Brave
In theaters now.
This is the first time I have ever gotten to do something like this. I was given advance screening tickets to Brave, and last night, my mom, my daughter, and I made the trek to Bellevue, Washington (near Seattle, about an hour and a half away) to see Brave before it came out officially. We had no trouble finding the theater, and we ate at Red Robin just down the road from the theater. We arrived with plenty of time, and yes, we had to wait. It was really neat to be able to go up to the people with the clipboards, give our names, and get our stamp that let us enter early.
Once in the theater, we got fantastic seats. And we were treated to a show including bagpipes and highland dancers from the Puget Sound area. That was really neat to see! It put us in the mood to see this great film set in Scotland.
The movie began with a typical Pixar short--nothing that terrific, but normal Pixar. And then it was onto the movie. I was blown away by the beauty of the scenery (yes, I saw it in 3D). Absolutely gorgeous! And I absolutely loved Merida and her family. I had not followed all the press releases about the film, so I have to admit, I didn't know that much about the story.
I found the story charming and beautiful until one portion of the film came. There is a witch. I am used to that with Disney films, and that was not really an issue. But when the magic spell happened, I literally thought to myself, "Are you serious?" It made no sense to me, and it made things kind of strange. My mom agreed as did my daughter (though she enjoyed it the most).
There were some very intense scenes--parents beware lest your children are too young. I wasn't sure how it would end, but thankfully, it was typically Disney. And I was able to excuse the magic spell to a degree.
I have to say my feelings are mixed on this film. I think Disney missed a chance to truly develop the mother-daughter relationship. The trailer I picked concentrates on the portion of the film I like. It seems like there is so much more that could have been done. The spell could have taken a different path. The message came across, but why did Disney have to add something in that seemed so strange?
As I began to search online reviews after the screening, I found that the reviews online are mixed. Maybe I am the only one who found some of the film weird. I could compare it to The Princess and the Frog. That was strange, too, even though a lot of that film is charming.
This is not a film I plan to purchase for my library. I can only hope that Disney will put out some more films that capture my attention and make a little more sense. I know I am probably in a minority amongst mom bloggers. And I respect your views completely. I just was not enthralled with this film, and I did not feel that it lived up to its hype. Am I glad I saw it? Yes! And the screening was outstanding! I plan to go to another one some time. That was worth the experience.
I was given free tickets with no strings whatsoever. I chose to review this movie of my own free will, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
That's too bad that you didn't absolutely love the movie. It looks like one that has real potential. I've been wanting to see it, but I'm afraid it's too hyped up in my mind by now. I'm glad to have read your very honest review so I can have a more balanced idea going in.
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