Kevin Reviews Brave

So it's been a while since I posted a review and because I've seen just about everything else in theaters, I decided I'd give Brave a shot.  Overall, I was pleased, and this is a solid family movie that most people will enjoy.

This film was generally well-received by critics and audiences alike, so I went in expecting what most Disney films deliver: family-friendly content that normally doesn't require any serious emotional or intellectual investment.  I actually laughed out loud at a few parts, which surprised me.  When I saw the trailer, I thought the humor was going to be obnoxious crap in a desperate attempt to appeal to the younger audience, but I was pleased with the way it was done. 

The storyline is a bit strange.  Because the main character, Merida, wants to be free, she has a witch perform a spell to "change" her mother.  This "change" involved her turning into a horse.  The rest of the film consists of Merida trying to break the spell and bring her mother back into human form.  Okay, I can try to accept the odd storyline.  It is a kid's movie, after all.  But here's where I have a problem: The witch tells Merida to remember a phrase.  I don't remember it because everyone in the film has Scottish accents, so it was hard enough trying to comprehend what they were saying.  This phrase is supposed to be so important that the witch repeats it.  After this, we never hear the phrase again.  What was the point of spending that much screen time on something that won't be brought up again?  More organization in the script could've made this a better film.

There was one thing I really liked about this film: the climax.  There is an awesome scene where we get to see two bears fight.  For a Disney film, it was actually really intense, which is an unusual but welcome feeling to experience in a film of this caliber.  This film was also funny, specifically when Merida is trying to sneak her bear mother past a group of townspeople.  Also, who doesn't enjoy seeing a bear dive down a big-breasted woman's blouse to get a key?  I give two thumbs up for the comedy in this film; the timing was spot-on and targeted several different age groups. 

To wrap things up, Brave is a colorful and funny film that lacks a solid script.  I really want to check out more Disney films in the future so I can keep in check my thoughts about the studio.  Disney usually does a good job of making great family films, but not always.  I liked Brave and I like the direction Disney is heading in.  If they continue to make films as enjoyable as this one, you can expect more Disney reviews from me.

MY RATING:

3.5 out of 5

Kevin A. Millward