BRAVO for "BRAVE" in Bonny Scotland - My Review

BRAVE is a rip-roaring romp.

Directors: Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman

Produced by: Katherine Sarafian

Music: Patrick Doyle

Story: Brenda Chapman

Voice Cast:

Kelly MacDonald: Princess Merida

Emma Thompson: Queen Elinor

Billy Connolly: King Fergus

Kevin McKidd: Lord MacGuffin and young MacGuffin

Craig Ferguson: Lord Macintosh

Robbie Coltrane: Lord Dingwall

Julie Walters: the Witch

John Ratzenberger: Gordon, a guard

Patrick Doyle: Martin, a guard

Peigi Barker: young Merida

Steven Cree: young Macintosh

Callum O'Neill: Wee Dingwall

Sally Kinghorn and Eilidh Fraser as Maudie

Steve Purcell: the Crow

Running time: 93 minutes

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Like a refreshing breeze, Brave sweeps through the audience and leaves one quite breathless. I was totally delighted with this movie from beginning to end. Disney’s Pixar has done it again. As much as I enjoyed “UP,” I enjoyed “Brave” and possibly even more. How fabulous to find a new fairy tale, much like a legend of Bonny Scotland. If the makers of this movie wanted to showcase the Scottish Highlands in all its grandeur, they certainly did. They went over there to study Scotland at its finest and their artistic renderings are stunning, with incredible attention to detail and rich textured palette, the film is a visual delight. Not since I saw “Fantasia” when I was but a girl, have I felt as excited about a new animated movie as I do about “Brave.” This movie contains all the elements of comedy, drama, adventure and even a little romance. I laughed from beginning to end and even cried in the sad parts. Please be aware, dear Reader, that there are some rather frightening bits which will likely scare young children.

The story feels like an old folktale and has all the ingredients of Disney’s finest animated feature films. The faces of all the characters are extremely expressive – it’s all there in the eyes. Och, it’s all in the Ayes! Medieval Scotland comes to life in all its haunting beauty and with the soaring spirit and robust energy of the clans. We meet Princess Merida who has beautiful unruly red locks and a faint spattering of freckles over her nose. The princess is being tutored by her elegant mother, Queen Elinor, of very royal bearing, but our fiery princess wants to do things her own way. Her father, King Fergus of Clan DunBroch, a larger-than-life character, presents his little daughter with a birthday present – her very own bow. As she practices with it, the family encounters a giant demon bear called Mor’du. While Elinor and Merida escape, Fergus and his men fight the bear off, at the cost of Fergus’ left leg.

Time elapses and we next meet a teenaged Merida and her identical, adorable, red-tousle-haired triplet brothers: Harris, Hubert, and Hamish. The princess has become a talented and awesomely accurate archer, and she and her three little brothers, get up to all sorts of high jinks. Merida is set on doing things her own way. Headstrong and smart, she loves best to ride wildly into the beauty of Scotland, her untameable hair flying in the wind as she enjoys her freedom. A tomboy at heart, she just wants to be herself. From blades of grass to the expansive lush and verdant beauty of the changing Scottish landscape, the action and adventure which follows is captured with remarkable artistry. Astride her faithful Clydesdale horse, Angus, which is as free-spirited as its rider, Merida, races over bonny hills and through misty dales as she explores to her heart’s content on her one day off when she can do things her own way.

Queen Elinor calls a meeting of the clans as it is time for a first-born of one of the clans, to win the hand of the Princess in marriage. Clans Dingwall, Macintosh, and MacGuffingather to participate in Highland games which include piping, drumming, dancing, kilts, the Scottish hammer throw and the caber toss. After witnessing the rather disappointing efforts of her three suitors as they try to win the archery competition, the princess declares that she will compete for her own hand as she represents the fourth clan. Try as she might, Queen Elinor cannot get Merida to behave like a future queen. An exasperated and iron-willed Queen insists that Merida take her duties seriously and with dignity, which results in a rift created by our strong-willed heroine – a rift that will take dedicated determination to heal.

After a wild ride, Merida finds herself inside a circle of standing stones and suddenly, strange things begin to happen. Merida hears and sees blue-sighing will-‘o-the-wisps which light her way, as effectively as an aircraft landing strip, and our heroine embarks on a journey that leads her to an old woman’s lair. The old woman has the ability to whittle wood into creative sculptures as she whips up a brew that will grant Merida a wish that may change everything, and thus, we discover that the old woman is, in fact, a witch. Merida’s wish is to change her mother, but she gets a lot more than she bargained for. Merida is given a message: A pride-torn bond must be repaired.

As Elinor pays the price for Merida’s stubborn ways, Merida must help her mother escape from the castle, with the help of the triplets. Then she has to figure out a way to escape the clutches of Mor’du and save her mother from the witch’s spell. As a result of Merida’s actions, the clans are on the verge of war. Merida boldly suggests that it is time for her and her suitors to choose their own partners. Her suitors think this is a very good idea and wholeheartedly agree. After much confusion about Mor’du, and his ultimate demise, Merida proclaims her love for her mother, thinking that she is too late to break the spell.

I will leave the ending as a question mark for you, dear Reader, as I never like to spoil the plot. What I will say is that this is a fairy tale in the best of traditions, filled with magic and danger, and a fabulous musical score. In the words of Patrick Doyle: "I employed many classic Scottish dance rhythms such as reels, jigs, and strathspeys, which not only serve the action but keep it authentic." Brave will undoubtedly take its well-earned place amongst the best of the classics.

As of July 1, 2012, the film had earned $137,156,457 in North America, and $26,800,000 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $163,956,457