Let's talk about tone. When someone tells me that they feel a film's tone is inconsistent, I usually respond, "Instead of being monotone?" I was always under the impression that monotony was a bad thing in speaking or singing. So why would I want a movie that was afraid to stray from the tone it begins with? In the case of Pixar's latest feature BRAVE, the film starts out as something of a family drama, with the parents of Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) forcing her into a marriage with one of three suitors, none of whom she loves. By the end of the film, Merida is attempting to save her mother from a spell she paid a witch to cast on her. And as the film progresses from Point A to Point B, the tone shifts dramatically, and I adore this film for it.
Perhaps because it features human characters in the lead roles (not especially common for Pixar), BRAVE's focus is on letting go both as a parent and as a keeper of antiquated traditions. In this film, said tradition is arranged marriages. It's never in doubt that King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) love Princess Merida, but her tomboyish ways (she is unmatched as an archer) and rebellious spirit make her an unlikely match for any of the weird young men (sons of the kings of the other regions in the Scottish setting). Plus, she wants to marry for love. Hard to argue with that. But after a fight with her mother, Merida runs off into the woods and stumbles upon a witch's lair, where she manages to change her mother's "demeanor" with a little spell, and that's when all hell breaks loose.
Brave is such a lush, gorgeous film to watch. I actually saw BRAVE in 2-D for my first viewing, and assuming I'd make a point of seeing it in 3-D eventually, but now I'm not so sure. The water, greenery, fur on animals, beards on humans, fabrics, and of course Meridas fiery red mane of hair all look spectacular—better than I've ever seen them look in an animated work. True, gorgeous visuals don't make a movie good or bad, but they sure to make my eyes happy.
But there's something kind of great about this way BRAVE's plot unfolds. It takes some crazy twists and turns, for sure, but I was always guessing and getting more interested in where it would take me. I loved the parent-child emphasis, but there's also a mystical quality to the film that seems drawn directly from Scottish folklore. Since this is Pixar, humor is also a big part of the movies, but most of that involves the fathers (Kevin McKidd, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson) of the three suitors, who lock horns with King Fergus about the possibility of their peace treaty falling apart if Merida doesn't pick a husband. The film's greatest lesson is about taking responsibility for your actions.
Pixar has taken the Disney "Princess" movie template and turned it upside down and inside out. They've given us a rough-and-tumble heroine in a true adventure story that also has practical life lessons about not being in such a rush to grow up when the rest of world demands it of you, but still making smart decisions that can affect the rest of your life. But really what BRAVE is about is putting weapons in the hands of small children, and if you can't get behind that, you don't have a soul. There are also a couple of very scary animal attack sequences that are going to make smaller kids go running for the bathroom. You should still take your over-protected little brats to see BRAVE; I'm just giving you a heads up.
