Movie Review: Brave (PG)

Movie Review: Brave (PG)


Disney/Pixar's latest film is sure to be a hit. Any movie with the Pixar logo above it's name is sure to make millions. That being said, Brave is no exception. Pixar's twelfth movie, Cars 2, was the lowest rated Pixar movie of all time. Brave came next, and Pixar redeemed themselves. I must note that every preceding Pixar movie hit #1 at the box office. I don't doubt that Brave will do the same.

Pixar has only made one other movie that focuses solely on humans (The Incredibles). We follow the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who doesn't want to be a princess. A bit of a tomboy and rebel, Merida runs across a witch and gets the opportunity to "change her fate". When magic and destiny tear her and her mother apart, Merida must learn to be humble and selfless to change her fate. Sound cliché? It's a classic Disney plot, not quite what I expected from a Disney/Pixar movie. But nonetheless, Brave offers enough heart, humor, and action to keep this movie-goer entertained. Not the best Pixar movie, but certainly not the worst. And besides, when has Pixar ever made a "bad" movie? Pixar movies are always classified under one of two categories: Good, and Great.

Pros

Stunning (and I mean stunning) visual effects. Merida's hair looks fabulous. After about ten minutes, you forget that the film is animated

Hysterical physical comedy; the movie is funny... really funny

Two words: Kelly Macdonald. She voices Merida, and is a joy to listen to. As an American, I found the accent awesome.


Cons


Predictible plot, cliché story line (the action and humor made up for that, though)


Conclusion


Please go see Brave while it's in theaters. You'll be glad you did. It's a rare movie that's actually entertaining for adults and kids alike.

My review: ★★★★✯ (4.5/5)

IMDB: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 6.9/10

(IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes scores as of 6/23/12)

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13)

Hollywood's done it again. Yet ANOTHER remake of a classic story, and audiences are sick of it. Let me tell you why this particular fairy tale twist is worth the trip to your local theater.

In the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, director Rupert Sanders tackles his first film, and he's off to a good start. The main thing that sets this story apart from the classic tale is all the action. LOTS of action. And of course, the seven dwarfs are present, and serve as a comic relief. The Huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), is hired by the evil queen Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron (Hancock, The Italian Job), to hunt (go figure) for Snow White, played by Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga). Though it's hard not to think about Thor and Bella in this movie, I still managed to see different characters altogether. Snow White and the Huntsman contains just the right amount of twists and turns to add a slice of unpredictability, without butchering the original story.

Pros

A stellar performance from Kristen Stewart. Many people think of her as the emotionless girl from Twilight, but don't worry. You'll see expression on her face in Snow White and the Huntsman

Spectacular costumes. I don't typically pay close attention to character's attire in the films I watch, but something stood out to me in this movie. The costumes were fantastic.

Plenty of action and scary moments. The sword fights were great, and the sequences of Snow White traveling through the Dark Forest are creepy enough to make this a non-kiddie flick.

A great rendition of the Mirror.

Ravenna, the Evil Queen, was indeed, evil. Full of menace, vengeance, and pure anger, she made the perfect villain. The filmmakers made sure that you loathe her with a burning passion.


Cons

Not enough character development for Snow White. It's very difficult to read her mind.

Inevitable elements of predictability.



Conclusion

Snow White and the Huntsman is an action packed, visually stimulating movie that's sure to be added to my DVD library in the future. Be sure to catch this one in theaters.


4/5 stars