Braving the Screen: Preview of Disney/Pixar’s “Brave”

This summer, we have lots of good movies to look forward to: The Expendables 2, Battleship, and more; besides the action-packed blockbusters, a new cartoon or animated film is released, and this summer’s most anticipated one is Disney/Pixar’s Brave, the story of Merida, a young girl of royal upbringing living in the Scottish Highlands. Follow her story as she learns who she really is, and how much family really matters.

Merida’s mother, Queen Elinore, only wants the best for her daughter. She’s hoping Merida will lose her tomboyish-ness and settle down with a nice young man. But Merida has other plans. She’s as wild and untamable as her vibrant red hair, and refuses to be married. She hates the clothing her mother dresses her in, she hates the lessons on being a “lady,” and most of all, she hates the thought of being forced into marriage. So Merida makes her own plans, and defies the age-old tradition of the lords of the land vying for her hand.

When Merida shoots down the lords’ hopes for marriage, she unleashes chaos and instability in the kingdom. After encountering a certain witch, she unleashes a spell with ghastly repercussions and must use all of her talents, like her archery skills, her courage, and her athleticism, to help save the kingdom. Merida must overcome the most formidable obstacles and learn the true meaning of what it is to be brave.

This is a movie I definitely want to see. It’s unlike most princess tales in that Merida isn’t looking for love the way the other girls are. In fact, she’s out doing quite the opposite: playing with her young brothers, shooting arrows, and riding horses.

I do have my concerns about the movie. I hope the story stays true to itself and doesn’t find Merida falling in love with some unforeseen suitor at the end of the story. I could understand her becoming less opposed to marriage by the end of the film, but I think it’d be a sell-out if she actually got married. In all honesty, I just want to enjoy a film that’s unusual even in this day and age: one where a woman doesn’t have to fall in love or get married to be happy and to be herself.

The movie is set to be released June 22, so it’s only a few weeks away! Start honing your archery skills and get ready for the animated event of the summer. You can visit the film’s site and view the trailer, get character bios, and more at disney.go.com.