"Is the Pixar magic gone?"
I've been a Pixar fan for as long as I can remember. I even recall the day of its inception with the release of 1995's "Toy Story". I was 9 years old, and I was so wowed and impressed since I hadn't seen anything like it before, I suppose the impression was so massive that the day I saw it is a flashbulb memory. Since then, I've seen every single Pixar film; most of them in their theatrical run as well.
Every last and first days of a year, I like to compile lists of upcoming films for the new year that I'm excited over. I've been doing that since the MySpace age; I saw it as a win situation in so many ways, as it was a way to share my taste, remind me of upcoming releases, and to help promote them. I wasn't a huge fan of "Cars" (even more-so the sequel). But since 2007's "Ratatouille" (my 2nd favorite Pixar film, for the record), Pixar has had a safe and guaranteed spot on the aforementioned lists. And, "Ratatouille" was, in my personal opinion, what kicked-off the true golden-age from Pixar, as everything after that was a gem. The trend continued with 2008's "WALL-E" (my favorite Pixar film), and also with 2009's "Up" and 2010's "Toy Story 3" (both in my Top 5 Pixar films). However, that upwards roller-coaster took a dive downwards with 2011's "Cars 2"; but I wasn't too worried since it was merely a sequel for my least favorite Pixar film. But I digress.
Enter 2012's "Brave". I had been keeping up with this film since I first heard about it with its original title, "The Bear and the Bow". The story seemed interesting and my interest heightened with the incredible looking teaser trailer. The actual recent full-trailer didn't impress me as much, but I just figured it wasn't a well-made trailer. "Brave" is a tricky film to discuss, and more-so to review because it really isn't a bad film by any means, it's just not remotely on par with the best of Pixar. Frankly, it didn't even feel much like a Pixar film. The storyline is extremely generic with very familiar characters of this genre (the goofy father, the strict mother, the rebellious/free-spirited daughter/protagonist, the curse, etc.), the generic storyline was executed very well, but that doesn't stop it from being generic, and thus, you aren't really captivated by it. I thought it would at least redeem itself with some witty humor that Pixar almost always delivers, but the humor were things that have been done before, and one too many times it went for the "easy" laughs. It also lacked the memorable characters that Pixar has never failed to accomplish before (even with "Cars"); it didn't even have an incredible soundtrack/score; it lacked one too many qualities that the standard Pixar film offers. The best thing about this film is definitely the visuals, it has some of the most gorgeous scenery I've ever seen in an animated film. Still, the film does have a pretty good message for mothers-daughters (And I suppose parents/children in general as well) about the importance of communication among family. But that message isn't remotely as deep or complex as previous Pixar releases, it doesn't leave that lingering effect on your mind.
Again, to reiterate, "Brave" isn't a bad film at all, it's just not the Pixar masterpiece that we're so used to, let alone a great animated film. I was so used to Pixar setting itself apart from every other animated film studio, but the last two releases are simply on par with the rest. I can't help but be left with many questions and concerns. Did Pixar set the bar way too high? Is Pixar simply taking a brief break from anything serious? Is the Pixar magic gone? I suppose we won't have answers to those questions until the next couple of releases, which will be "Monsters University" in 2013 and "The Good Dinosaur" in 2014.
Rating: 3.5/5
