Daniel and I had the chance to see a special preview of Brave earlier this week in San Francisco.

Note to the wise, if you want to stand out like a tourist so that all the street vendors selling the newspapers and guides to San Francisco (that you can pick up for free yourself) will spot you and follow you, shouting after you then take Daniel with you.

It’s always an adventure with that boy of mine.

We both were very excited to see this movie…bows, arrows, swords, fighting Scotsmen…and even the girl looked tough, almost as tough as a boy…even if she weren’t a boy.

With the exception of Cars 2, which put members of my circus to sleep, we have always loved Pixar films and shorts. They rarely fail to capture that which is part of our imagination and they do it with style (kind of like how Buzz Lightyear falls with style). I have to say that last Monday night, once again, Pixar did not disappoint us.

The La Luna short shown before the start of the feature film caused me to chuckle with sweet memories of my own childhood because that is exactly how I imagined the moon’s shape was changed…exactly.

Set in Scotland in a rugged and mythical time, “Brave” features Merida, an aspiring archer and impetuous daughter of royalty. Merida makes a reckless choice that unleashes unintended peril and forces her to spring into action to set things right. Brave features the vocal talents of Kelly MacDonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson and, Pixar’s perennial vocal talent, John Ratzenberger, who all masterfully entertain and tell the story of a young person who dares to break tradition and choOse her own path in life. The art is lush and vibrant depicting the landscape of Scotland with real Scottish landmarks, adding real depth to the story.

I really liked this story. The antagonism between Merida and Queen Elinor is not unlike that which is between any child and their parent when the child dares to strike out on their own path rather than the one dreamed of for them by their parents before they were even born. For once, we have a Disney mother character who is not killed off early on or is wicked and evil hell-bent on destroying the young princess. And Merida is not your ordinary Disney Princess. This one doesn’t have a prince to chase after, distract her or make her discover her destiny and who she really is. I’m not saying that having such a prince is a bad thing. I’m just thankful for the breath of fresh air this princess proves to be. Perhaps someday Princess Merida will meet the Prince for her and I imagine that she will beat him squarely in an archery match. But for now, this story is all about Merida as she relies on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

Rest assured this is not just a princess movie intended for a feminine audience. There is lots of action, drama and hilarity in the story. There are even some parts where one might find themselves taking a hold of the hand of their mom so that she won’t be afraid.

Thank you, Daniel!

While it might not be a movie for young children under age 6 or children who are very sensitive to see, Daniel and I both thoroughly enjoyed this movie and most definitely recommend that you go see it.

How could you NOT trust this face? This boy KNOWS quality Disney and Pixar movies when he sees them.

Go see Brave! Make sure you see it with someone you love. You’ll need to hold their hand for sure…you know, to calm them and comfort them when it gets scary or sad because, like Merida, yiou are brave.

I was not compensated to write this review and promote this movie other than the opportunity to go see it offered by Allied-THA and I thank them for that.