Brave

My 5 & 7 YO daughters hated our trip to the cinema today! They told me they'd have 'nightmares for seven weeks!' over this movie. Why, oh why do studios market PG movies to little children?! My kids spent more time with their faces buried under the crooks of my arms than they did looking at the screen. I spent more time assuring them that the king wouldn't accidentally kill his wife--the mother of the heroine--before the end of the movie. "I PROMISE, it *will* have a happy ending!" x12. It's a pretty movie. The storyline for "How To Train Your Dragon" was way better. I'm disappointed because Pixar (et al) had a flame-haired opportunity to shine, to really develop that non-traditional heroine character. They did not do that, but they still turned in a decent bit of entertainment.

WARNING!!! This movie has some VERY scary scenes. I have taken my kids to the movies since they were 2-3 years old and they are 5 and 7 now. I have NEVER had to leave a movie and they begged me to leave in the middle of it. They were terrified. Very disappointed by Disney with the scary content and unnessisary violence in this movie.

This was definitely one of the best Disney Pixar films we've ever seen. The animation was STUNNING, the story was action-packed & funny, and Merida, the star of the show, is by far Disney's most inspiring, real-girl princess yet. My boys are 12 & 9 and my daughter is 5 (almost 6,) and all 3 kids LOVED it. My daughter said "it was kind of scary in some parts, but not too scary." On that note, if you have a child younger than 5 (or a very sensitive 5,) think twice before taking him/her to see this movie, because the vicious bear scenes might be too scary. I'd say the bear scenes were the only reason this is rated PG instead of G (well, maybe the brief glimpse of the Scotsmen's bare bottoms had something to do with it, too,) but I'm VERY selective about what I let my children watch, & I'd have no problem letting them see this one again. Yes, there were lots of weapons used throughout the movie (it's set in Medieval Scotland,) but no overt violence...no blood or gore. I, personally, loved this movie. I love almost all Disney Pixar movies, but this one was especially entertaining. Unlike the reviewer above, I found the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship to be realistic and, at the end, touching and inspirational. Spend the extra $ for the 3D version at the theater...you won't regret it.

I've been eagerly waiting for the release of Brave for over a year now, and it was well worth it. Tonight was the midnight premiere and I went with a group of friends (will take the kids during a daytime showing for sure!) Needless to say, we were all in awe at another marriage of Disney/Pixar magic. The story takes place in 10th century Scotland and centres around the life of 16 year old Princess Merida and her family. There is a heavy emphasis on mother-daughter bonding, and how difficult and tedious it can be when the two don't think alike. Her mother Elinor is a typical elegant, strictly trained and proper queen, while Merida is a raucous tomboy with a thirst for adventure and honing her already amazing archery skills. Merida seeks the help of an old witch to change her mother's personality in hopes of avoiding an arranged marriage which her mother is extremely adamant on making her go through, but gets far more (and far worse) than she bargained for. *No spoilers ;) * Brave is a visually stunning film with a rich, endearing, and gripping story that does have some considerably dark undertones. Despite the fact that Merida (a princess) is the main character, this is a far cry from the traditional cutesy Disney princess films; Merida is fiercely independent and asserts herself when faced with an arranged marriage (and even ends up without a love interest in the end) and doesn't let her status and expectations hold her back. There is no graphic violence, while there are scenes of two bears fighting. Since these are viking-like warriors (the men) there are a lot of swords, arrows, axes and maces shown and used, but there is no blood or visual injury being caused to other characters, other than a small scratch Merida gets on her arm while getting in the way of her father's sword and the bear. As for "sexy stuff" this is a Disney/Pixar movie, so obviously, no, there is no sex, but there is some minor nudity (for comic relief purposes) Pixar stayed true to old world clothing; the men are naked beneath their kilts. There is a scene where Lord Dingwall's son wins Merida's hand in marriage, and he "moons" the other Lords to rub it in their faces. There is another scene where the men get trapped on the roof of the castle and have to link their kilts together to make a rope for escape; as they're walking away you see a few shots of their rear ends--same in a scene with Merida's younger brothers at the end of the movie. Lastly, there are a few between Fergus and Elinor. They're a happily married couple, in the beginning, Fergus gives Elinor a little smack on the rear, and at the end, she is naked beneath a tapestry (nothing below her neck and shoulders is visible). So nothing that problematic, still very comical and kid-friendly. In the end, the movie has some great lessons and role models kids can learn from, and speaking as an adult who just saw the movie, I can completely say that it is enjoyable for all ages. Highly recommended, wonderful movie! On for ages 5 and up.