"Brave"

[JoeBanks Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoeBanks]

if this is "lesser" Pixar, it's still light years better than the middling fare DreamWorks Animation, Fox, Universal, or Paramount routinely crank out

maybe compared to the groundbreaking inventiveness of Pixar's A+ films like "Wall-E" "Ratatouille" or "Up" "Brave" feels like just an A. the story is more conventional, dealing in familiar myth and legend archetypes (kings, queens, a princess, a witch) but it elevates and rises above the tropes in typical Pixar fashion.

perhaps not an out-of-the-park homerun but it still clears the left field wall at 375 feet

[NoirDigits Member Find all posts View Profile Close NoirDigits]

Re: "Brave"

if this is "lesser" Pixar, it's still light years better than the middling fare DreamWorks Animation, Fox, Universal, or Paramount routinely crank out

maybe compared to the groundbreaking inventiveness of Pixar's A+ films like "Wall-E" "Ratatouille" or "Up" "Brave" feels like just an A. the story is more conventional, dealing in familiar myth and legend archetypes (kings, queens, a princess, a witch) but it elevates and rises above the tropes in typical Pixar fashion.

perhaps not an out-of-the-park homerun but it still clears the left field wall at 375 feet

I loved it. I think the critics are still out for blood because of Cars 2.

[Projectophelia User Find all posts View Profile Close Projectophelia]

Re: "Brave"

I'm sure it's a cute movie, but the girl's accent/voice haunts me.

"If yuh could change yet feeete, would yuh?"

My friends and I literally burst out into that and "I'm going to shoot fer my oooown haahhhhnd!!" all the time....

[Architeuthis Dux Member Find all posts View Profile Close Architeuthis Dux]

Re: "Brave"

What I liked about it was its comparative lack of snide "in" jokes and pop culture references. (Note I said "comparative.")

My family has been giving me the skunk-eye because of my bad Scottish accent, as well.

[Richmond Weems Member Find all posts View Profile Close Richmond Weems]

Re: "Brave"

My kids loved it. Well, one of 'em did, the other started yawning during the third act.

I thought it was pretty good (though I'd kinda agree with my 8 year old about the third act).

HH

[David Alin Member Find all posts View Profile Close David Alin]

Re: "Brave"

My wife of all wanted to badly see this... we did! It was a crowd don't ya
know! I agree about the Scottish accent... for the story was different than what I anticipated and enjoyed it truly than I thought.

Cheers for the beautiful animation it was truly fantastic!

-D

[Colin Holmes Regular Find all posts View Profile Close Colin Holmes]

Re: "Brave"

I agree it wasn't Wall-E or Up or the Incredibles, but it's still so far beyond Madagascar they shouldn't even both be considered animation.

[cvolante Member Find all posts View Profile Close cvolante]

Re: "Brave"

The short was worth the cost of admission on its own!

[Richmond Weems Member Find all posts View Profile Close Richmond Weems]

Re: "Brave"

The short was worth the cost of admission on its own!

Great point! I can't believe I didn't mention it earlier 'cause I thought it was better than the movie. (And I still liked the movie.)

HH

[Biohazard Member Find all posts View Profile Close Biohazard]

Re: "Brave"

...I thought it was better than the movie. (And I still liked the movie.)

Same here. The short was amazing.

I saw Brave at one of the local drive-ins last night, and thought it was very good. Not great, though. It seemed to lack a lot of emotion and danger, especially when compared to other Pixar films like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, etc.

Merida's life is threatened maybe twice in the whole movie. When Marlin is looking for Nemo, he could die at any moment - and that made it exciting. Ratatouille - Remy could die at any moment when inside the kitchen, which makes up half the film. The protagonist is in a lot of danger. With Brave, not so much. It was more about the mother and less about Merida, and I think that was a big problem.

[ATB Member Find all posts View Profile Close ATB]

Re: "Brave"

I agree. Something was missing in Brave. I didn't care that it was more about her mother being in danger. I mean, Merida is in danger of losing her mother forever...

My problem was that it felt rushed. I thought the moment Merida was locked in her room with the split mural thing should've been the midpoint. But it turned out to be the beginning of the climax. I wanted more.

[Biohazard Member Find all posts View Profile Close Biohazard]

Re: "Brave"

I agree. Something was missing in Brave. I didn't care that it was more about her mother being in danger. I mean, Merida is in danger of losing her mother forever...

True, but that's more of an internal struggle than an external force bearing down upon her and threatening her very existence.

I agree that it felt rushed. The tapestry thing was not clever or interesting at all.

[bmcthomas Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bmcthomas]

Re: "Brave"

If you are a child though - the idea of your mother dying is HUGE and terrifying and very, very bad. Dying because of something you did? Oh my God, that's beyond huge. Just ask a kid whose parents are getting divorced how guilty and responsible they feel - and that's when it isn't their fault.

Because of Merida's actions, her father was about to slaughter her mother. In front of her and her baby brothers. There's not enough therapy in the world to get over that.

I don't think films aimed at children have to be "lesser" in any way, but to dismiss the loss of a parent as not much of a threat to a child is...dismissive.

Of course Merida isn't a child, but the children in the audience are, and at the age where losing Mom absolutely is a threat to their very existence.

[Biohazard Member Find all posts View Profile Close Biohazard]

Re: "Brave"

But it's not a kids' movie. It has nudity, breast jokes, violence, dismemberment, alcohol consumption, etc.

It needs that external conflict to keep people above the age of 12 entertained. And it doesn't have that.

[SuperScribe Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperScribe]

Re: "Brave"

It has nudity, breast jokes, violence, dismemberment, alcohol consumption, etc.

Good god.