Brave
Movie, 2012, Originals, Set in Medieval Scotland
Brave is #13 of 31 in release order and #5 of 31 in chronological order in the Pixar.
The story
In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish.
Brave recap
In medieval Scotland, Princess Merida, daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor, loves archery and riding and resents her mother's lessons in being a lady. Fergus lost a leg to the demon bear Mor'du. When the heirs of three allied clans come to compete for Merida's hand, she enters the archery contest herself, wins her own hand, and fights with Elinor, slashing the family tapestry. In the forest, wisps lead her to a witch, and she buys a spell to change her mother. The cake turns Elinor into a bear. Merida learns that unless she mends "the bond torn by pride" by the second sunrise, the change will be permanent, and that Mor'du was a prince who took the same kind of spell. Merida's brothers, triplets, eat the cake and turn into bear cubs.
Brave ending explained
Merida persuades the clans to let the heirs choose their own wives and mends the tapestry. Fergus, not knowing Elinor is the bear, corners her; Merida defends her, and Mor'du attacks. Elinor fights Mor'du, who is crushed under a falling standing stone. Merida wraps her mother in the tapestry and apologises, and at sunrise Elinor and the triplets become human again. Mother and daughter ride out together.
Post-credits scenes
Yes. After the credits, the castle guard with the half-cut mustache is woken by the witch's crow, which is pulling a cart of the wooden carvings Merida bought. It is a gag, not a setup.
Where to watch Brave
Brave is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 78%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Cars 2, before Monsters University.
- Chronological order: after Up, before The Good Dinosaur.
What to watch before Brave
In release order, the essentials before Brave (2012) are A Bug's Life (1998), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), and Up (2009).
Cast
- Kelly Macdonald as Merida (voice)
- Emma Thompson as Elinor (voice)
- Billy Connolly as Fergus (voice)
- Julie Walters as The Witch (voice)
- Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall (voice)
- Kevin McKidd as Lord MacGuffin / Young MacGuffin (voice)
- Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh (voice)
- Peigi Barker as Young Merida (voice)
- Steve Purcell as The Crow (voice)
- Patrick Doyle as Martin (voice)
- John Ratzenberger as Gordon (voice)
- Sally Kinghorn as Maudie (voice)
Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman.