Brave (Rhoades)

Pixar’s “Brave”

Sees Red

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

In grade school I knew a cute redheaded girl who could draw horses, curse like a sailor, and beat up most boys in the class. She was fearless. You might even say, brave. I was reminded of her in “Brave,” the new 3D computer-animated fantasy from Pixar and its parent company, Disney.

In it, a redheaded Scottish princess defies convention by disrupting the archery match where young lords are competing for her hand. In this feminist storyline, young Merida can outshoot the boys and hold her own in this male-dominated 10^th Century society. What’s more, she’s a rebellious teen, at odds with her mother who wants her to follow tradition. But the headstrong daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor doesn’t want to live the subservient life of her mother. So she consults an elderly woman to cast a spell … and that’s where thing go askew.

Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (“Trainspotting,” “Nanny McPhee”) does the voice of Princess Merida. Emma Thompson (also “Nanny McPhee”) speaks as the queen and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly (“Gulliver’s Travels”) does the king. Julie Walters (the “Harry Potter” movies) is the voice of the wise old woman. And talk-show host Craig Ferguson weighs in as Lord Macintosh.

“Brave” brings its straight-arrow entertainment to the Tropic Cinema this week.

Originally titled “The Bear and the Bow,” this fairy tale was conceived by Brenda Chapman. She was the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio (DreamWork’s “Prince of Egypt”). And “Brave” made her Pixar’s first female director. But she was replaced due to “creative differences” by Mark Andrews, a Pixar regular (he’s considered Brad Bird’s “right-hand man”).

A shame, since “Brave” is Pixar’s first film featuring a female lead character. Guess there’s more feminism afoot in 10^th Century Scotland than on a movie studio lot. Too bad the Pixar execs weren’t braver.

srhoades@aol.com