Story
Set in medieval Scotland, Brave tells the story of Merida (voice of Kelly MacDonald), daughter of Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson) and King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly). The young Princess Merida likes to be outdoors horse-riding and shooting arrows. She doesn’t want to learn how to be a perfect princess. She is so feisty and rebellious that she tells Queen Elinor that she’d rather die than be like her.
Merida is horrified to learn that when she reaches a certain age, she is expected to choose a husband from one of the other royal families in the kingdom. She rides off into the woods rather than going through with this arrangement. There she finds an old witch. She begs the witch for help to make her mother change her mind. The solution that the witch comes up with is so awful that it takes all of Merida’s bravery to undo the witch’s curse.
Themes
Magic and witchcraft; family conflict
Violence
This movie has some violence. For example:
Sexual references
None of concern
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some nudity. For example, the clansmen appear without their kilts, showing their bare bottoms.
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
None of concern
Ideas to discuss with your children
Brave is an animated adventure set in medieval times. The story of a warrior princess will appeal to older children but is too scary for younger children. It’s made more intense by 3D effects.
The main messages from this movie are that your fate is up to you. You can change your destiny if you’re brave.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include:
- a strong female lead character
- courage and bravery
- the ability to say you’ve made a mistake.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues such as:
- making rash decisions and having to deal with the consequences
- rebelling against your parents and traditions.