I have to jump in on this one and I want to bring up two very different points.
First, I loved Brave for all the reasons that have already been listed by all the other folks on this thread who loved the film. I thought the visuals were stunning and, as with each new film, continue to be improved. I look back at the original Toy Story, and then look at how CGI has improved, and I'm still amazed at how much has been accomplished and what the final product is now (and I have been into computers and graphics for most of my career and even so continue to be impressed). Merida is wonderful (I don't mind if this is a modified princess movie) and I love her passion and intensity. I love the regional and cultural aspects (maybe that's my Renaissance interests showing through). This is a very good film; maybe not the absolute best around, but measured on its own Brave is very entertaining and, for me, a big hit.
Now, that said, my second point is a bit unconventional. But hey, that's what these discussions are all about, right?
These days, it's almost pointless to do movie reviews that is anything but a sterile and clinical overview of the story itself. The reason I say that is because there is such an overwhelmingly wide and diverse range of tastes and interests that even if there is some kind of consensus, no review can possibly speak for everyone. No matter what kind of film it is - some folks are going to absolutely hate it and some folks are going to absolutely love it. And the most interesting thing about that is the comparison points are the same.
As an example, take the music for Brave - some love it, some hate it. How can that be? It's the same film. The answer may be obvious, but not many people think about it. Tastes and interests are different. And THAT is what makes the difference. Of course I like hearing what other folks' impressions are on what they saw (hence this review and all the responses), but don't forget that all this is just those folks reactions; they are not yours.
This becomes especially important if you haven't seen a particular film. Obvious as it may be, I recommend that you never base whether you will or won't see a film based on anyone else's reactions and reviews of a particular film (including mine!). YOU are different! YOU have your own tastes and interests. Only YOU can determine if any one film is going to do it for you. (Too obvious?)
It doesn't matter if the vast overwhelming number of folks didn't get WALL*E and thought it was a pointless and silly film. For me, WALL*E is one of my all time favorite films and will always remain so. (You'll have to get me alone for me to explain why, but it hits very close to home for me on several levels and so I can relate to the film and therefore love it.) On the other hand I really hated Avatar (for several reasons). But see, that is just me. You can listen to me if that interests you, but please don't make your decision based on my interests or anyone else's. Make sense?
And that is really the point. Does a film touch you in some way? Whether it is the story, the characters, the dialog, the visuals, the music, or even (and this is just as significant) the person you're with when you see the film, if it touches you in some way, then you are going to love the film. If it doesn't touch you, then nothing is going to make you like the film.
Ok, I may not have made my point very well and I may need one of my "novels" to explain it better. But my main point here is that love or hate Brave, look at this discussion. It points out the differences in all of us and THAT is what's wonderful. I don't disagree with you because you didn't like Brave, but I celebrate that you saw it differently than I did. And if you too loved it, then maybe we have something that we can compare (and I bet we will still find differences). Thank goodness for variety! It would be a dull world without it.
So the next time someone says, "That movie sucked!" or even "That was the greatest movie ever!", don't dismiss it. Instead, find out for yourself if the film touches you. If not, no worries, find something else that does. But if it did touch you, then we have something in common and isn't that cool!
-Wayne
Podcaster and movie enthusiast
