We took our kids to see the Pixar film Brave in 3D and had a blast. What a welcome breath of fresh air of a film. This summer I've been able to see a few of the summer blockbusters (The Avengers and Prometheus). The Avengers I found entertaining yet lacking in a solid plot as it degenerated to a video game at the end with thousands of aliens blowing up one small part of the Earth. You think they might have wanted to try to blow other parts up--like where the super heroes might not have been. I guess they hadn't thought of that. And with Prometheus, I truly disliked the film with its horrible script, insane logic and manipulative premise that was essentially a setup for the sequel.
But with Brave, we finally have a film with heart. The movie sets up easily enough: Princess Merida does not wish to marry and is constantly fighting with her mother who wants her to be a proper princess. Often in Disney films, the Princess looks for love and finds the right man and all is happy ever after. And the other Pixar films didn't focus on the story of a girl. Pixar's stories tend to have men at the center of their plots. How refreshing it was to see a great new setting, an amazing narrative and the story of a young woman discovering who she is.
Brave is not a perfect film, but it does have a rather interesting twist that I won't spoil here. At its core, the story isn't just about whether Princess Merida chooses one of the suitors her family hopes she'll marry. Instead, the movie is about family and the often tumultuous relationship between a mother and a daughter. You might be thinking: Would boys want to see this? And I say, yes, with certainty. Pixar has added enough action to be both a movie that is engaging for the summer crowd and it's a great story. That's a fine balance when trying to please kids these days.
A word of warning though: If you have very young ones, be aware that there are some scenes that are disturbing and frightful. Some of the scenes with the bear were scary and extremely loud. I wouldn't be surprised if those scenes brought a few of the younger kids to tears.
So if you're looking for a family movie this summer, go see Brave and be prepared to see the amazing magic that Pixar is able to weave on screen time and time again. The animation is amazing to watch and there were some scenes that I became mesmerized watching Merida's hair as it was almost alive and a character unto itself.
My only complaint remains consistent with all films of the like: When will this 3D phase be over? Having seen a good many films in 3D, I have begun to actively seek out 2D films as the ones in 3D are more expensive, my son refuses to wear the glasses and the 3D effect doesn't add anything to the film.
With money being tight for many of us, save a few bucks and see it in 2D. You're not missing anything by not seeing the movie in 3D. But do go see the film, the artistry behind the film is wonderful to behold.
Ron Vitale is the author of the fantasy novel Cinderella's Secret Diary who hopes that his daughter will grow up to find her own voice and not allow others to dictate who and what she can be.
Review: Brave
But with Brave, we finally have a film with heart. The movie sets up easily enough: Princess Merida does not wish to marry and is constantly fighting with her mother who wants her to be a proper princess. Often in Disney films, the Princess looks for love and finds the right man and all is happy ever after. And the other Pixar films didn't focus on the story of a girl. Pixar's stories tend to have men at the center of their plots. How refreshing it was to see a great new setting, an amazing narrative and the story of a young woman discovering who she is.
Brave is not a perfect film, but it does have a rather interesting twist that I won't spoil here. At its core, the story isn't just about whether Princess Merida chooses one of the suitors her family hopes she'll marry. Instead, the movie is about family and the often tumultuous relationship between a mother and a daughter. You might be thinking: Would boys want to see this? And I say, yes, with certainty. Pixar has added enough action to be both a movie that is engaging for the summer crowd and it's a great story. That's a fine balance when trying to please kids these days.
A word of warning though: If you have very young ones, be aware that there are some scenes that are disturbing and frightful. Some of the scenes with the bear were scary and extremely loud. I wouldn't be surprised if those scenes brought a few of the younger kids to tears.
So if you're looking for a family movie this summer, go see Brave and be prepared to see the amazing magic that Pixar is able to weave on screen time and time again. The animation is amazing to watch and there were some scenes that I became mesmerized watching Merida's hair as it was almost alive and a character unto itself.
My only complaint remains consistent with all films of the like: When will this 3D phase be over? Having seen a good many films in 3D, I have begun to actively seek out 2D films as the ones in 3D are more expensive, my son refuses to wear the glasses and the 3D effect doesn't add anything to the film.
With money being tight for many of us, save a few bucks and see it in 2D. You're not missing anything by not seeing the movie in 3D. But do go see the film, the artistry behind the film is wonderful to behold.
Ron Vitale is the author of the fantasy novel Cinderella's Secret Diary who hopes that his daughter will grow up to find her own voice and not allow others to dictate who and what she can be.
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