We are most definitely in the throes of cuddle-up-with-a-bowl-of-popcorn-and-a-movie season. This is doubly so for kids on rainy days. Thankfully, this week we have another instant Pixar classic to plop in the player.
Yes, little ladies (and lads) across the land are very excited about the first Pixar film to revolve around a female hero. And not just another helpless girl waiting for a prince to save the day. Those familiar with Pixar will recognize the classic theme of family relationships. This time out it's all about a mother who raises a child to be something the teenager might not exactly be "cool" with.
The film opens with the heroine Merida as a Scottish tomboy princess who wants nothing more than to ride horses, shoot arrows and basically be a rambunctious teenager. Her father (voiced by Billy Connolly) is the giant king of the tribes whom Merida takes after. Her mother, however, has different ideas doing her best to raise her girl to become the proper princess that tradition requires. Frustrated by this, Merida resorts to a magic potion to change her mother. Well, wouldn't you know it, that doesn't work out too well, with unforeseen complications and hijinks at every turn.
Like all Pixar films, Brave is remarkably beautiful. From every blade of grass to the most buried background character, no detail is left untouched. And we can't comment on visuals without mentioning the intense beast that is Merida's huge red hair - hair being one of the trickier bits to capture with CGI. But this new technique has it pretty close to awesome.
As for the scary meter: kids still into Dora/Thomas may find it a bit scary in parts, but anyone who has outgrown them will no doubt find a new friend in Brave.
Available at Highlands Video, the best/last video store on Earth.
