I have to say I am immensely proud of my Scottish heritage (even though if you meet me I may grumble about living in Scotland, mainly due to the poor weather). Nevertheless, Brave does bring out the very best of Scotland, from its beautiful countryside to its exciting history and ancient folklore. It also creates a very positive impression for red-haired lassies (I am auburn, but when I was little I had a similar hair colour to that of Princess Merida). But enough about babbling on about where I'm from, the main purpose of this entry is to give a review on Brave.
Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, Brave is a fairytale set in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1100's. Of course every fairytale has a princess. Unlike all the other fairytales, Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald) is not your average princess. She prefers to shoot arrows (her favourite hobby is archery) and ride bareback on her Clydesdale horse, Angus, much to the dismay of her mother, Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson) who tries in vain to turn her into the princess that she wants her to be. Merida's father King Fergus (Billy Connolly) lost his leg to the giant bear Mord'u and ever since then wants his revenge and "wants to find the perfect way to make this devil die". In the meantime, the three Lords of the different clans accept Elinor's invitation to present their sons for Merida's betrothal. Of course Merida is not happy about this and quickly finds a way to change her fate... and her mother.
Brave hosts an array of colourful characters. The three Lords, MacIntosh, Dingwall and MacGuffin (voiced by Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd respectively) are hilarious and their sons are equally as funny. MacGuffin's son speaks in what would be to others an incomprehensible Scottish dialect. However, he is in fact speaking Doric, which is a dialect spoken where I come from (Aberdeenshire). I laughed the first time I heard it in the film, even more so at the fact that non-Doric speakers will have no clue what the character is saying. Kevin McKidd who voices him is from Elgin, which is two hours away from where I live, but it is spoken mostly in the north of Scotland. Adding cuteness to the film, Hubert, Hamish and Harris the three triplets are always up to no good and are even cuter in bear cub form. They were without a doubt my favourite characters. The film has villains in the form of The Witch (voiced by Julie Walters) and Mord'u the Bear. The Witch has a huge part in changing Merida's fate, as the Will-o'-the-wisps lead Merida to her.
What I enjoyed most about the film was the mother-daughter relationship between Elinor and Merida. Of course there are fights, turmoils and trials, however there is nothing more important than a mother's love. It also shows you shouldn't be afraid to make your own decisions and to stand up for yourself.
I would thoroughly recommend Brave whether you are Scottish or not as it is a refreshing fairytale, which shows women can stand on their own two feet without the help of a man. It also is incredibly dark for a Pixar film, however the scariest moments only occur towards the end. A great film which will encourage people to come visit Scotland and explore its natural beauty.
What I enjoyed most about the film was the mother-daughter relationship between Elinor and Merida. Of course there are fights, turmoils and trials, however there is nothing more important than a mother's love. It also shows you shouldn't be afraid to make your own decisions and to stand up for yourself.
I would thoroughly recommend Brave whether you are Scottish or not as it is a refreshing fairytale, which shows women can stand on their own two feet without the help of a man. It also is incredibly dark for a Pixar film, however the scariest moments only occur towards the end. A great film which will encourage people to come visit Scotland and explore its natural beauty.
