Disney Pixar Brave
We’ve all seen the first act of Brave, the new animated adventure from Disney's Pixar, before: Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald), while more interested in archery and horseback riding, has been raised to be a proper princess; now, she is now being offered up to three suitors from smaller fiefdoms for a traditional wedding.
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Where the film carves its own path, however, is in its romantic development -- or lack thereof. There are no intimate evenings, sparkling jewelry, dazzling gowns (Merida, in fact, hates her formalwear), sweet gestures or smart give-and-take dialogue that foreshadow a final, emotional kiss. The suitors are simply buffoons, not fit to brush Merida’s flowing red hair, much less match up with her archery skills.
“[Merida] makes her own mistakes and then she doesn’t need a Prince Charming to come and make things better,” MacDonald recently told The Hollywood Reporter. "She makes her own trouble, and then she gets herself out of that trouble, and I think that’s a very good message.”
If the premise sounds less than revolutionary in 2012, just consider the source.
There are currently ten young royals in the Disney Princess lineup, the studio's officially trademarked and licensed franchise of fairytale damsels. The senior class is comprised of caucasian maidens from the company’s early adaptations of mostly Grimm Brothers stories. But the last two decades has seen the group diversify to include Persian, Native American, Chinese and African-American characters.
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The division isn’t just ethnic; in more recent years, and represented in Mulan (1998) and Pocahantas (1995) in particular, the Princesses have become more willing to embark on adventures far bolder than marches with dwarves and rides in pumpkins with mice (though that
OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS
Brave: Film Review
Inside the 'Brave' Premiere: Director Talks Politics of Pixar's First Female Heroine
Complete Coverage: Disney/Pixar's Brave
Where the film carves its own path, however, is in its romantic development -- or lack thereof. There are no intimate evenings, sparkling jewelry, dazzling gowns (Merida, in fact, hates her formalwear), sweet gestures or smart give-and-take dialogue that foreshadow a final, emotional kiss. The suitors are simply buffoons, not fit to brush Merida’s flowing red hair, much less match up with her archery skills.
“[Merida] makes her own mistakes and then she doesn’t need a Prince Charming to come and make things better,” MacDonald recently told The Hollywood Reporter. "She makes her own trouble, and then she gets herself out of that trouble, and I think that’s a very good message.”
If the premise sounds less than revolutionary in 2012, just consider the source.
There are currently ten young royals in the Disney Princess lineup, the studio's officially trademarked and licensed franchise of fairytale damsels. The senior class is comprised of caucasian maidens from the company’s early adaptations of mostly Grimm Brothers stories. But the last two decades has seen the group diversify to include Persian, Native American, Chinese and African-American characters.
Say What? How Kevin McKidd Brought Scotland to Brave
The division isn’t just ethnic; in more recent years, and represented in Mulan (1998) and Pocahantas (1995) in particular, the Princesses have become more willing to embark on adventures far bolder than marches with dwarves and rides in pumpkins with mice (though that