Gotta be brave to see Brave!
Posted at 4:22 pm on June 22, 2012 by Farrah
The new girl-power Disney Pixar movie Brave opens today. I’m sure you’ve seen previews and advertisements all around since it is one of the summer’s biggest movies. We had the opportunity to see a preview of the movie at Studio Move Grill the other night, a little date night for mommy and the boys.
First of all, if you haven’t been to Studio Movie Grill (in Rice Lake Square off Butterfield Rd. in Danada- near Whole Foods) yet, you should really check it out. Each of their eight theaters has 
super comfy leather chairs with swing-out tables for each seat. You order what you want (no minimum or pressure to buy food/drink) and they bring it right to your seat before the movie starts. You can order more food/beverage/popcorn/candy during the movie by simply 
pressing your little service button. The staff very discretely bring refills and any other items you want throughout the show without disrupting the movie at all. The menu is pretty diverse with everything from ribs to chicken fingers to a variety of burgers and sandwiches. I had a very yummy spinach and mushroom quesadilla and a dragonberry mojito. The food prices are not terrible, although maybe a little high. But you get good service and it is cool to eat a yummy meal while watching a good movie. I highly recommend the experience.
While the location of my date with my sons was great, I am not as thrilled with the movie. As far as animation goes, it was amazing. I loved the character of Merida, the tom-boy princess who wants to be in control of her own fate and not give in to the ideas her mother has for her future. The basic story is that she rebels against her parents who want to arrange her marriage, she gets a spell from a witch that will change her fate but the spell has unforseen consequences and she must fight to make it all right again before the spell becomes permanent. My favorite scene shows Princess Merida riding her horse Angus confidently through the forest, shooting arrows at targets and being her free-spirited self. My boys loved her triplet brothers who are always getting into trouble, trying
to sneak extra dessert and wreak general havoc around the castle. And while there are some very cute parts of the movie and some laugh-out-loud funny parts too, there are also several scary scenes that I think make this movie better fit for older kids. The witch who concocts a spell for Merida to take back to her mother to change Merida’s fate is very odd and scary. That part was too much for both my 3yr old and my 6yr old. I wouldn’t say that my boys are super sensitive when it comes to movies. They are not easily scared. But the witch brewing up a spell was creepy, dark and frightening. There are several other scenes which involve fighting with bears, both an evil bear and one that you know is good (I’m trying not to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it yet), which are quite intense and even had me feeling a little uneasy and very stressed. I also think parts of the story-line are a bit hard to follow for little people and some of the story’s bigger-picture points (the meaning of true bravery, loyalty to family, ….) are lost on them.
But…. the
y DID love the characters and most of the action. Archery and horses and trouble-making little boys… all things they thought were awesome!! Ever since seeing the movie, they have been on the lookout for blue wisps to lead them on an unknown adventure (Merida follows these in the movie as she seeks to change her fate and then undo the damage done by her selfish actions). They’d tell you they loved the movie but that it was kinda scary. I think Mommy would say it was a little too much for this crowd but very well-done and one we may revisit when they are both a little older. I do love the idea of Merida being a strong-girl who doesn’t need to wait for her prince to come save her. And the Scottish music in the film, along with the stunning animation, was simply beautiful.
Overall, a good movie that is visually and musically stunning (plus the accents are super cool to listen to). Just a little much for my crowd.
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