Yes, I have a mouthful to say about Brave, and yes, it might get a little ranty but it probably won't get ranty in the way you're probably thinking it will. As it is I actually don't have any issues with the movie... I mostly take issue with people's reactions to this movie.
Allow me to explain: from what I can tell there are three group of people for this movie; the first group thinks of this movie as a knock-off of Brother Bear, the second group feels as though Brave is a mixture of two movies that have been poorly smooshed together, the third group is the Merida-worshiping feminists.
My response to the first group is an exasperated ??? WHA?? How can you...? Sputter....mutter.....various noises. Is it because people turn into bears?? Because that is truly the ONLY common ground I can find between Brave and Brother Bear. The latter has SO many problems with plot, and theme, and moral to the story that I honestly can't formulate proper sentences when I try to explain why Brother Bear is SUCH a bad movie. I mean, it's an embarrassingly bad movie. If I had worked on this movie I would be embarrassed to put it on my resume. It's just....
And I've heard this comparison from MULTIPLE people.
My response to the second group is some straight up confusion. I've heard this critique from a few completely unrelated sources now and since I've heard similar criticisms about other Pixar movies so I can't help but give this complaint some legitimacy. The confusion comes in because I've had some friends note a clear shift in feel where it seems to move from one movie to another and I honestly can't find where this shift is. Is there anyone out there that would be willing to point it out where this shift takes place and explain what these two different movies are? Because I see this movie and all I can think is there is one clear plot that is well articulated and moves fluidly.
Now this third group is where things get sticky. Allow me to explain:
I have nothing against feminists, I'd be lying if I said gender equality wasn't something we should be striving to achieve in our culture and everyday life. What gets to me is this idea that Merida is a great example of a "Strong Female Character" because she refuses to get married at the tender age of 16 and because she can shoot an arrow. I don't know how these two characteristics translate to female empowerment. Because if you ask me, Merida is stubborn, disrespectful, selfish, proud and rude. Don't get me wrong, I really like Merida as a character, but is she a great example of a good upstanding human being who handles her problems in a mature and understanding way? No.... I mean, she POISONS HER MOM!
Now, if you ask me, if you want a fine example of a strong woman you should check out Merida's mom, Elinor. There's a woman that can stop a fight by simply walking into it. Literally! Not to mention teaching her daughter the importance of putting the needs of the community above her own. She worries about the wellbeing and safety of others. She works hard to ensure the peace of her nation. When Elinor throws Merida's bow in the fire her remorse over the action is immediate because she recognizes the item as something important to her daughter. Whereas, when Merida ruins her mom's tapestry she doesn't even feel shame over ruining all of her mother's hard work. Not to mention Merida disappears after the archery contest her mom's response upon her return is "I was so worried!" Merida's response is to poison her. Granted, she was way off on the whole "a marriage will solve all our problems" bit. I mean, there's no way a marriage would make every clan happy in this movie's scenario. That's pretty obvious from the get go. Sure, she's a pretty traditional lady, what with the lack of combat knowledge and the cleanliness but, I'm all for her!
I will throw Merida a bone, she progresses miraculously throughout the movie and by the end of the story she turns into, well, a great woman very similar her mom.
And speaking of family relations, that is the number one thing I like the most about this movie: it portrays a fully functioning family with both a father and a mother that are actively engaged in the lives of their children. How often do you see that in mainstream entertainment? It is deeply refreshing. In fact, if you want my humble opinion (and obviously you do), if you want to know what makes strong, confident, young women it's parents that are involved in their children's lives.
As a final note: I watched Monster's University and was surprised by how much I didn't dislike it. What I wasn't impressed with is the Pixar short that accompanies it: Blue Umbrella. I'm pretty sure I've seen this short before, only it was called Johnnie Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet and it came out as part of the movie Make Mine Music in 1946. C'mon Pixar, you can do better.
And this concludes my rather shameful year of Pixar.
Coming up next year: Studio Ghibli!
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