Why the Brave Disney Movie is Better For Older Kids
on Jun 26, 2012, Updated Feb 16, 2023
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The Brave Disney Movie opened to high acclaim and cheers from critics. But not this one. Brave was not the movie for me. Proceed with caution if your children are under 8 years-old. UPDATED 9/18/2019
It’s no secret that I love Disney. I was born and raised in Florida, just under two hours from the parks and I love the toys, the TV channel and the movies. I’m a huge fan.
That said, sometimes even a huge fan has to make some hard choices for the sake of her children. So when I knew I had to be brave to write my Brave movie review, I took a deep breath and went for it.
What I am about to say is not popular opinion. And I almost hesitate to share it. But as a mother with young children (boys at that), I want to share my honest opinion about Brave. And the truth is, I did not love the latest Disney/Pixar movie.
I am about to share some major spoilers for this animated feature so if you don’t want to be spoiled, please feel free to click away from this post and read about all the things I DO love about Disney here.
For the rest of us, let’s get down to it.
Brave Disney Movie Review
Here is the official BRAVE synopsis:
“Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane).
Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.
First of all, this movie is rated PG. It never even occurred to me to check the rating because with the exception of The Incredibles and UP, every Pixar film made since 1995 has been G rated.
Thankfully, because our screening was at night, my husband and I decided to leave our (3.5 year old and almost 1 year old) boys at home to check out the latest animated film from the house of Walt Disney.
So I will start with the obvious. Because of its well-deserved PG rating, I do not recommend this movie for children under age 8.
It is my opinion that the story was significantly more mature than prior Pixar movies (such as Toy Story) and there were several intensely frightening scenes including vicious fights between man and beast (ie. a giant blood-thirsty bear).
Mature Fight Scenes in Brave
There were a few moments in the fight scenes that really stood out to me. One fight in particular is between two bears. In the climax of their battle, several seconds are spent in close up of one bear slamming the other into a large rock repeatedly, violently, graphically.
It was not a flash in the pan arrow to the leg, or even a flying bullet. It was up-close, physical violence. I don’t care that there was a good reason for the fight. It disturbed me.
There is no doubt that Princess Merida and her mother both had lessons to learn. And while I appreciated the relational struggle between mother and daughter, it seemed more appropriate for the tween crowd rather than the typical Pixar audience which tends to be of the elementary set, if not younger.
I can definitely see how this movie could prompt some really thought provoking conversations between moms and daughters, but for the young ones I don’t think it would even make sense.
We love that Merida is different from the other Disney princesses, but there were so many unnecessary distractions, it was hard to focus on that one positive note.
Gender Stereotyping is not so Brave
I am glad there was a two-parent home featured in this movie. However, I was greatly disturbed at the depiction of Merida’s bumbling, goofball father whose only purpose seemed to be comic relief or brute force – a male stereotype that has been increasingly present in mainstream media in the past couple of decades.
Believe me when I say that I truly loved the empowering female lead characters in both Merida and Queen Elinor. But why did they have to come at the expense of the male characters?
As the mother of two boys, I want to encourage them to be leaders, to be companions of the women in their lives. But from the idiot-fathers to the dimwitted princes (none of whom were even remotely desirable), to the trouble-making triplets, there is not a single male character in this movie that I would want my sons to emulate.
Not a single one.
And I think that is why my overall opinion of this movie is just not good. I was viewing it through the eyes of my boys. My sons who will one day grow to be men.
And just like we need more movies to inspire our women, we should not just allow the pendulum to swing the other way. We are setting the bar for the future of both our sons and our daughters. Why are we aiming so low?
I wish I could base my opinion on the design because Brave was a spectacular visual feast. The animation was positively breathtaking and even thrilling at times.
I am sad to say that it will not be a family classic in this house.
For more opinions of the Brave Disney movie from both sides, please check out the following links:
Scott Mendelson – Brave (2012) Is Pixar’s Most Impersonal and Least Consequential Film and a More Troubling Failure Than Cars 2
Rage Against the Minivan – BRAVE: A Parent’s Guide to Disney/Pixar’s new Movie
Musings from Me – A Lady Does-ny Stuff Her Gob! #Brave
FREE Printable Activity sheets for the Brave Disney movie fans
I received free passes to attend an advanced screening of Brave. All thoughts are my own.
Thanks for the review. The last thing I want to watch with my son and daughter is another movie with a failing father. My one complaint about UP and Toy Story is the absentee father, too.
I think the main issue here is the rating. It’s PG, so there will be violence. This HAS to be taken in consideration before making any judgement calls. All Disney movies (including Pixar) have a level of violence – Nemo almost getting eaten by a shark, Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear trying to kill Woody and Buzz in an incinerator, etc. I think it is up to each parent to decide what level of violence is appropriate for our children. My 4 year-old was not frightened by BRAVE and in fact, loved it. Saying that, some 4 year-olds may find it too scary.
As far as Fergus goes, I didn’t see him as comic relief only, but rather a supportive father figure that understood Merida more than anyone else, while still loving his wife the same. I found it refreshing that Merida was a strong, independent female character that didn’t follow a traditional princess life. I respect Disney/Pixar for taking that leap.
Although I disagree with your review, I am glad to hear your thoughts. You know that I love you regardless! Having had the opportunity to interview the director, producer and cast members of BRAVE, I feel as if I have an understanding of why they made the choices they did in the movie and I would be happy to help answer any questions regarding that. 🙂
While I don’t agree w/all of your comments you know I respect you as a blogger and friend enough to say how glad I am that you shared them.
I do agree that there should have been more indication that the story had scary parts. My kiddo is not afraid of that kind of stuff, and it didn’t phase her in the least.
I wrote some of this in a comment elsewhere, and wanted to share my take on the family:
“I loved it. I love her mom. Her goofy dad, too. And those crazy brothers. The whole thing was fantastic…” so I get what you’re saying about the dad, but I kind of liked him. I thought he was more supportive of her. And I also found myself tearing up at her relationship w/her mom. And the mischievous brothers were just little kids to me. But again – I hear you.
I guess now I think it’s going to stir up discussion for sure! Whereas after seeing it yesterday the only thing I was thinking about was how I liked the character and the music. 🙂
I think King Fergus is a great parent and role model. He seemed like a loving husband and father and taught his daughter to do what she loved and be herself.
The only part I agree with is that it may be too much for some children. My son is significantly more sensitive than his sister who is two years younger than him. At 6 he watched Brave but did hide his eyes through parts of the bear scenes. BUT it is rated PG.
As for King Fergus being a bumbling idiot, I wonder if you somehow missed the parts of the movie where he encourages Merida to be herself. For myself I see my dad as a King Fergus. He did so much for us as kids, made sure we were ourselves, that we had fun but was protective to the end. The silly singing and story telling is totally something my dad did as we were growing up and still does with my kids.
I suppose my comments about the King are directed more toward the part of the movie where he and all the other Kings are in the main hall fighting and arguing with no regard or respect for each other. Yes, he loved his daughter, but he also encouraged her prideful actions by not taking a stand when he should have. Yes, the mother needed to lighten up and that was part of the story, but aside from the private conversation between husband and wife, he seemed to be just another one of the kids.
Thanks so much for an honest assessment and review! I don’t get why so many “kids” movies these days are in for PG ratings. PG is usually for a reason. I mean, cripes, even Marmaduke was PG. What can a mama take her 3 yo to these days!? Glad to get the real skinny. FYI much of what you say is right in line with Common Sense Media reviews, too ( http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/brave)
Thank you for the link. I am heading over to check it out!
I have to say, that, while I don’t agree with everything you wrote, I really do appreciate your frank review.
It was no secret to me that the movie was rated PG–even the overall color scheme and movie logo clued me into the idea that Brave would have some dark tones. As a parent, I’m all too familiar with “children’s” DVD surprising me with that PG rating , so maybe I’m overly mindful of making sure any movie I expose my kids to is rated G.
With that being said, I agree that the movie is violent and scary, and my 2 and 3 year-old children won’t be watching it anytime soon. Then again, they won’t be watching ANY PG movies for several years, so I think we’re safe in that regard 🙂
I do however, find it offensive that you dismiss any mainly comedic character as an idiot who doesn’t add any value to the movie. It seems that you’re equating humor with stupidity, which is unfair and shortsighted. It’s unfortunate that you think the father in this movie is nothing more than a bumbling goofball. While he does provide a lot of comic relief (almost all the characters do in various ways), he really is so much more than that. He’s supportive, he’s the one who raised his daughter to be tough and independent and he actually proves to be a good example of a husband who isn’t domineering, who lets his wife take the reins and who helps the girl find her own path. There’s a scene in the movie where he encourages the queen to work through her issues with their daughter. Although it’s fraught with silliness in the way he imitates the daughter to get his wife to role-play, the underlying message is that he’s using humor to get his wife to open up, and he’s doing it all to help mend their relationship.
I also think there’s are tons of great examples of supportive sibling relationships between the those triplets and the princess. Yes the triplets are mischievous and up to no good, but their antics are mostly showcased when they’re helping their sister out.
I can live with the dearth of male role models in the movie–I think the female characters provide more than enough inspiration for both girls and boys. I’m ok with my son admiring a strong female lead and appreciating her talents, her convictions and her strengths, especially when she doesn’t have an adversary that’s the opposite or negative of all of her positive qualities.
IMO, Merida is a role model for any child.
Whew! That was a lot to write, and I know I got carried away. I just adore the movie. It’s been several days since I’ve seen it and I’m still thinking about the characters and the nuances in the plot. At the same time, I know that everyone’s different, and I also know that we’re going to have to agree to disagree on our takeaways from Brave.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I just want to clarify, that it isn’t the comedy that I take issue with when discussing the males. It’s the fact that for most of the time (save for the very touching scene between Elinor and Fergus), the males, adult or otherwise, are simply portrayed as out of control, mischievous and/or unfit for Merida’s attention. I just think it could have been done differently and still work with the story.
Thanks, so much, for your honest review.
No problem!
I haven’t seen the movie yet, and I wasn’t planning on it since I have teens. From what I’ve been reading from others is similar to what I read here — it’s too violent for little kids. It sounds like they missed their target this time around. Now I want to see it. 😉
My main concern is for young children. the animation is truly beautiful.
Having successfully raised two well-adjusted and caring men please allow me my 2 cents. First, I loved the film – its pure entertainment and second, it’s just that, entertainment. It opens up a world of discussions about families, gender roles, etc. that you can have with your child. It’s not a documentary. It’s not stating men are one way or another.
Again, just my 2 cents. I didn’t keep my sons from much but you can be sure we watched it with them and we discussed it. It’s a great learning tool.
I agree that there can be a lot of valuable conversation based on this movie. For older children. OR I should say, for the age that you think your kids can handle it. I still think 8 is a reasonable age, but every child is different.