Pixar's Brave - Part II

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sunhuntin
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Post by sunhuntin »

he said it was cos of brave that he wanted it, not just cos it was a bow and arrow. means he has been to see the movie and obviously enjoyed it enough to want to emulate what he saw. given theres very little archery performed by the males of the film, its impressive. it anything, i would have expected him to want a sword so he could fight the bear like fergus.
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Post by Sotiris »

Pixar's Brave gets not one but two rip-off movies! After Kiara the Brave, we now get Braver.

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Post by pap64 »

Wow... they didn't even TRY to hide the fact that this is a rip off, they just flat out shout it at the top of their lungs!

Anyways, while I was at Walt Disney World last week, I went to see Brave at Downtown Disney. Here are my thoughts on it.

I loved it. To be honest, I was surprised at how good it was. I wondered if those that spoke against the movie saw the same movie as I did. I do, however, see why some didn't like it: it is a character driven relationship movie. The characters are, in my opinion, some of the most fascinating in any Pixar film to date. The way I see it, what happened here was that Brave was mismarketed badly. It was sold as being a high fantasy adventure with lots of action and magic and such. Yet, it is actually a very simple, intimate story between Merida and her mother, and how the consequences of their actions can affect the lives of others.

I didn't mind that it took a slightly comedic turn in the middle when the Queen turns into a bear. In fact, Mum Bear was easily my favorite part of the movie. The animation on her was fantastic. I just loved how they were able to keep the Queen's personality while presenting it in a bear manner.

I also agree that some of the characters were underused. King Fergus stole the show for me. He was fantastic in every way. The triplets, the lords and their sons, however, were indeed underutilized. Every time we saw the lords they were aways fighting or arguing, which I found to be a shame because they also had great personalities that I wished were explored a little more.

Another thing I wanted to address was how the conflict was resolved. Some people claim that it was done hastily and without any real explanation. I disagree, it was perfectly explained. When the witch said that in order to reverse the spell, the characters thought they had to literally mend the broken bond on the tapestry. What they needed to do was fix their relationship and learn to appreciate themselves and love each other for who they are rather for what they should be. I think it was done really well, and the emotional payoff was great.

The animation, of course, was great. Even though we pretty much got three locales total (the castle, the witch's hut and the forest), they were beautifully designed.

Another thing about Brave, which I don't know if it was done intentionally or not, is that it features A TON of Disney Princess tropes to the point where after the movie ended I started to discuss them. I think some of you may have noticed already, but here's what I could see...

Snow White: Nothing comes to mind

Cinderella: Merida runs away crying while wearing a torn dress. Merida is locked in her room, and needs the aid of her animal friends to get the key.

Aurora: Nothing comes to mind, but when the witch is at her hut, the dancing broom reminded me of when the three good fairies were cleaning the hut with their magic.

Ariel: Merida is constantly butting heads with her mother. She is a red head that goes to a witch and makes a bad deal that affects her life. The Queen gets in an argument so bad that she destroys Merida's bow and arrow by throwing it in the fire. This is similar to when Triton destroys Ariel's grotto, both scenes are representations of parents destroying their kid's important things in life.

Belle: Spoiler when the Queen is reverting into a bear, Merida is by her side, crying to her. The way this scene is set up is very similar to when Belle is by Beast's side as he is dying. The Queen was also slowly "dying". And both the Beast and the Queen are saved by having the princess confess their love to them

Jasmine: Merida doesn't want to get married, much less be treated like a prize that should be won

Pocahontas: I guess challenging tradition could count here

Mulan: The whole warrior princess thing of course

Tiana: Nothing, really

Rapunzel: Too early to tell

So yeah, I loved Brave. While I wouldn't put it in my top five Pixar movies (I might need to see it several times), but it definitely a step up from Cars 2, and for their first fairy tale film they did a fantastic job.
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Post by Khonnor »

pap64 wrote:Snow White: Nothing comes to mind
Well, she was constantly eating/stealing apples...;)
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Semaj
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Post by Semaj »

Sotiris wrote:Pixar's Brave gets not one but two rip-off movies! After Kiara the Brave, we now get Braver.

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Seriously?

Stuff like that should be illegal. :x
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Post by Polizzi »

"Braver?" I thought it would be a Disney and Pixar sequel. Since it's not, aw nuts! If it is, then that would be an interesting sequel. And Disney and Pixar's second sequel would be called, "Bravest,"...maybe.

There's just one problem though. Didn't John Lasseter forbid direct-to-DVD sequels?
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Post by monorail91 »

pap64 One major theme I see in both Brave and Rapunzel/Tangled is the complicated relationship with the mother (at least from the princess' side). There is the conflict of whether to follow your dreams and do what you want, or do what your mother tells you to do.

They also both tackle the theme of destiny; Rapunzel was always meant to be a princess, and of course one of the main motifs throughout Brave is fate and how much power one has over one's life. (Even with the princess part taken out of Rapunzel/Tangled, Rapunzel always felt that the floating lanterns were "meant" for her - she understood they held the key to her destiny and that was what drove her to pursue it.) So how far one is willing to go to change (or fulfill) one's destiny is a theme running through both films.
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Post by pap64 »

monorail91 wrote:pap64 One major theme I see in both Brave and Rapunzel/Tangled is the complicated relationship with the mother (at least from the princess' side). There is the conflict of whether to follow your dreams and do what you want, or do what your mother tells you to do.

They also both tackle the theme of destiny; Rapunzel was always meant to be a princess, and of course one of the main motifs throughout Brave is fate and how much power one has over one's life. (Even with the princess part taken out of Rapunzel/Tangled, Rapunzel always felt that the floating lanterns were "meant" for her - she understood they held the key to her destiny and that was what drove her to pursue it.) So how far one is willing to go to change (or fulfill) one's destiny is a theme running through both films.
Actually, that's a really good point! They also had to learn to deal with the consequences of their actions. In Rapunzel's case, she learned to stand up to Gothel and fulfill her potential as the princess. With Merida, she learned that everything she does as a consequence, and learned that some of her responsibilities do have an impact on everyone's live.
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Post by Victurtle »

I just saw 'Triple Play'

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VtAEIjR8BzQ?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

were there any more of these? it should've been in the movie!
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Post by sunhuntin »

loved the little bit at the end with the boys hanging off his leg. thats just classic.

i hope like heck these little snippets are on the dvd/blu release.
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Post by Sotiris »

Q: I know there was a significant transition during the film’s long process. You were the original director and screenplay writer for the majority of the production. Later, Mark Andrews was brought on as director. Can you explain how this came to pass?

Brenda Chapman: It truly was “creative differences”—mainly about Merida’s character. Despite replacing me, Pixar kept the film mostly the same as what I had tried to do. With a few tweaks here and there, what you see up on screen is essentially my film. Of course there are things I would have handled differently, but Mark’s changes were minor and nuanced.
Source: http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2012/07 ... -of-brave/


So why did they replace her since the changes were so minor? :?
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Post by SWillie! »

Thats good to hear. It doesn't surprise me, since they have included her in so much of the press and promotion of Brave. It's possible that they replaced her with intentions of making some heavier changes and then decided against the changes after the fact. Who knows
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Post by Scamander »

Disney Germany posted an altered Brave poster regarding the Olympics. The Scots are obviously Team Germany, lol :D

(May the Best win)

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Post by Atlantica »

Haha, now that is a cool marketing campaign!

I love it when film companies do that; I remember when Sex and the City incorporated the World Cup into their advertising which was pretty neat.
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Post by Sotiris »

A short featuring Wee Dingwall and the witch will be included on the Brave DVD/Blu-ray.
There is a short film in the Brave DVD, that is being put in there as an extra, it is about two minutes long and is a scene between my character and Julie Walters' character the witch.
Source: http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/Cal ... 52969.html
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Post by SWillie! »

I hope that's just one of the little promotional shorts they released before the film came out, and we can still expect a full "short" featuring the brave characters.
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Post by Patrick »

I asked a manager at the Disney store near me if he knew anything about a Brave release date. He said judging by the time they're going to start taking pre-orders, early December seemed reasonable. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
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Post by Sotiris »

Patrick wrote:I asked a manager at the Disney store near me if he knew anything about a Brave release date. He said judging by the time they're going to start taking pre-orders, early December seemed reasonable.
The release date is November 13.

http://www.disneystore.com/brave-pre-or ... 8/1010606/
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Post by FigmentJedi »

SWillie! wrote:I hope that's just one of the little promotional shorts they released before the film came out, and we can still expect a full "short" featuring the brave characters.
I'm guessing so. Some other materials were saying the main short is based on Mordu.
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Post by Mickeyfan1990 »

Extras announced which will simply amaze you!:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9365

"Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has officially announced that they will release on Blu-ray Brave (2012). The film will be available as a Ultimate Collector's Edition Five-Disc Combo Pack and Collector's Edition Three-Disc Combo Pack. Both will be available for purchase on November 13th.

Headstrong tomboy and skilled archer Princess Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) is determined to break with tradition and carve out her own path in life. In defiance of her parents, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), Merida flies in the face of an age-old custom held sacred by the three principal lords of the land, Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), Lord MacIntosh (Craig Ferguson) and Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Her actions lead to chaos in the kingdom, and it is now up to Merida not only to restore harmony in the land but to undo an ill-fated wish bestowed upon her by a wayward wise woman (Julie Walters).

ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITON: 5-DISC COMBO PACK

(BD 3D + BD Feature + BD Supplemental Material + DVD + DIGITAL COPY)

DISC 1:
"La Luna" Theatrical Short – Fans will love this charming short that accompanied the film in theatres. It follows a young boy on his first night working the family business alongside his father and grandfather.
"The Legend of Mor'du" Short – This rousing new bonus short film will give fans the chance to delve deeper into the legend behind Mordu, as told by the eccentric witch who transformed him.
Brave Old World – Fans will watch as members of the "Brave" production team investigate Scotland, exploring its land, culture, people and dialects. The research they gathered was brought thrillingly to life in the film. Also, fans will hear what actress Emma Thompson (voice of Queen Elinor) thinks of Pixar's take on her homeland.
Merida & Elinor – With the creation of Merida and Elinor, the Pixar filmmakers delved deep into the relationship between mother and daughter. Highlighting contrasts in character design, clothing, animation, voicing, even hairstyle, watch how the filmmakers explored this most important of relationships.
Bears – Take a look inside the art and design behind the bears in "Brave." Each of the bears, gentle Mum-Bear and terrifying Mor'du, demanded a different approach to creating their physical appearance and personality.
Brawl in the Hall – A fascinating and hilarious inside look at the process of creating "Brave's" fighting Scots, through animation, crowd simulation and fight choreography – not to mention a room full of grunting men whose vocal chortles added authenticity to the raucous scene.
Wonder Moss – Fans will explore how "Brave's" technical artists examined the real Scottish countryside and studied the laws of nature, then turned these findings into computer codes that would blanket Merida's Scotland in lush moss, lichen and bracken.
Magic –The magic and mystery of Scotland is revealed to fans in this charming feature about the legends – from mystical potions to the will-o'-the-wisps – seen in "Brave."
Clan Pixar – At Pixar, getting into character is a team effort. From making Haggis to Kilt Fridays to celebrating the Scottish poet Robert Burns, fans will see how the "Brave" production crew truly embraced Scottish themes and customs fueled the Pixar crew throughout the creation of "Brave."
Once Upon A Scene – A closer look at the evolution of the storylines throughout the production of the film, including alternative openings to the film and many deleted scenes.
Extended Scenes – Three separate scenes are highlighted in their extended form. Director Mark Andrews discusses the decision making process that led to the shortened versions of these scenes.
Director Commentary
DISC 2:
"Fergus & Mor'du" An Alternate Opening – Once upon a time, "Brave" had a different opening scene. Eventually cut from the film, fans can see it in its entirety in this bonus feature narrated by the film's director Mark Andrews.
Fallen Warriors Montage – A selection of deleted shots that were cut from the film late in production are presented to fans in various stages of completion through a video montage narrated by director Mark Andrews.
Dirty Hairy People – Fans will enjoy this uproarious bonus feature discussing the development of "Brave's" Scots – including the design of their hair, attire, and dirt-crusted physiques.
It is English…Sort Of – This bonus feature helps fans interpret some of the more Scottish lines in the film, thanks to the real Scottish actors who play the key characters and contributed their own dialects and sayings.
Angus – A look at Merida's most trusted companion, Angus, a mighty Clydesdale.
The Tapestry – Fans will learn the story behind this embroidered emblem of family unity, which was lovingly crafted by "Brave's" team of artists.
Promotional Pieces – This bonus includes promotional clips for "Brave," including: "Feast Yer Eyes," "Relics," "Clan DunBroch," "Launch," and more.
Art Gallery – A selection of breathtaking art from the creation of the film, showcasing characters, sets, scenes and stunning landscapes.
Wee Gaffes – A video montage of simulation, animation and shot bloopers.
Renaissance Animation Man – Get a look at Director Mark Andrews' love of Scotland, sword-fighting, music and more!
Teasers and Sneak Peeks
Blu-ray 3D:

"La Luna" Theatrical Short
DVD:

"La Luna" Theatrical Short
"The Legend of Mordu" All-New Short
Director Commentary
COLLECTOR'S EDITION: 3-DISC BLU-RAY COMBO PACK

(BD Feature + BD Supplemental Material + DVD)"
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