Brave

A tale of two bears, with Castles and Kingdoms, a matter of pride, with Magic and Fate:

The corset of a Princess, the hands of a fighter, the teachings of a Queen, the stubbornness of a King: Merida. Betrothed to a Lord's son, the freedom of a loner, the quest for perfection, the skill of an archer: Carrot-topped. The drive for adventure, the demand for etiquette, the love of a family, the distance of a mother: Princess! I like the way that this film portrays the relationship between a mother and her daughter: Merida is head-strong (having little interest in becoming the Queen), whilst Queen Elinor is inflexible (demanding that she prepares for the role). I like the fact that Merida chooses to go her own way: she would rather explore the Kingdom (and make use of her bow and arrow), than dress like a Lady (and undertake the activities that befit a Princess). I also feel that there's some truth in the way that fate is portrayed within this film: you can be free to choose your own path/fate, you can have the option of working hard to change your fate, and that sometimes, when your feeling lost, the Will-o'-the-wisps (or equivalent) may appear - to help you get back on track. I especially enjoy the comedy that's found within this film, with most of this coming from Merida's three brothers (Harris, Hubert and Hamish) - who remind me (so very much) of my nephew! My three favourite (comedy) scenes are: when King Fergus has his leg tied to the table (causing it to fall over and spread it's food all over the floor - Boys!), when King Fergus has managed to calm the fighting tribes (only to have the fights start over again, as a mace is clobbered onto Lord Dingwall's foot - Boys!) and when the Boys! are turned into three little bears (as I could not help but imagine the mischief that they could get up to now). Overall: a highly entertaining film that makes good use of the atmosphere that is typically found within woods (such as quietness, mists and being on the wrong path), together with the fun that you would expect from a medieval castle (such as feasting and jesting). There are also some lessons on the importance of finding your own fate (which may be at logger-heads with other peoples point-of-view). Just one spell remains: would you follow the wisp?