Brave: Heather M.'s Movie Review

When I asked my five year old daughter what to share with people about the movie Brave, she said, “Brave is so fun.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.”  I guess that she was able to sum up the movie faster than I was. 

Brave is a wonderful story about a strong willed girl named Merida who lived in long ago Scotland.  It tells the story of tradition and protocol and the sharp contrast to passion and desire.  Merida is the first female protagonist for the Pixar group.  She carries the movie with grace and humor, never taking herself too seriously. 

The focus of the story is on the process of Merida and the conflicts she faces with duty and tradition.  Like Mulan, there are certain expectations on Merida about the expectations that her family has on her.  Merida has no interest in her mother’s lessons or in becoming betrothed. 

Merida’s father is the bear king.  The story details his encounters with bears at different points in Merida’s upbringing.  Movie goers are also introduced to Merida’s three younger brothers who are triplets.  Much of the story focuses on the interactions between Merida and her mother Elinor. 

The sights and the sounds of ancient Scotland were incredible.  The scenery looked real and the sounds of the celtic music and bagpipes helped the story along. 

Both my seven year old son and five year old daughter loved the movie.  They found that it had the right amount of intensity and a strong dose of humor.  Many of the available storybooks shadow the story and may be a good idea to preview with a child who may react to some of the scarier scenes.  I would definitely recommend seeing this movie.  I thought that the quality of the story and the details in the animation were well worth the price of the admission.