Review - Brave

Grade: B

Before I devote 700 or so words to Brave, allow to me to talk about archery for a spell. 

So far, this year’s cinematic offerings have brought audiences four heroes with archery skills in as many months: Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, Snow White’s Prince William, and Brave’s Merida. This fall, the CW will air a new series featuring DC Comics’ Green Arrow, the creatively minimalist Arrow. Apparently, not long after The Hunger Games' Katniss drew her bow on the big screen, interest in archery increased across the country, and now, the sport is on a course to be destination viewing at the Olympics. I have nothing against archery, but I think the current zeitgeist around the art of manual projectile fire is the mostly the fault of one thing: the gun.

Sure, Hollywood always has a propensity to copy its own “creative” efforts and establish trends through dueling enterprises (see: Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman), but the popularity of archery among this season’s heroes and heroines speaks to a rejection of the very thing many audiences and filmmakers have become: lazy. It’s easy for a hero to pick up a gun, but to draw a bow and let an arrow fly with great accuracy is a skill, albeit one that’s fairly useless as a pragmatic offensive strategy in age where most combatants would much rather pick up a gun. 

Ironically, that’s exactly what Pixar is doing with it’s latest, Mark Andrews’ Brave. Brave builds so heavily off of the Disney princess formula that, despite the obvious work devoted to developing a strong core built around a somewhat fascinating rumination on the mother-daughter relationship, it is clear that Disney's assimilation of Pixar is complete. Brave is just shy of being the quintessential Disney princess movie. It embodies the goal almost every Disney has been building to since Snow White: the independent princess as the feminist ideal. Brave, ostensibly, is the tale of Merida (Kelly McDonald, delivering a spritely brogue accent), a tomboyish Scottish princess with a skill for archery and absolutely no need for a prince to define her, who desperately wants to choose her fate/destiny/path in life, despite the protestations of her mother, the prim Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).  

The struggle between Merida and Elinor simmered for years, apparently, and explodes when Merida is forced to marry one of the princes--including a dandy, a doofus, and a dope with a impassable accent--of the neighboring kingdoms. The conflict takes a unforeseen turn when Merida happens upon a witch and wishes to change her mother in a way that will allow her the freedom to do as she pleases. With that wish, the witch casts a spell that eventually turns Elinor into a bear. In the mold of Disney’s Freaky Friday, mother and daughter must work together to break the spell that can probably only be broken through mutual understanding and compassion.

The core of Brave is so solid that it makes the unnecessary complications of the plot seem unnecessary and slight. Brave works only because the characters and themes at its core are crafted with more care than the plot. If this was solely a character piece, not meant to capture the attention of young audiences for 90 minutes, then Brave would have been an unabashed success, but as it is Brave risks, which zags instead of zigging as soon as the witch is introduced, losing its core because it is so bent on jumping through hoops just to up the ante on a simple, powerful conflict. Now, I’m not advocating for indie sensibilities in a Disney tentpole, but a less is more approach would have prevented this movie from putting some of the kids in the screening audience to sleep.

That’s not to say that Brave is not entertaining; in fact, Merida’s brothers--three mischievous scamps always in search of a tasty pastry--her boisterous father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), the fight-hungry lordss (Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, and Craig Ferguson), and their goofy sons are consistently chortle-worthy. However, the reason these characters are funny is due to a clear “men are mischievous, violent dopes” vibe that runs throughout. While I am all for presenting the positive female images that are desperately needed in modern fiction, the ascension of these images in Brave comes at the expense of every male character. So, what does that say to the young boys and girls in the audience?

I hate to bemoan Brave because there is obvious care and effort on display here, but there’s a bit of tone deafness and contrivance that wreaks havoc with the human story at the core of this flick; even the cute pre-movie short, La Luna, lacks a bit of spark despite an exceptional effort to be a mildly touching and comical reflection on generational discord. Bringing life to simple human stories is what Pixar does best, but it is something they do well because they devote skill and effort to building simple stories without relying heavily on formula and stereotyping. In the case of Brave, Pixar should have just dropped the gun and stuck with the arrow.

Yin: A contrived plot and feminist perspective that paints men as “dopes” weaken a slightly inspired spin on Freaky Friday with a solid core. Pre-movie short is cute but slight in comparison to previous Pixar shorts.

Yang: The central examination of the mother-daughter relationship is well-done, and the moments of levity provided by those dopey menfolk are fairly amusing. Visuals are as lush and gorgeous, as expected from the good people at Pixar

In-between: More butt shots than I thought would be allowable in a Disney flick. Times have indeed changed.

Review - Winnie the Pooh

Grade: A-

Good: Charming characters are at the center of a brisk, loose story with some quality situational and character humor and a dash of heart.

Bad: Short run time; A bit unfocused and episodic

Ugly: The Backson.

A.A. Milne hated Winnie the Pooh. He blamed the good-natured, absent-minded, honey-addicted teddy bear for ruining his career and forcing him to a life of writing children’s books. How dreadful. Honestly, I can’t understand the hatred because Pooh and Piglet and Tigger and all their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are terribly charming.

In another welcome return to traditional feature animation, the most recent since 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, Disney’s Winnie the Pooh is a wonderful slice of nostalgia that will probably track as a cute Toy Story knock-off despite coming first and offering its own fun spin on toys that come to life. Favoring character and situational laughs over and archetypes and sight gags, Pooh was clearly cast in the Pixar mold—definitely showing the influence of executive producer John Lassiter—which is never a bad thing. If anything, Pooh comes off as an indie version of an animated feature. Like its titular character, it moves at its own pace, but still proves brisk and consistently entertaining.

Pooh follows the Hundred Acre Wood gang—including Owl, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo—as they try to figure out what happened to the eternally depressed Eyeore’s missing tael (I mean tail) and rescue Christopher Robin from a mysterious menace. Along the way, the story takes a number of detours into vignettes based on three of Milne’s classic Pooh stories—"In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One" and "In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump" from Winnie the Pooh and "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings" from the House at Pooh Corner—that reveal the character’s all-too human foibles, from Owl’s misguided arrogance to Rabbit’s crankiness and, of course, Tigger’s “bull in a china shop” exuberance. Despite the focus on eccentricities of the cast, Pooh eventually works its way back to the effortless interactions between this makeshift family and simple lessons on friendship.

Pooh is woefully short, clocking in at just over an hour and playing like an extended episode of the Saturday morning series from the 90s. Pooh is far more energetic than the trailers and commercials with the sappy, sad Keane song would lead potential audiences to believe. It’s episodic structure and swift pacing keep it from dragging (a true blessing to the parents with young children in the audience). Despite its length and pace, Pooh gives a good amount of attention to each of the inhabitants of he Hundred Acre Wood, even giving Christopher Robin more to do than take a casual stroll with his favorite golden bear.

Now, Pooh’s (voiced by the unfailing Jim Cummings) name may be in the title, but every character gets their time to shine. Pooh’s honey obsession is ever present, as usual, but his affable, laid-back nature and flashes of sharpness still make him the bear everybody wishes they had. Owl (voiced by Craig Ferguson) has a pretty significant role this time, grabbing more screen than favorites Tigger and Piglet, and his pretentious loquaciousness and overbearing confidence make for some of the movie’s better laughs. That doesn’t mean the others don’t make a mark; it’s just surprising to see Owl play such a significant role.

As strong as Pooh is in terms of character and plot, visually it is equally as successful. Disney animators have taken the simplicity of the older Pooh cartoons and polished the animation to near perfection here, even including the classic interactions between the characters and the storybook text. Aside from a few mildly lavish, but still inventive, musical numbers with some snazzy CGI, nothing is over-designed or unnecessarily glamorized. The Hundred Acre Wood is a simple place and neither it nor its inhabitants need to be overly impressive. Pooh lives and dies by its ability to create a simple world where mildly complex personalities come together to realize uncomplicated truths about friendship and family. Thanks to the animators and writers, Pooh achieves that elegant tone visually and textually.

Winnie the Pooh is perfect for parents looking to briefly divert their children’s attention from outdoor activities. However, just because it’s a diversion, doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of attention. The humor is consistent and is just as likely to grab laughs from the adults as it from kids. The short length is as much a benefit as a drawback, as maybe ten more minutes would make room for perennially underserved characters like Kanga and Roo to do more than make a few timely quips. Also, the episodic nature can make the movie seem a tad unfocused, but, all in all, Winnie the Pooh is a fine way to spend an hour. There’s even a quaint animated short, The Ballad of Nessie, at the beginning about the Loch Ness Monster that falls just short of the superior Pixar shorts. As a lapsed fan Pooh’s adventures, I am proud to recommend this gem, which hopefully won’t be overlooked in the wake of the end of all things wizardry.

Review - Rio

Grade: B-

The Good: Colorful and lively, with some catchy musical numbers and a few honest chuckles. Shows some degree of social awareness amidst the candy coated fun.

The Bad: Not a particularly revelatory addition to the modern animated canon. Voice performances aren’t terrible, but lack an identity outside of the actors’ pre-established quirks.

It’s a given that studio films, especially animated features of the 3D variety, are generally unoriginal, yet I still find the concept of dueling movies—or at least the kind that have extremely similar elements—fascinating. Now, Fox and Blue Sky Studios Rio has very little in common with the upcoming fourth Fast and the Furious sequel, save for the setting of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. But, with these two movies being released mere weeks apart, it’s likely that most perceptive moviegoers will surmise that—hyperbolic and obvious as it may seem—Brazil is hot.

It’s too early to tell if Fast Five’s exotic setting is just a backdrop or a vital character in its own right, but Rio makes the home of Carnaval equally as important as any of its main characters with a colorful palette and a lively samba beat at the heart of a not-so original tale about learning to fly outside of one’s comfort zone.

Rio follows aptly named Blue Macaw Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare avian species born in the rainforests of South America, as he and his lifelong, yet overprotective, human owner, Linda (Leslie Mann), venture to Rio at the behest of geeky ornithologist Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro). Tulio hopes Blu, the last male of his kind, will be able to mate with female Blue Macaw Jewel, the always-energetic Anne Hathaway, and repopulate the species. Unfortunately, Blu has spent his life in domesticity with Linda, and, unfortunately, doesn’t know the first thing about interacting with his own kind nor the defining quality of birds: flying. Once in Rio, Blu and Jewel are swiped by exotic pet smugglers after a botched escape attempt from Tulio’s sanctuary. As the two try to escape their captors and return to their respective homes, they learn about each other and the courage it’ll take to do the impossible.

The best word to describe Rio is colorful. From the stunning multicolor visuals to the wacky cast of characters to the lively Samba-tinged soundtrack, Rio is not lacking for liveliness. The artists at Blue Sky studio have composed a dynamic visual feat for its target audience to ogle while they bounce up and down in their seats. Rio’s crowded beaches, clamoring street life, dazzling Carnaval floats and performers, even the cluttered slums are rendered beautifully in some of the most vibrant CG animation this side of a Pixar project. Thankfully, the pricy 3D only enhances the experience so parents needn’t worry—too much—about dishing out the extra bucks for a muddy 3D conversion. While the kaleidoscopic animation might not track with most members of the audience, the movie’s main musical numbers are sure to catch their attention. Rio delivers at least three samba-infused pop performances that are sure to pull some butts—young and not-so-young alike—out of their seats. At least two of the numbers are clearly influenced by the Black Eyed Peas will.i.am, who contributes his voice to one of the film’s many feathered characters. Aside from the performances, there are a few chuckle-worthy scenes, particularly a mildly epic clash between bird and monkeys that evokes notions of the Pirates vs. Ninja meme, but nothing as riotous as last month’s Rango.

The all-star voice cast deliver performances that mimic their live-action performances so closely that it lead to one of the simplest games of ‘guess that voice’ I’ve ever played. Jesse Eisenberg voices Blu with that same amount of stammering braininess with a slight edge that makes him a much more digestible version of Michael Cera. Anne Hathaway delivers her own patented edgy, manic energy as Jewel, who could just as easily have been the pet of Hathaway’s character in Love and Other Drugs. A bit trickier to identify is Flight of the Conchords Jermaine Clement as the erudite and villainous Nigel. Clement hams it up, somehow managing to chew through animated scenery as a vain, yet past his prime, cockatoo who relentlessly pursues Blu and Jewel for the eeevil smugglers. George Lopez lends his voice to Rafael, a family man toucan playing a variation on the mystical minority guide, and Jamie Foxx and the aforementioned will.i.am play a musical Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who provide snarky and occasionally slapstick comic relief when they aren’t kicking off the musical numbers.

All in all, Rio isn’t terrible, and it’s not particularly revelatory. It’s middle of the road fun for families with a tepid lesson tacked on at the end. The humor is hardly the funniest, with mostly retreads of fish-out-of-water jokes that are stale by the second act. Commendably, Rio only slightly shies away from the realities of Rio beyond Carnaval with one human character, Fernando (Wizards of Waverly Place’s Jake T. Austin), representing orphaned, homeless Brazilian children who engage in a life of petty crime. Still, this awareness isn’t significant enough to elevate Rio into the ranks of recent animated gems like Up, Rango and How to Train Your Dragon. If you keep your expectations relatively low, you’ll enjoy yourself, even if you forget most of what happened once you drop your popcorn in overflowing trashcan. If set your expectations to high you’re cruising for disappointment. But, don’t worry parents, the kids will enjoy themselves either way.

Movie Review - Up

Describing Disney/Pixar’s Up as uplifting would not only be cliché but a terrible understatement. Up is one of the most moving films I have ever seen. In Up, we meet Carl Fredricksen, a seemingly cantankerous old coot with the proverbial heart-of-gold, who embarks on wondrous journey using his house as a makeshift airship. Carl is joined on his journey by chubby young eager beaver wilderness boy scout, Russell. Together, Carl and Russell fly by balloon hoisted house to the beautiful and mysterious Paradise Falls in South America, where misadventure awaits.


Up, directed by Pete Docter, is an amazing piece of storytelling with true heart that toes the line of being a manipulative tearjerker then steps away from that line with its dignity in tact. One of Up’s greatest strengths is its development of the character’s motivations. Up develops character motivation simply and powerfully through quiet poignant moments that eschew overbearing dialogue or melodramatics. If you are not moved by the two dialogue-less scenes—used a bit more effectively than in Wall*E—between Carl and his wife then you might not have a soul. The motivations of each character are so clear and logical that every setup and payoff is completely worth it. For instance, late in the film, when Carl makes a choice between his traveling companions and his goal, the audience understands exactly why he made this decision because of the exquisite storytelling that preceded it.


The effectiveness of Up’s storytelling, penned by co-director Bob Petersen, is echoed in its seamless movement from a humorous rousing adventure to a reflective poignant study of loss and back again. You know those films the advertisers say will make you laugh, cry, and jump, this is one that truly earned that distinction. The humor is reverent, intelligent, and aware. Some of the funniest bits in the film come from the interactions between the absurd, i.e. dogs talking with human language translator collars, and the human, i.e. Carl’s grouchiness or Russell’s buoyancy. The action, as seen in amazing set pieces with airships, flying houses, talking dogs, is imaginative and fast-paced. The quiet moments hit notes that seem manipulative in trying to elicit emotion from the audience, but are so simply executed and anti-schmaltz that you can’t help but be moved. I’ll be honest, I will have a hard time watching this one again and keeping the cry bump in my throat.


Not to be neglected are the amazing vocal performances that only help to elevate the material, particularly Ed Asner’s star turn as Carl. Asner adds just the right amount of sadness, grit, and warmth to Carl to create a character with more depth than some of even Pixar’s most memorable heroes. Speaking of Pixar’s other endeavors, this film continues Pixar’s trend of creating fantastic, colorful worlds that are absolute marvels of computer generated animation. The lush South American jungle that surrounds Paradise Falls is filled with textures and colors that are so subtly palpable that you could truly be fooled into believing its real, if only for a second. Of note also, are the unique character designs, particularly the geometrically rigid Carl who is all squares and 90-degree angles contrasting against the egg-shaped Russell(by the way, kudos to Disney for casting an Asian pre-teen and a senior citizens as it heroes. It’s always great to see progress, especially in films that might reach impressionable minds.).


Up is a gorgeous, moving film that continues Pixar’s tradition of spirited films that powerfully blend humanity and wonder. The kids will love the adventure and the humor, but the adults will be truly, deeply moved by the humanity of the characters and power of their motivations.