Walt Disney Pictures Brave
Last updated: October 13, 2023
Pixar's first film with a female lead knocked it out of the park. It brings the wild beauty of Scotland to life with breathtaking 3D animation. Merida's strong sense of self-worth is a welcome change of pace from the standard Disney Princess character.
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Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
This is a great-looking movie, much enlivened by the inspiration of giving Merida three small brothers, little redheaded triplets. The Scottish Highlands are thrillingly painted in astonishing detail, and some action shows Merida's archery more than equal in assorted emergencies.
Brave is almost entirely a delight. The wild beauty of Scotland, of the verdant forests and the craggy peaks, is lovingly rendered with a gorgeous palette of painterly colors and in very agreeable 3D. Even better, the voicings here are among the most exceptional and pleasurable of any animated film you might care to name.
Brave is an enthralling entertainment, sure to make you laugh. But it’s also a journey of self-discovery readily apparent to anyone weaned on Disney. Even then, the moral is a bit of a fudge — follow your heart and listen to your parents.
- Empire
From the moment we first meet Merida, there's a sense of familiarity about the character that’s thoroughly endearing. The archetype of the headstrong princess determined to forge her own path has been permanently branded into our collective psyche courtesy of Disney. But unlike many Disney princesses, Merida has a strong sense of self-worth from the very beginning.
- TV Guide
Fortunately, Brave is a return to form for the studio and delivers plenty of fun for moviegoers from all walks of life.
In addition to being fast, funny, and unpretentious, Brave is a happy antidote to all the recent films in which women triumph by besting men at their own macho games, as if the history of male dominance is one of patriarchs suppressing females’ essential warlike nature.
- Vulture
What reviewers didn't like
"Brave" seems at a loss to deal with her as a girl and makes her a sort of honorary boy.
It looks as if their script has been reworked pretty often, though perhaps not quite often enough. It is eerily bland, with none of the zingingly funny lines and smart self-awareness we've come to expect from Pixar; yet it doesn't obviously appear to be pitched at very young kids, either, and doesn't quite have the necessary unforced simplicity. It feels like a standard issue super-sophisticated Pixar movie with the super-sophistication removed. Even the short film that precedes the feature – traditionally a tiny delicious treat in any Pixar programme – is treacly and dull. Brave has a certain inoffensive charm, sometimes, but it is often bafflingly uninteresting as a story.
What results is a film that starts off big and promising but diminishes into a rather wee thing as it chugs along, with climactic drama that is both too conveniently wrapped up and hinges on magical elements that are somewhat confusing to boot. Not only is the tale laden with standard-issue fairy tale and familiar girl-empowerment tropes, but the entire project lacks the imaginative leaps, unexpected jokes and sense of fun and wonder that habitually set Pixar productions apart from the pack. Its ideas seem earthbound.
However, this movie lacks in attention to details and social conciousness.
- TV Guide
This isn't to say that the film fails to deliver a competent narrative or charming characters - but, for some, the studio may not have provided as many memorable or thought-provoking story beats this round.
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