Brave (Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman)

[Bosco B Thug]

Aw, the woodcut shop scene was gorgeously detailed and hilarious.

I ruffled a little bit at Merida's vague specifications regarding a spell, but I bought into it in the end.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I actually thought the reverse of Watashi. I thought the opening twenty to thirty minutes were way too fast-paced and noisy and busy, but once the mother turned into a bear, I really enjoyed the slow-down for her mime act and bonding sessions. The rest of the film was solid, although the witch and the villainous bear felt like remnants of an early draft nobody was able to completely excise. They function, but they don't feel vivid.

[Watashi]

Also, I liked La Luna, but didn't love it. It was cute, but nothing more.

[Sxottlan]

Gah. There was a post credit scene? What was it?

[

Show Spoiler

The guard with the half mustache (halfstache?) wakes up at the gate to find the witch's raven perched on the magic broom. He floats a invoice to the guard and asks him to sign it and take delivery of all of the witch's woodcarvings. They're all bundled up on a cart behind him. It was kind of cute.

]

[Robby P]

I thought this was dull, frivolous and repetitive. Not to mention completely recycled from just about every Disney movie we've seen before. Pixar has been awfully disappointing lately. Their short movies have become far more interesting and enjoyable than their dragged-out features.

[number8]

By the way, is it just me or did the witch look exactly like the one in Spirited Away?

[Mysterious Dude]

A lot of people on the Pixar team are big Miyazaki fanboys, so it wouldn't surprise me if they made an homage.

I've seen it mentioned that there's no clear villain. I haven't seen the film, but I suspect that's another attempt to emulate Miyazaki.

[Pop Trash]

This was mostly dullsville. I can't believe a lot of this got past the story development phase. Even the animation wasn't that great. I kept waiting for a transcendent Pixar moment where something is thoroughly smart or moving but...no.

[Watashi]

Even the animation wasn't that great.

You shouldn't post stuff that you don't anything about.

[Pop Trash]

You shouldn't post stuff that you don't anything about.

And you do? Can we have a link to the wonderful shorts you've made with Maya?

[KK2.0]

Haven't watched the film yet but I also find hard to believe that the animation is anything but flawless technically, maybe it's something else that bothered you Pop Trash, perhaps there's nothing that stands out as particularly impressive about the acting or mise en scene?

Maybe Merida's hair stole the attention? ^^

[Pop Trash]

I just didn't find it as aesthetically pleasing as Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, etc. beyond perhaps Merida's oft-talked about hair. But if Pixar was spending years developing working hair, perhaps they are missing the forest for the trees.

[Kurosawa Fan]

On the fence about this one. It has charm, a warm and fuzzy story, and some decent humor. Still, it's fairly unremarkable in every aspect, animation included. Instantly forgettable, which is okay considering some of the kids films I've been dragged to that I wish I could forget, but disappointing considering Pixar's history. Still, the thought that I was able to use this film to avoid having to see Madagascar 3 makes it a positive experience overall. Fair or not, that's where I land with this one.

[Saya]

This was disappointing. The story didn't grab me like previous Pixar movies and I found most of the characters not very interesting, with the exception of Merida of course. Character design wise I thought it felt quite similar to How to Train Your Dragon. The setting / world where the story takes place in also felt so unimaginative for a Pixar movie. The animation was ok. I thought Merida's hair was amazing, but beside that I can't really mention something that made me wow.

La Luna was cute.

[megladon8]

In the theatre waiting for this to begin. We decided on a whim to see it in 3D. First movie I've seen in 3D since James Cameron's Smurfs in Space.

[Ivan Drago]

And you do? Can we have a link to the wonderful shorts you've made with Maya?

I used Maya when I took two years of 3D Animation in college, and it's definitely not the best animation program in the world. Still, I learned enough about the animation process from it.

[Pop Trash]

I used Maya when I took two years of 3D Animation in college, and it's definitely not the best animation program in the world. Still, I learned enough about the animation process from it.

That was more of a dig at Wats' Animation Expert on High persona than anything. I don't know much about Maya other than I have friends in animation school, and it still seems to be the standard program they use (I imagine, like Final Cut Pro and non-linear editing, if you learn Maya you can jump over to other CG animation programs fairly easily).

[megladon8]

This was good. Agreed with those who say it isn't "top tier Pixar", but really, what does that even mean? Even a film of this caliber pretty much eclipses most everything else in visual splendor, rhythm and pacing, and great, memorable characters.

While there are those who say the film's greatest downfall is its simplicity (that it's really just a typical Disney film princess story), I thought that was kind of "the point". This was that kind of simple parable as told with the visual panache and clever wit of the Pixar studio. The characters are balanced (the mother would have undoubtedly been more of a conniving bitch in the Disney version, and the daughter's self-righteousness would have been justified).

Plus, it took us away to a setting and culture not often explored in films of any kind, let alone mainstream family fare.

Did it have its flaws? Certainly. The witch felt a little tacked on and unnecessary, and there were perhaps a few too many gags that felt more Dreamworks-y than Pixar clever. But it was all accomplished with such pure heart I couldn't really bring myself to fault it too heavily.

I thought this was great.

And 8 was not exaggerating at all in describing La Luna as a "masterpiece". What a beautiful short that was.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Yeah, La Luna might be my favorite Pixar short, which is high praise, as I tend to love their short films.

[Bosco B Thug]

While there are those who say the film's greatest downfall is its simplicity (that it's really just a typical Disney film princess story), I thought that was kind of "the point". This was that kind of simple parable as told with the visual panache and clever wit of the Pixar studio.

Plus, it took us away to a setting and culture not often explored in films of any kind, let alone mainstream family fare.

ritch:

Also, general comment: I think the comparisons to Dreamworks are becoming increasingly off-base. At least Pixar's comedic move here, despite unevenness, put its concentration towards situational humor, and didn't have to depend on talking animal quips and such.

And 8 was not exaggerating at all in describing La Luna as a "masterpiece". What a beautiful short that was.

*breaks joyous and taboo-breaking male-to-male dance*

Well, I've got assholey Brave-review Walter Chaw on my side. The thing made no sense.

[number8]

The thing made no sense.

[Bosco B Thug]

Yeah. Kid should've died from his fall off the giant star (that apparently is a completely unprecedented event). And it shatters into just tinier stars. Jesus almighty I better stop talking about it.

[Watashi]

Jesus. Time to go to Disneyland to.... stalk Merida.

[youtube]lv8lTMD-AkU[/youtube]

[KK2.0]

That was more of a dig at Wats' Animation Expert on High persona than anything. I don't know much about Maya other than I have friends in animation school, and it still seems to be the standard program they use (I imagine, like Final Cut Pro and non-linear editing, if you learn Maya you can jump over to other CG animation programs fairly easily).

I use Maya as my main animation tool, nearly all companies i've worked with use it. It's kind of a jack of all trades, and not all the things it tries to do are the best of it's kind, but it's a slightly open platform that allows for a lot of customization as well.


Back to topic, that youtube video links to a few other Meridas from Disneyland but that one is definitely the cutest. And those animatronic bears are adorable.

[Rowland]

Thanks for the lowered expectations, mildly favorable but lukewarm collective consensuses of Match-Cut and the critical community, as well as the underwhelming marketing that now appears remarkably canny in retrospect, because I found myself surprisingly engaged and impressed by this. Not so much with La Luna however, I'm with Bosco there.