Brave

There are two giants within the world of animation: Disney Pixar and Dreamworks. Both studios have produced massively-successful films over the years and this summer, it's the turn of Disney Pixar to step up to the metaphorical plate and continue its brilliance, inventiveness and superiority when it comes to things that don't exist in reality. And their offering? Brave.

It's been two years since Pixar released Toy Story 3 and cemented the trilogy in the annals of film history as being one of the very few trilogies where, arguably, every film gets better than the last. It may seem a little odd at first that the American studio have chosen the Highlands of Scotland to set their latest film, Brave, a story of self-determination, punctuated by every imaginable Scottish stereotype. The film charts the fortunes of Rebekah Brooks look-a-like Merida (played by Kelly Macdonald), a princess whose impassioned personality matches her fiery red locks. When her mother (voiced by Emma Thompson) decides it is time to find her a suitor, Merida is far from happy and sets out to take her fate into her own hands. What you have here is, in many ways, typical Pixar: a film with a moral message at its centre, with enough laughs along the way to retain a certain charm for which the studio has become known. But, behind the cheap gags and visually-arresting shots of a Scottish countryside which could only exist in a CGI world, there is something very genuine and really rather touching about Brave.

Recent trends in cinema and in general society have placed the strong, independent woman at the centre of attention. This is the first time that Pixar have elected for a female lead and her character is the epitome of ferocious autonomy: Merida knows how to fire a bow better than any man, is not afraid of speaking her mind and doesn't feel pressured into following the wishes of her mother. This characterisation was refreshing and sat well within the film's plot and overall narrative, which had a nice mix between action, drama and gags. Whilst the film's gags were up to Pixar's usual standards, I did find myself willing there to be more of them and I feel that the script was slightly underdeveloped in this respect. For example, Merida seeks the advice of a witch who, whilst she was on-screen, was spectacularly amusing but her character's appearance was all too short. Flashes of comedic brilliance which would make adults and children laugh at the same joke – but for different reasons – did shine through but (for me at least) there just wasn't enough of it.

The technical animation was executed to a very high standard and managed to retain a realism in the characters' faces which is instantly-recognisable as the work of Pixar. The vocal talent from Macdonald, Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane certainly added further life and vivacity to the animated characters and, placed alongside the rich vibrancy of the visuals, the film is a pleasure to watch. In many ways, Brave plays itself straight down the line, evoking little of the early ambition shown by Pixar during its infancy. This doesn't, however, really matter. The film's simplicity is one of its main successes and ensures that the audience can just sit back and enjoy every “aye”, “wee” and “cannae”.

Whilst Brave is nothing startlingly new in the arena of animation and could do with just a few more jokes, its solid plot, convincing morals and superb performances all make for a hugely-entertaining motion picture. Enjoy. 

Clapperboard Rating: * * *