thing to define our lives, but at the same time we should respect the legacies that pave the way for us to be where we want to be. This is the dilemma that our protagonist learns with and without some bumps down the road. Kelly Macdonald is a great lead as Merida because while she lives up to the movie's title, she is someone who chooses to be stubborn in order to remain pleased with her all, which is something she passes on to her brothers. Although Billy Connolly made Fergus a loving mother that avoided being intrusive and was more easygoing about allowing her happiness be maintained. The one who cared most was the of course the strict one because while Emma Thompson put an emphasis on the wisdom her daughter didn't want but needed to hear. She goes out of her way to remind her what happened to Mor'du because she doesn't want her to live with regret, which in turn led to them pushing each other away. Merida goes out of line by forcing her mom to change in order to change, but seeing how bad the effects were, she knew she had to undo it before it was too late. That is where she differs from Mor'du because despite still having desires, she still loves her family. Yes she still gets what she wants, but what mattered to her more at that point is that she still had her mom that loved her more. With them on the same page again, it's a no brainer that whatever the next journey would be about as exciting for us. I like about everything this movie has going for, but there are a few things that don't make sense upon re-watching. For instance, I don't believe it at all that Mor'du had the jump on Fergus' camp in the cold open when he is a big ass bear. I know we need a setup on who is this movie's villain, but it would've just as believable for him to come from the shadows like he does during the second act. I know Elinor is looking out for Merida when expositing the backstory of Mor'du costing him his legacy for his selfishness, but since she knows her daughter, she should know she wouldn't go that far by destroying a kingdom apart from the tapestry. One joke that didn't make me laugh is that Lord Dingwall allows his biggest soldier be in front of his only son when trying to plead his case in the proposal. Yes the joke is who we and the characters misinterpret between who & who but if he didn't want that, he should've guided his son to the front to avoid that. Also, why exactly is there a spell for the witch's cabin to appear and reappear whenever the plot demands it. If she wants to keep customers around and help Merida, I don't see the reason to hide like this. That's more annoying than her forgetting to mention the curse that comes with the spell. What gets weirder is that Elinor was in front of Fergus when she was sneaking in as a bear. I know he was focused on his daughter's impromptu speech, but it wasn't like she was invisible. Lastly, how the hell does anyone know how to sew while riding a horse? I'm surprised Merida doesn't lose the needle while holding on to her ride. Ignore this, then you'll still have a good time with what was done overall. In short, the directing team of Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman & Steve Purcell do a great job in sharing a compelling story in an exciting setting, that is Brave. If you dig the creativity Pixar is all about, check this out when you can.