It’s a ruse, of course, for the sons of Lords Macintosh, MacGuffin, and Dingwall all lack her skill with a bow and arrow, to say nothing of her intelligence and charm: she shoots all three targets herself, much to the displeasure of her mother Elinor (Emma Thompson). What of the text itself? Princess Merida is an archer who, when three different clans present their sons to compete for her hand, suggests an archery challenge to determine her would-be suitor. It is one of the few Pixar movies in which the subtext could be measured with shallow coffee spoons. Brenda Chapman’s story seems like it wants to be much stronger, but the addition of three screenwriters (Mark Andrew, Steve Purcell, and Irene Mecchi) dilute its potency and, alas, its depth. Like Merida’s remarkable red locks, it yearns to flow wildly but finds itself clipped by its own tale. Meant as Merida’s bildungsroman with the theme of forging one’s own path, it dampens its action and ambition by embracing traditional verities of family and responsibility, hobbling her full maturation. Even her triplet brothers Harris, Hubert, and Hamish possess the boisterous energy of the fairy godmothers in Cinderella.Ī shame, then, that Brave’s emotion and interest never match its physical beauty, and that the grand scope at its beginning squeezes its focus into a small family drama. The glowing Will o’ the Wisps she follows into a darkened forest to the home of a witch (Julie Walters) who could help her change her fate all harken back to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Sleeping Beauty, and other classic Disney fare infused with the Burkean beautiful and sublime. When Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) rides to the top of a waterfall amid the swell of Patrick Boyle’s energetic score, the film overwhelms with the promise epic adventure along the lines of its parent studio’s illustrious predecessors. And, not surprisingly, it stuns with its beauty and sound.
PROS : Beautiful renderings of the Scottish Highlands as well as exceptionally realized animated characters good vocal casting a vibrant score by Patrick Doyle intriguing fairy tale and fantasy elements…ĬONS: …that never really go anywhere too much time spent in DunBroch Castle uneven drama that runs out of steam as the movie approaches its conclusion use of 3D largely unnecessary.Īt first glance Brave, the newest animated feature from Pixar, finally embraces the elements of fairy tale and high fantasy that seemed the exclusive purview of its distributor Walt Disney. REVIEW SUMMARY: Beautifully shot, as one would expect from Pixar, but only intermittently engaging and sputters badly as it moves toward its climax.īRIEF SYNOPSIS: When free-spirited princess and archer Merida learns that she must choose a suitor, she seeks the counsel of a witch to change her fate.
0 kommentar(er)
