ANI-MOVIES, *Brave

Giving into their uber-powerful corporate overlords, Pixar felt it was time to finally do a movie in the tradition of standard Disney fairy tales. Brave was an original story set during the Middle Ages featuring magical elements, so nothing too far off from your average Grimm Bros. chapter.

Merida is a Scottish princess who leads a charmed life under her strict mother, but slightly fun-loving father. Her mother Elinor lets her know that the neighboring clans will be gathering at their castle where the first born sons of the lords will compete for her hand in marriage. Merida is furious with this news, and takes place in the archery competition for her own hand. Elinor locks Merida away, while King Fergus pacifies the other clans. Merida runs away, and is lead by a will-o'-the-wisp to a witch in the woods, who gives her an enchanted cake that will change her destiny of Elinor eats it. Later, Elinor is talked into eating the cake that in fact turns her into a bear, which is really bad news as her husband is an infamous bear hunter. Merida takes her now bear-able mother back to the witch's cabin, where a "recorded" potion tells them that the witch has left, but that the spell will become permanent unless she can repair a family tapestry that she earlier ripped. This leads to a merry chase between Fergus, the drunken clan lords, and the original recipient of the bear spell who is an unstoppable wild animal.

Brave was first directed by former Dreamworks animator Brenda Chapman, but then later picked up by Pixar-regular Mark Andrews, which you can tell there was a division in some of the feminist viewpoints sprinkled throughout the production. The movie keeps the tradition of medieval storytelling with shapeshifters, curses, and secret doors to the world of fairies that usually was told to be splintered from the mortal realm. Despite her Pixar origins, Merida is considered to be a "Disney Princess", which brought about some conflict when she was remodeled for their line-up, but has stayed true to her scruffy origins, despite the fact that she's with the rest of the royalty in the Wreck-It Ralph sequel. The home release also features an origin story for the original curses bear Mordu that elaborates on the magic that operates in this world. A more fitting fairy tale animation than most releases over the last year, as this movie relies more on storytelling and character motivations than musical numbers.