Brave: A Movie Review

[SyracuvatTenlii]

And now it's time for a new installment of questionable quality (qq?) movie reviews with SyracuvatTenlii. The subject of this review is Brave, a movie that I've seen only recently (today) as a result of being out of town for its release and otherwise not really having time to see it.
BUT I SAW IT.
AND IT WAS GOOD.
It would be something of a stretch to call it The Disney-Pixar duo's finest movie yet, but if there's a word that describes how it did in comparison with the other movies they'd made, it would be: Solid. I remember feeling rather down going into seeing Wall-E after something of a disappointment that Ratatouille brought (perhaps it was expectation after just how much I freaking LOVED Cars), but trust me, Wall-E is now one of my favorite Disney-Pixar movies EVER. The feeling is a little similar for this one, and here's how.
Up was LEGENDARY.
Toy Story 3 was Nostalgia + Quality = DOUBLE LEGENDARY
Cars 2 was expectations...not really met. I didn't dislike it, but it's easily one of D-P's worst installments.
So we come to Brave, and if nothing else, I'm worried. Worried, mainly, that this will be a reason for me to lose hope in Pixar studios, which is the LAST thing I need right now.
Now, obviously to avoid spoilers, I have to be a bit ambiguous about how I felt about the story in general. I get a nagging feeling that the pacing was a little...off. The final act, as it were, of the movie took me by surprise, like I didn't feel as though the story was ready(?) to come full circle at the point that it was just about to. This could be a bad thing, or it could have been that it was so immersive that it made me lose track of time or something, I don't really know. I suppose that's just a matter of opinion.

One thing that can't be denied, however, is the sheer quality of the music. Disney-Pixar movies have that quality to it that make the soundtrack enjoyable, but not the main attraction, with the main character suddenly breaking into song. Now, don't get me wrong, I like A Whole New World (Worl?) as much as the next guy (whoever THAT is), but I think it's really great when a Disney movie can make the music add a lot while still keeping it in the background, and with Gailic music playing, it really adds to it. (I did forget to mention that they did kind of break the fourth wall with having instrumentalists sometimes, but when they did, it was mainly for comedic effect).

The characters...y'know, I was about to think that they were unique, but let's face it-- a princess who strives to break tradition and go where her heart is guiding her? Well, crap, where have we seen THAT in a Disney movie besides EVERY SINGLE ONE WITH A PRINCESS IN IT!? The main difference, however, is this:
NO
ROMANCE.
Not even kidding! The fatal flaw with Disney Princesses trying to be independent is that 9 times out of 8, they end up falling in love with some guy or another. Princess Merida has no love interest. At all. The story lies in her relationship with her mother, and that's about all the relationship story you're going to get.
So guys, be careful when you take the girl you like, k? Good.

Uh...do I even need to TALK about the visual presentation of a DISNEY PIXAR MOVIE?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: Nnoooooo-- this joke's over...

Overall, this movie is another relief where there was a lot of danger of disappointment. I'm GLaD (I had to...) I saw it, and I do advise you do the same, and post your personal comments as a response.

[Idno58]

I mostly agree with this. I felt Brave was a nice family film, with a good, familiar story, loveable characters, and wonderful visuals. I'm really excited for Pixar's next movie, since it looks even better. We'll just have to wait and see, though.