A Non-Review

I made a comment over on FanSci about Brave, and I was going to turn it into a review for my blog and even started writing the post, but then I was asked to review it for a publication, so it turns out I won't be posting my thoughtful analysis here. Here's my reaction sans analysis:

Totally awesome, go see it. I would have loved Merida as kid and would have pretended to be her for ages. It is a little thin at times; the movie could have been more complex, but it is exactly what it claims to be: a tomboy-princess movie that takes place in Scotland and doesn't end in marriage. (That is not a spoiler. If you think for one minute that she's getting married when the whole plot is "I'm not ready to get married," then you have learned nothing from movies and tv). It's not as touching as Pixar movies can be. I didn't cry as much as I did at some Pixar films, but then I felt less manipulated than I do watching other Pixar films. And while there were more young men at the theatre than I expected, I wonder if women react differently because the film centers on a mother-daughter relationship. Husband was less impressed than I was; he said it was pretty good, but all the male characters were one-dimensional. He is right about that and that is a major flaw in the film, but it's not unusual for Disney. Husband pointed out that only villains and protagonists are fairly well-rounded in Disney films. And even though it is a Pixar film, Brave is clearly the Pixar contribution to the Disney Princess franchise.

This illustration is by Amy Mebberson. She has a whole series of Pocket Princesses and all kinds of other cool art. Go browse.