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"Brave" is the latest animated film from Pixar, and therefore becomes the film the parents of the world will be dragged to by their kids. The good news is that the kids will probably love it, and the bad news is that parents will be disappointed if they're hoping for another Pixar groundbreaker. Unlike such brightly original films as " Toy Story ," " Finding Nemo ," "WALL-E" and " Up ," this one finds Pixar poaching on traditional territory of Disney, its corporate partner. We get a spunky princess; her mum, the queen; her dad, the gruff king, an old witch who lives in the woods, and so on.

The princess is Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), seen in an action-packed prologue as a flame-haired Scottish tomboy whose life is changed by an early birthday gift of a bow, which quickly inspires her to become the best archer in the kingdom. Then we flash forward to Merida as a young lady of marriageable age, who is startled by request from Queen Elinor ( Emma Thompson ) to choose among three possible husbands chosen by her clan.

Nothing doing, especially since all three candidates are doofuses. Merida leaps upon her trusty steed and flees into the forest, where her friends the will-o-the-wisps lead her to the cottage of a gnarled old witch ( Julie Walters ). She begs for a magic spell that will change Queen Elinor's mind, but it changes more than that: It turns Elinor into a bear. Witches never know how to stop when they're ahead.

Luckily, the magic spell comes with an escape clause. Merida has exactly two days to reverse the charm. After she and her mother absorb what has happened, they begin to work together and grow closer than ever, even though the queen cannot speak. There is a tricky complication. King Fergus ( Billy Connolly ) had his leg bitten off by a bear (in the prologue), and has been indisposed toward them ever since. Unsurprisingly, when he sees his wife as a bear, he fails to recognize her.

And so on. This is a great-looking movie, much enlivened by the inspiration of giving Merida three small brothers, little redheaded triplets. The Scottish Highlands are thrillingly painted in astonishing detail, and some action shows Merida's archery more than equal in assorted emergencies.

"Brave" has an uplifting message about improving communication between mothers and daughters, although transforming your mom into a bear is a rather extreme first step. Elinor is a good sport, under the circumstances. But Merida is far from being a typical fairy-tale princess. Having flatly rejected the three suitors proposed by her family, she is apparently prepared to go through life quite happily without a husband, and we can imagine her in later years, a weathered and indomitable Amazon queen, sort of a Boudica for the Scots. "Brave" seems at a loss to deal with her as a girl and makes her a sort of honorary boy.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Brave (2012)

Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor

Kelly MacDonald as Merida

Billy Connolly as Fergus

Emma Thompson as Elinor

Robbie Coltrane as Dingwall

Craig Ferguson as Macintosh

Kevin McKidd as MacGuffin

Julie Walters as The Witch

Steve Purcell
Irene Mecchi

Directed by

Mark Andrews
Brenda Chapman

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Brave Reviews

Many daughters, young and old, can relate to this kind of story about the plans and expectations that their mothers have for them that differ from their own interests.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 18, 2024

Merida becomes a rare kind of protagonist, whose lesson tells a rapt audience that defying customs is okay, as long as we take responsibility for our actions and consider the ones we love in the process.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 4, 2022

A powerful and relevant story wrapped up in gorgeous animation and one of the best soundtracks of the year.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 19, 2022

At ten, “Brave” is less flashy and way more modest than the other Pixar and Disney films it sits against. But it is that gentleness and wonderfully specific earnestness that distinguish it for the better.

Full Review | Jun 26, 2022

In the end, Brave really does mark a return to quality for Pixar.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2022

You're not going to see a more beautiful, eye-appealing movie than Brave this year.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Sep 18, 2021

I was pulled in by the film with fair ease, but eventually it seemed unsure where to go, and ultimately I don't think it really ever found a path of its own

Full Review | Jul 2, 2021

Brave, the new film from Pixar, is the most beautiful movie I've seen in years.

Full Review | Mar 10, 2021

Effectively creates its own world and mythology it would be easy to think it is an old tale updated by the story shamans at Pixar, but it's a new story that feels timeless.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jan 31, 2021

A grandly mediocre accomplishment.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 1, 2020

The script is too fundamental and possesses a predictability that is not usually found in Pixar films.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 4, 2020

Brave is a charming diversion lacking the inspiration needed to make it linger in the memory.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 14, 2020

...try as they might to dress up Brave's conventional story with delicious visuals in hopes of balancing its faults, the film remains a substandard Pixar production that lacks the inventive creativity that we've all come to love and expect.

Full Review | Feb 9, 2020

However, what the film lacks in originality, it makes up for in technical and animated excellence.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 9, 2019

Be transported to ancient Scotland and a land of magic and adventure. The most visually stunning animated film of the year, Brave hits the bullseye! Move over Katniss! Merida's in town!

Full Review | Nov 26, 2019

...call me picky, but it seems a shame that a movie devoted to demolishing an outdated stereotype of female subservience enlists legion hall of hoary stereotypes to do so.

Full Review | Jul 31, 2019

There's plenty of rowdy humor to keep audiences entertained. But for a supposedly progressive film, Brave is marked by a notable amount of timidity.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 20, 2019

Merida is an appealing heroine, and the colorful cast of characters is great fun, voiced by a lineup of outstanding talent such as Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Craig Ferguson.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 8, 2019

I enjoy watching it but it could have been a real masterpiece.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Apr 19, 2019

The mother-daughter relationship is the film's strength, with some heartfelt exchanges that feel as authentic as most live action films.

Full Review | Apr 11, 2019

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Pixar's Fast And 'Brave' Female Comedy: 'Delightful'

David Edelstein

In Brave , Merida goes in search of a spell to get back at her mother, who wants to force her to marry a suitor. Disney/Pixar hide caption

Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Genre: Family, Animation, Comedy
Running Time: 93 minutes

Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor

With: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd

First, I hate the title, and not because it's an adjective. Notorious, Ravenous, Rabid: great titles. Brave? Generic. And with the poster of a girl with flame-red curls pulling back a bow, it looks like yet another female-warrior saga, another you-go-girl action picture suggesting the biggest injustice to women over the last millennium has been the suppression of their essential warlike natures.

You'd hardly know this latest Pixar movie is a broad comedy, a farce, and that it centers not just on the redhead who wants to shoot arrows but the mom who constantly undermines her. It's closer to the uproarious Freaky Friday than the recent, glumly revisionist Snow White picture — and all the more delightful for it.

Now, the first part of the film is a bit misleading. After a prologue in which the huge medieval Scottish king Fergus goes nose-to-snout with a giant bear, Brave depicts his daughter, Merida, growing up and longing to head out. She wants to shoot arrows like her dad, to chase the wind and touch the sky — as proclaimed in a Celtic-inflected song on the soundtrack called, uh, "Touch the Sky."

But then the central conflict emerges: Merida, who teases her dad for constantly declaiming the bear-who-took-his leg story to anyone who'll listen, and who walks around with a longbow; and the mom who wants her to act like a stereotypical princess.

The hearty Scottish verbal attacks throughout the film splendidly evoke a world in which all the people are wayward, headlong, acting before thinking. After Merida humiliates three ludicrous suitors from three different clans competing for her hand, she gallops off and sees a magical glowing orb called a will-o'-the-wisp that leads her to the house of an enterprising witch who sells her a spell. I can't tell you what that spell does — it's a major spoiler — but the rest of Brave consists of Merida trying to undo it and prevent a potentially fatal disaster.

Merida's parents, Queen Elinor and King Fergus, try their best to control Merida's wild behavior, with little success. Disney/Pixar hide caption

Merida's parents, Queen Elinor and King Fergus, try their best to control Merida's wild behavior, with little success.

The film has three directors, Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell, and my tam-o'-shanter is off to them for a second half in which farce, suspense, and surprising sentiment are in perfect balance. You can detect the influence of the great Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki in those will-o'-the-wisps and in the central idea of a misunderstood child who wishes a parent would change and then has to use all her wits and strength when the parent changes too much. But Brave is pure Pixar in its mischievousness and irreverence and the brilliantly delineated facial movements of its characters — with Kelly MacDonald an inspired choice for Merida, her voice both melodious and edged with exasperation.

Some Hollywood commentators have pointed to the previews for Brave and the recent, poorly-received Cars 2 to wonder if Pixar is losing its edge and becoming more formulaic. True, Brave is not as groundbreaking as the last two Toy Story pictures, Finding Nemo or Ratatouille . But it's fast, funny, and unpretentious, its message more powerful for its lack of stridency. Merida wants nothing more than to control her own fate, her rage provoked by her mother's refusal to see the world through her eyes. Her cataclysmic attempt to change her mom's mind at least has the effect of giving them both a common cause and spares Merida the kind of estrangement that nowadays would lead to thousands of dollars in therapy.

Peter Debruge

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Walt Disney began his feature career with a princess story. Now Pixar gives princesses a go after making a dozen other toons, and though the studio brings its usual level of perfectionism and heart to the assignment, “ Brave ” seems a wee bit conventional by comparison with, say, how radically “The Incredibles” reinvented the superhero genre — not that Pixar’s eager international following will object. Adding a female director to its creative boys’ club, the studio has fashioned a resonant tribute to mother-daughter relationships that packs a level of poignancy on par with such beloved male-bonding classics as “Finding Nemo.”

Though going all girly has made parent company Disney skittish in the past (most recently retitling its Rapunzel adventure “Tangled” to play to crossover interest), this new Celtic princess comes off as enough of a tomboy to ensure near-universal appeal. As its title suggests, “Brave” offers a tougher, more self-reliant heroine for an era in which princes aren’t so charming, set in a sumptuously detailed Scottish environment where her spirit blazes bright as her fiery red hair.

Voiced with verve by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald , young Merida takes after her father, King Fergus (comedian Billy Connolly), still nursing a grudge against the bear that ate his leg. A defiantly independent lass, Merida prefers archery and horseback riding to the dainty yet dull pursuits taught by her ladylike queen mother, Elinor (Emma Thompson), resulting in many a royal scolding.

The film breezes through most of Merida’s upbringing to find conflict on the eve of her betrothal, when Elinor somehow manages to surprise her daughter with the news that the clan believes in arranged marriage. As far as Merida is concerned, she doesn’t need a man to live happily ever after — a novel concept in the relatively narrow world of cartoon logic, and one that allows the movie to do without a lowly stable boy or other replacement love interest. And so Merida upstages her suitors before running away into the woods alone.

For a girl distrustful of tradition, Merida is quick to put her faith in the ancient forest spirits, following a series of glowing blue will-o’-the-wisps to the door of a witch’s cottage. Had Merida only watched more Disney movies as a girl, she never would have made her next mistake. Naive in the ways of magic, she asks for a spell that will change Elinor’s mind, receiving instead an enchanted cake that transforms her mother into a giant black bear — that most endangered of species in Fergus’ ursine-averse kingdom.

“Brave” may not be a romance, but it is most certainly a love story, using this enchanted device to explore the dynamic between Merida and her mother. Thompson brings deep reserves of empathy to the film’s less obvious but equally strong female role model, matched by a number of touching, nonverbally protective actions after she takes on bear form. The animation is at its best when allowing Elinor’s character to shine through her awkward new shape.

Merida has two days to undo her mistake before the change becomes permanent, but by this point, the film has become just another fairy tale, and only the youngest of children will be surprised by what follows. Familiar though its elements may be, “Brave” feels quite different from earlier Pixar films, demonstrating a refreshing versatility in an oeuvre that was starting to look a bit staid, especially as sequels overtook the slate.

Behind the scenes, Brenda Chapman began the project and retains a directing credit, though Mark Andrews reportedly stepped in around October 2010. However the duties may have been split, the resulting film appears darker and more intricate than anything the studio has attempted before, from the richly textured Highlands cliffs to the individually rendered curls of Merida’s burning-bush hair.

Musically, gone are Randy Newman’s folksy tone and Michael Giacchino’s infectious pep, making room for a different signature from Scottish composer Patrick Doyle . When Merida needs some alone time, the soundtrack offers lovely ballads by Gaelic folk singer Julie Fowlis, but in nearly all other moments, Doyle’s dynamic bagpipe and strings arrangements swarm into action.

That energy reinforces the film’s restless, almost agitated spirit, further mirrored by virtual 3D cameras that swoop and race through the meticulously conceived environments. While elaborate attention was clearly paid in designing this tale’s belligerent gents (with amusing voicework by the likes of Connolly, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson), Merida and Elinor appear to be its two least detailed characters. Yet Merida’s wild red mane more than compensates for any personality absent from her expressions.

The toon “Brave” most resembles is DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon,” offering the flipside of that pic’s sensitive-boy predicament in its adventure-seeking heroine. An interesting study could be made in contrasting the two studios’ approaches, no doubt, and yet celebrating their respective accomplishments drives home how far both have come since the year when “A Bug’s Life” and “Antz” bowed opposite one another.

As an added treat, “Brave” is preceded by Enrico Casarosa’s Oscar-nominated short, “La luna,” adding seven minutes to the running time of Pixar’s shortest feature since “Monsters, Inc.”

Production: A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Disney presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios production. Produced by Katherine Sarafian. Executive producers, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter. Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman. Co-director, Steve Purcell. Screenplay, Andrews, Purcell, Chapman, Irene Mecchi; story, Chapman.
Crew: Camera (Deluxe color, widescreen, 3D), Robert Anderson; editor, Micholas C. Smith; music, Patrick Doyle; music supervisor, Tom MacDougall; production designer, Steve Pilcher; art directors, Matt Nolte (characters), Noah Klocek (sets), Tia Wallace Kratter (shading); story supervisor, Brian Larsen; supervising technical directors, Bill Wise, Steve May; supervising animators, Alan Barillaro, Steven Clay Hunter; sound designer (Dolby 7.1 Surround/Datasat), Gary Rydstrom; supervising sound editor, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle; re-recording mixers, Rydstrom, Tom Johnson; effects supervisor, David MacCarthy; stereoscopic supervisor, Bob Whitehill; associate producer, Mary Alice Drumm; casting, Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon. Reviewed at Disney Studios, Burbank, June 9, 2012. (In Los Angeles Film Festival -- Galas.) MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 100 MIN.
With: Merida - Kelly Macdonald Fergus - Billy Connolly Elinor - Emma Thompson The Witch - Julie Walters Lord Dingwall - Robbie Coltrane Lord MacGuffin - Kevin McKidd Lord Macintosh - Craig Ferguson Maudie - Sally Kinghom, Eilidh Fraser

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Movie Review: Brave (2012)

Greg Eichelberger
Movie Reviews
21 responses
--> June 20, 2012

Back-to-back duds from Pixar? What’s next — the Apocalypse?

The writing was on the wall, however, when the opening short, “ La Luna ,” (about two men and a little boy shoveling little stars on the moon) — so long one of my favorite ingredients of this studio — comes across as overly artsy and not at all entertaining. That is nothing compared to their latest feature, Brave , though. It’s “Braveheart” meets “Jack Frost” (not the Michael Keaton movie, but the 1965 Finno-Soviet production about witches, bears and magic spells) and it is neither artsy nor particularly entertaining but instead clunky and confusing (and boasts one of the more ridiculous conclusions in recent memory).

But, this tale of dark forests, foreboding lochs and mystical pagan symbols weaved around the tale of a teenage princess coming of age in a man’s world is certainly nowhere near as dismal as “ Cars 2 .”

It’s medieval Scotland and the land is ruled by King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly, “ Fido “) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson, “ Men in Black 3 “). They have three precocious red-haired triplet boys and a rebellious teenage daughter, Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald, “ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 “).

Movie review of Brave (2012) by The Critical Movie Critics

Redheads are always trouble.

Merida, having reached the age of marriage (whatever THAT was in medieval Scotland), is forced to watch as a series of goof-balls vie for her hand. She objects to this ritual, but her mother the Queen insists on what amounts to a public humiliation of her daughter. This, predictably, creates a rift between mother and daughter, and Merida is soon running off, following a line of will-o-the-wisps straight to an evil, woodcarving witch.

Up until this point, Brave is beautiful. The lush colors of the Scottish landscape is captivating, the ethereal and beguiling blue-lit will-o-the-wisps are entrancing, the tale of the girl’s dilemma is intriguing and the cute hi-jinx of the three little boys is delightful. But once Merida, still angry over her perceived mistreatment, has a spell cast transforming her mother into a bruin, the film slows to an uncomfortable crawl (until the final showdown) and gets much too dark — especially for children expecting something entirely different.

Learning the true impact of the curse, Merida works feverishly to undo what she’s done. This leads to several pursuits including one that has her making a rousing speech to stop a war between kingdoms. The final battle, however, is quite the spectacle. Not necessarily in a good way though, as it takes place mostly in the black of night with frightening cruelty. The action is also further muddled with the unnecessary use of 3D technology. (Come to think of it, the 3D effects are more of a bane than a boost to the entire movie).

At least the voice talents of Connolly, Macdonald and others are authentic to the region and fit nicely with their respective characters.

So, sprouting from a long line of classic animated films such as “Finding Nemo,” “ Wall-E ,” and “ Up ,” among others, Brave proves once again the creators of these former masterpieces are indeed fallible and vincible.

And that is a very sad reality indeed.

Tagged: archery , bear , curse , princess

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016)

'Movie Review: Brave (2012)' have 21 comments

June 20, 2012 @ 6:42 pm Maria

Your review withstanding, I cannot wait to see this. It looks wonderful.

June 20, 2012 @ 7:25 pm Gary

Agree with much of what you say Greg. The movie was good just not great. It falls short of Pixar brilliance.

June 22, 2012 @ 5:12 pm BigBob

Took the kids to see it earlier in the afternoon and loved it. It probably could have done without the bumbling bear stuff but it was good nonetheless.

June 22, 2012 @ 5:32 pm Go Gabba

They did a good job fleshing out Merida and making her an accessible character. I can’t say the same for the rest (although the triplets were a lot of fun). The mother-daughter relationship was good early on and that story arc shouldn’t have been abandoned. Visuals were great.

I’d give it a B-

June 22, 2012 @ 5:43 pm Renee

I just left this movie, My son and I LOVED it! Just one problem with your take on it. What about the Witch tells you she is EVIL? I felt just the opposite. Merida got EXACTLY what she asked for .. not exactly the way she expected but she got what she wanted. The character of the witch did not seem Evil in the slightest bit, and I was REFRESHED that for once a Disney movie did NOT portray a witch as evil. How you got that idea is beyond me!

June 22, 2012 @ 6:13 pm Heather C

Maybe its time Pixar isn’t held to some ridiculously high standard. Brave is a good movie all around — the animation is stunning, the story has emotion and the characters are well thought out. What more is expected?

June 22, 2012 @ 6:54 pm ian michie

You’re an idiot.

June 22, 2012 @ 7:50 pm Tyler

I’ll bet that had Dreamworks released this, you’d have reviewed it differently.

June 22, 2012 @ 8:49 pm MathBling

Not the finest Pixar flick I’ve seen, not the worst either.

June 22, 2012 @ 9:39 pm Darren

The battle scenes are more violent than anything Pixar has done in the past, but it wasn’t so graphic that children can’t see it. My seven and nine year old went with me and weren’t fazed by anything they saw. Actually, they wanted to see it again….

June 23, 2012 @ 1:13 am Eliza

The family loved it.

June 23, 2012 @ 11:03 am Jared

They should have left the title “The Bear and the Bow” – it describes the movie so much better than “Brave” does.

June 23, 2012 @ 1:49 pm Karen Finnely

I really enjoyed the movie. Even though I thought the pacing was off, the heavy focus on the characters and their relationships won me over.

June 23, 2012 @ 10:22 pm Mikeel

I was a bit pissed off with how extreme the bear fight was. It scared the shit out of my 4 year old daughter.

June 24, 2012 @ 4:48 pm Nancy

I don’t know if we saw the same movie. The mother/daughter conflict was very touching – maybe you didn’t get it because you’re not a woman. Or maybe you just don’t get it..

June 25, 2012 @ 9:48 am LeftBrained

Felt a little clunky; not the best from Pixar. Two in a row – maybe the Disney influence is starting to cause more harm than good …?

June 28, 2012 @ 4:04 pm Pete

It’ll give company to A Bug’s Life and Cars 2 in the crappy portion of the Pixar DVD collection.

July 4, 2012 @ 7:00 pm Sara

Only Pixar can make me cry at an animated movie. Damn them.

September 6, 2012 @ 2:15 pm Frankie

The ending was so heartfelt.

July 6, 2012 @ 1:04 am Beemo

Only dud Greg is your review.

August 9, 2012 @ 2:44 pm amanda kellic

loved it. not sure what you saw but this was no mistep by Pixar.

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Screen Rant

'brave' review, even though brave is solid from beginning to end, the experience might be a little underwhelming for older viewers who expect pixar to continue pushing the boundaries of animated film storytelling..

Easily one of the most trusted names in animated filmmaking, Pixar is back with another original story for children and adults, alike. Following behind a pair of franchise sequels ( Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 ), with Brave the studio is set to tackle its very first full-length princess fairy tale story - a staple of Disney's hand-drawn animated classics. This round, Pixar alum and John Carter co-writer Mark Andrews is stepping into the director's chair, after the film's creator, Brenda Chapman ( The Prince of Egypt ), left the project following a series of creative differences.

After the mixed response to Cars 2 , which received Pixar's harshest critical lashing to date, has the film studio managed to produce an animated experience that successfully balances a new story, enjoyable characters and groundbreaking visuals for movie lovers of all ages - not just the juice box crowd? Following in the footsteps of films like Up and Wall-E , not to mention franchise threequel Toy Story 3 , does Brave once again raise the bar for animated films?

Fortunately, Brave is a return to form for the studio and delivers plenty of fun for moviegoers from all walks of life. However, for anyone who was especially moved by the studio's more "mature" films - namely the aforementioned Up and Wall-E - Brave could come across as somewhat less ambitious (and subsequently a little underwhelming) - as the core storyline relies on a lot of familiar fairy tale tropes. This isn't to say that the film fails to deliver a competent narrative or charming characters - but, for some, the studio may not have provided as many memorable or thought-provoking story beats this round. But even though Brave may not soar quite as high as some of Pixar's most celebrated efforts, the movie still offers plenty to enjoy - not to mention, a solid mix of traditional princess power coupled with the studio's trademark charm and humor.

Brave (originally titled The Bear and the Bow ) follows reckless tomboy Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) whose mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), has been diligently preparing her for a life of royal responsibilities. Unlike more traditional Princesses, Merida takes after her warrior father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), and would much rather be riding through the forest on horseback firing arrows, or climbing mountains, than dressing for a royal function or practicing proper etiquette. Her rebellious attitude comes to a head when the Queen invites three leaders in the kingdom to present their sons as suitors for Merida, and the Princess makes a deal with a local witch who promises to help change the girl's fate. Unfortunately, the witch's spell results in unexpected consequences, forcing Merida to rethink her obligation as Princess - for the sake of her family as well as the betterment of the kingdom.

As mentioned, while the Brave storyline is definitely entertaining, it's not nearly as innovative as some of Pixar's other works - relying heavily on familiar "be yourself" and "put aside selfish behavior" plot threads. Many of the story beats and dramatic setups will be familiar to most adult moviegoers - making it easy to predict events before they are revealed. Much like its Pixar predecessors, fans will no doubt defend the movie by reminding naysayers that, above all else, Brave is a kids movie - and without question, as a kids movie, the film succeeds. However, adults looking for a contemplative and "mature" animated offering may find Brave to be a bit on-the-nose and too predictable to provide anything more than moment to moment entertainment. As a result, there are plenty of enjoyable comedy and action beats that will appeal to viewers of all ages - there just isn't a lot to unpack after the lights go up.

Those who can relate to Mother/daughter relationships will be able to draw a bit more value out of the onscreen character drama - since the conflict between Merida and Queen Elinor is the central motor of the story. This isn't to say that Brave will only appeal to women, but it doesn't take too long to see that nearly all of the male characters are designed to provide little more than comedy relief. Hollywood is overstuffed with male heroes, so it's refreshing to see Merida (and Queen Elinor) take center stage in the film; although, with so many rash and downright knuckleheaded men running around in the kingdom, some male audience members might have a hard time connecting to the film's emotional touchstones (even though King Fergus and the royal triplets are among the most entertaining players in the film).

That said, even with a number of predictable story beats and a lot of one-note male characters, Brave provides plenty of eye candy for animated film fans. The hair effects alone are incredible - not to mention the gorgeous rolling hills of the Scottish countryside. Additionally, the movie offers a solid story that, in spite of a heavy reliance on familiar archetypes, manages to put a unique stamp on the fairytale genre. Merida isn't exceptionally different from prior Disney Princesses (who yearn to be free of their responsibilities and live a "normal" life) but the similarities won't prevent audiences from identifying with the character or her personal journey.

Like most animated films, Brave is screening in 3D and, like most animated films, the movie looks sharp in the premium format - rarely relying on "jump out of the screen" gags. Consequently, either version of the film is recommendable - since the 3D effect is neither distracting nor essential to enjoying the onscreen action.

While it doesn't break a lot of new ground, Brave is a beautiful and competent entry in Disney's robust fairytale film pedigree - one that is sure to dazzle younger viewers. Princess Merida will, without question, have no trouble competing alongside iconic Mouse House heroines like Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Ariel, as one of Disney's best animated leading ladies. Nonetheless, even though Brave is solid from beginning to end, the experience might be a little underwhelming for older viewers who expect Pixar to continue pushing the boundaries of animated film storytelling with another "mature" offering. Ultimately, it's an easy film to recommend, but some ardent cinephiles might want to temper their lofty expectations.

If you’re still on the fence about Brave , check out the trailer below:

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Brave is Rated PG for some scary action and rude humor. Now playing in theaters.

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Animation , Comedy , Drama , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

June 22, 2012
Voices of Kelly Macdonald as Princess Merida; Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor; Billy Connolly as King Fergus; Kevin McKidd as Lord MacGuffin/Young MacGuffin; Robbie Coltrane as Lord Dingwall; Craig Ferguson as Lord Macintosh

Home Release Date

November 13, 2012
Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman

Distributor

Walt Disney

Movie Review

To be a Disney princess is to have mommy issues.

Snow White’s stepmother wanted to kill her. Cinderella’s wanted to lock her up. In Tangled , Rapunzel’s wanted to comb the ever-loving life out of her hair. And Princess Merida—a headstrong young lass with a spirit as fiery as her own unruly hair? Her mother wants her to grow up to be … a bride.

Practically every day, Elinor trains Merida in the finer points of ladyship: how to stand, how to eat, how to talk, how to walk. She teaches her lute-playing and schools her in the kingdom’s history and geography. “A princess strives for, well, perfection,” Elinor tells her. And only perfection is good enough. The lessons are relentless, and with each new rule, familiar scold and look of disappointment Elinor piles on, Merida feels as if her life’s not her own. That she’s imprisoned in a world of her mom’s making.

And now the final lock is in place: Elinor’s marrying Merida off. And not to the kilted boy next door, either, but to the son of one of the kingdom’s three fractious lords. She’s to be the grand prize in an archery contest, and whatever union results won’t be of love, but of duty—duty to the clans and the kingdom.

Merida’s having none of it.

In a breathtaking moment of rebellion, she competes for her own hand and wins it, enraging the lords and infuriating the queen. But Merida’s not done. Back in the castle, she slices through a tapestry depicting her family—severing Elinor from Merida’s side.

“You’re a beast!” Merida shouts at her. “I’d rather die than be like you!”

The argument grows uglier, and Merida flees from the castle with her face as red as her lashes, tears streaming down her cheeks … as she finds herself in the cottage of an old, mysterious witch with a passion for woodcarving. When the witch tries to sell Merida a bit of her handiwork, the princess suggests a different deal: I’ll buy all your woodstuffs if you sell me a spell.

“Change my mom,” Merida says. “That will change my fate.”

Positive Elements

We’ve come to expect a lot from Disney’s brilliant animated adjunct, Pixar—beautiful art, great comedy and, most of all, fantastic storytelling. Pixar’s stories are rooted in relationships, and the studio manages to examine even the most fractious with honesty, sensitivity and grace.

Merida and Elinor’s difficult, complex relationship lies at the very soul of Brave . But while Merida may think her mother’s a beast, and Elinor might consider Merida a brat, there are no villains here: only two strong, caring and (might as well say it) brave women who, in spite of their differences, love each other very much.

Throughout the course of the movie, Elinor does change: Given a new perspective, she’s able to see Merida not as merely a flawed project but as a growing, confident young woman—more capable and mature than she had imagined. Moreover, she moves the kingdom away from the formulaic betrothal process it’s historically embraced. Instead of claiming the princess like a blue ribbon at a fair, a potential suitor must now (as a lord tells us) win her heart before he wins her hand.

But it’s Merida who changes more here. She discovers that her mother, far from being a beast, has loved and cared for her as much as anyone. She realizes that all those lessons were important—that she has responsibilities and duties that she can’t shirk or run away from. In Brave , Merida grows up before our eyes—not physically, but emotionally.

Elinor and Merida wind up risking their lives for each other, and their contentious-but-beautiful bond mimics, in its own surreal way, many a mother-daughter relationship. We see here a mom’s need to prepare her kids for the real world, a daughter’s desire for freedom and the ability to make her own decisions. Those teen years can be difficult in many households. Brave doesn’t tell us otherwise. But it asks us to remember that when you strip away all the differences and all the hurt, the bond between mother and daughter is a thing of transcendent beauty.

Spiritual Elements

As mentioned, Brave is inflected with magic. It’s not the flyweight wand-waving of Cinderella or the more naturalistic conjurations of Harry Potter . Rather, it’s something more in step with the story’s ancient Scottish setting: Here, magic is mysterious. Enigmatic. Dark.

The witch works her magic through a giant cauldron and is assisted by a not-so-cute crow. Several times, Merida follows a trail of will-o’-the-wisps—strange, floating lights that her mother tells her will “lead you to your fate.” The first time she follows them, they lead to Mordu, a huge “demon bear” that bites off her father’s leg. The next time she sees them, she’s lying in a Stonehenge-like circle—a magic ring her horse refuses to enter—and the wisps’ trail leads to the witch’s door. A third time they take her to Mordu’s lair, where she discovers the bear’s dark, magical past and nearly gets herself killed.

The film seems to reflect, perhaps, a pre-Christian Scotland, when druidic influence was still strong. And while the movie’s narrative makes it clear that Merida’s dealings with the witch are ill-advised, they also help, indirectly, get her out of her betrothal.

We also hear a great deal of talk about “fate” and “destiny,” usually pushed into the realm of social expectations more than anything spiritual. A woodcarving mimics Michelangelo’s painting of God and Adam from the Sistine Chapel, only the figures are bears.

Sexual Content

Suddenly finding herself naked in a field—under a tapestry—Elinor causes a bit of a stir among the nobles. She and her husband, King Fergus, smooch, which makes Merida pretty uncomfortable.

Though dead-set against being betrothed, Merida does seem to perk up when she thinks a massive, muscled Scotsman might be one of her suitors. He’s not. Later we see him wooing one of the castle’s servants.

A servant woman sports a robust amount of cleavage. And one of Merida’s precocious brothers dives his hand into said cleavage to retrieve a key. It’s suggested that Fergus pinches Elinor’s rear. A suitor flexes his pecs; a handful of maidens swoon at his exploits.

Violent Content

There’s a reason why Romans built a wall between England and Scotland. We see the king, his lords and their contingencies squabble over pride and other minor matters—hitting, kicking, biting, nipple-pinching and eye-gouging in a raucous slapstick scene. Elinor eventually grabs Fergus and the lords by their ears and drags them out of the melee to make the fighting stop.

We don’t see Fergus lose his leg, but we do see some of the confrontations with bears—battles that involve swords and arrows and claws and teeth. Two bears get into a fight in which one is killed (crushed by a rock). Merida’s injured by the swipe of a bear claw.

A servant runs into a pole. Merida falls from her horse.

Crude or Profane Language

Namecalling includes “hag” and “troll.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Fergus drinks from a flagon. Merida suggests that her dad and the lords celebrate something by going down to the cellar and cracking open Fergus’ private stores.

Other Negative Elements

The triplets engage in a number of stunts and pranks, exasperating the adults but rarely earning an admonishment. They also run around naked. (They’re shown from behind.) Fergus, along with several lords and soldiers, are seen (also from behind) without pants. A lord moons his compatriots.

Elinor gets queasy after eating a tart-like confection, burping and gagging. A stock Disney “follow your heart” refrain gives a touch of heartburn. And a dish of haggis induces gags.

Brave is a quite good tale deftly told, filled with moments of insight, beauty and humor. And of course the animation is amazing. But in terms of content, it cowers ever so slightly. Bear rears and bare rears wriggle across the screen. Lords moon one another. Magic coats the Scottish highlands like so much dark frosting.

Brave also can be scary. This place is populated by fearsome beasts, hidden dangers and unexpected threats. And the subject matter can play on a child’s deepest fears. For sensitive, younger kids, Brave may well spark a nightmare or two.

Which brings me back to something I wrote earlier: We’ve come to expect a lot from Pixar. Ever since the release of Toy Story in 1995, the studio has dazzled us with some of the finest, most family-friendly movies ever. In this humble reviewer’s opinion, not even Disney in its golden age (1939-47) or renaissance (1989-2000) can match Pixar’s present run.

All of which sets up Brave as a bit of a disappointment … except in the area of its familial lessons learned by both mother and daughter. They’re not just magical: They’re practical. They’re discerning. And they’re inspiring.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Brave – review

T his animated family movie – set in the olden dayes of Scotland – gives us a worrying glimpse of the Disney/Pixar "ideas" fuel gauge, whose needle is twitching further and further leftward towards the "E". Brave is written and directed by Mark Andrews, one-time story supervisor on Ratatouille and The Incredibles , and Brenda Chapman, director of The Prince of Egypt . It looks as if their script has been reworked pretty often, though perhaps not quite often enough. It is eerily bland, with none of the zingingly funny lines and smart self-awareness we've come to expect from Pixar; yet it doesn't obviously appear to be pitched at very young kids, either, and doesn't quite have the necessary unforced simplicity. It feels like a standard issue super-sophisticated Pixar movie with the super-sophistication removed. Even the short film that precedes the feature – traditionally a tiny delicious treat in any Pixar programme – is treacly and dull. Brave has a certain inoffensive charm, sometimes, but it is often bafflingly uninteresting as a story.

The fantasy Highland setting is effectively extrapolated from the Scottish accent Mike Myers put on back in 2001 playing the curmudgeonly Shrek in the DreamWorks animation, occupying very much the same sort of landscape. It also resembles the robust Viking world of lovably grumpy clan chiefs and wimpy kids in another DreamWorks animation, How to Train Your Dragon . Kelly Macdonald voices Merida, the feisty, flame-haired Princess whose tomboyish interest in archery is indulged by her doting father, the King (Billy Connolly), but frowned upon by her strict mother, the Queen (Emma Thompson). Soon, the official Games are to commence, in which various dorky princelings are to compete, but Merida is infuriated to discover that the winner gets her hand in marriage, whether she likes it or not.

So Merida makes a defiant escape, and embarks on a fantasy adventure … with her mum. The wellbeing of her mum, who hasn't been an especially interesting character, and whose relationship with Merida has been significant only in representing what she is trying to escape, turns out to be pretty much all-important. There are magical transformations, and Merida encounters a perfunctory witch, voiced by Julie Walters , whose character is removed from the story in a lamely disconcerting way.

Now, in some respects, it is interesting and unusual not to have a conventional love interest, but what we are offered instead is something oddly regressive, binding Merida into the family unit just when she was making that bid for independent adulthood, and we don't learn anything very interesting about Merida or her mum. There was a time when Pixar movies worked gloriously for adults, teens, tweens, small kids, everyone; this one is unsatisfying for all ages.

Animation in film
Family films
Emma Thompson
Billy Connolly
Julie Walters
Kelly Macdonald

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Brave Review

13 Aug 2012

100 minutes

Once upon a time, there was an animation studio that could do no wrong. Well, that’s not entirely true. A Bug’s Life is only pretty good, Monsters, Inc. not half as funny as it thinks it is, and we’ll come to Cars in a moment. Anyway, this animation studio was rightly held in high esteem not just for the exquisite look of its films, but for the wit, wisdom and emotional colour with which it invested its varied fables. But of late, a shadow has fallen across its pineapple-yellow happy rooms, their communal breakfast carts and bottle-green think tanks. Care of the empty dazzle of Cars 2, sequel to the empty dazzle of Cars; the opening, indeed, of Cars Land in Disneyland (weren’t such tawdry brand extensions beneath their lofty ideals?); and the flop-by-association of John Carter, which their famed Brain Trust could do little to salvage, they appear short on inspiration. For the first time in its rich tapestry, the latest Pixar film is approached with something like trepidation — there have even been rumours of behind-the-scenes conflict, key creatives handing in their Hawaiian shirts. And its first original story since Up appears to be set in the corny realms of fairy tale usually dished up by Mother Disney.

And yet, at the end of the astonishingly good first act of Brave, you want to cheer. Feisty heroine Merida (voiced with thistle-prickled sass by Kelly Macdonald) has won her own hand in marriage by beating a trio of unappealing local suitors in an archery competition, splitting an arrow in a shiver of tensile slow motion. Ready proof of Pixar’s still inexhaustible visual brio, marrying a virtuoso play on movie dynamics with emotional illustration. Merida is a girl on a mission, like Gregory’s Girl retrofitted to Skyrim. It’s the launch pad for a great film, but we get only a very good one.

By the way, gratifyingly we are leagues from singing mice and wedding-cake castles. Drawn from a swatch of ursine-scented Highland folklore, the tale unfolds in a soothingly majestic Celtic Scotland, sprawling into the hazy distance in 3D (to this jaded reviewer’s eyes, one of the best examples of the format thus far). Check out the way things aren’t in focus.

What is sharp as day is the canniness of the lead characters. Crowned with a waterfall of magnificent coppery curls glinting like Irn-Bru, plucky, exasperated Merida is a modern girl in an ancient world (i. e. she won’t marry some local snotling). This is not to her mother’s liking. Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) is the brains of the kingdom with iron-black locks — save for a streak of Sontag-silver — and one eye on the fragile alliance of local clans: the Dingwalls, the Macintoshes and (wonderfully) the MacGuffins. Vetoing both the romantic carry-on of dreamy Prince Charmings and the current vogue for gender-reversed girl-warriors (although Merida’s archery-tekkers would send Katniss for an early bath), the story is tightly and movingly focussed on this tangle of mother-daughter relations. More like Miyazaki, in fact. Cue: a convenient Macbeth-sprung witch offering a risky spell. Cue: risky spell (without giving the game away, the mother ends up metaphorically embodying the daughter’s opinion of her). Cue: the rest of the film. You can see where it’s going, and that is exactly where it goes.

By the way, led by Billy Connolly’s one-legged, rabble-rousing King Fergus, the men are uniformly eejits: a hilarious, woad-slapped, kilt-wrapped, punch-drunk tartan army bearing more than a passing resemblance to the tribal nitwits of Astérix books. That is apart from Merida’s pipsqueak brothers: a triplet of curly-haired, scene (and bun)-stealing micro-dervishes sure to be championed by junior viewers.

Amongst the hurly-burly of the second and third acts (the film is distinctly three-tiered) there is some ravishing animation (perfect facsimiles of rolling animal gait, rousing midnight getaways, all those ambient details we shouldn’t take for granted: the rippled surface of a lonely loch, the flicker of torch light, the scrupulous textures of stone, wood and tartan). But the film lacks discovery, the way plot unfurls in unforeseen directions in top-table Pixar. That extra layer of interpretation. How Ratatouille was really about the pursuit of art. How the Toy Storys are really about the vexations of middle management. How The Incredibles is a better version of Watchmen than Watchmen.

Brave is an enthralling entertainment, sure to make you laugh. But it’s also a journey of self-discovery readily apparent to anyone weaned on Disney. Even then, the moral is a bit of a fudge — follow your heart and listen to your parents. Group hug. Happily ever after.

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‘Brave’ Movie Review (2012)

By Brad Brevet

Scotland… the rolling hills, sun-dappled glens and picturesque lochs all come to mind, but for Pixar’s Brave we head into the rugged highlands, terrain just as inviting with towering castles and mountains that penetrate the sky, making for a landscape so beautiful you’d think only dreams could conjure such majesty. Such a place seems perfect for the visionary wizards at Pixar. The history of the area is equally ripe with inspiration and with Brave directors Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews attempt to shape a small piece of Scottish history of their own. Unfortunately, they fail miserably.

To say Brave is the worst film to come out of Pixar to date is a bit misleading. Considering most would probably take Pixar’s worst over so many other studios’ best is a reality and yes, I know the Cars franchise has its detractors. Lightning McQueen and friends didn’t make for perfect films, but I’d argue for Cars and its sequel every day of the week before supporting this tedious excuse for a story ever again.

If it wasn’t for the stunning animation and one specific riverside scene where they almost capture authentic emotion, you’d be hard-pressed to convince me Brave actually was a Pixar film. There is no life; no heart to it. The story is an afterthought and, to be quite honest, I’m surprised it was ever green lit.

After starting out under the title The Bear and the Bow with Reese Witherspoon set to voice the lead character, the film was scheduled for Christmas 2011. Then, talk quieted until it was suddenly revealed Chapman was off the project midway through production, replaced by Andrews and the film would now be titled Brave . The story idea came from Chapman and I have no clue when the three additional credited screenwriters — Andrews, Steve Purcell and Irene Mecchi — came aboard the production, but it plays on the screen like a story mangled into incoherence. In fact, to say it’s much of a story at all is a stretch.

Brave begins with us getting to know princess Merida, appropriately voiced by the talented Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (“Boardwalk Empire”). Merida is a spirited and adventurous young girl, obsessed with shooting her bow and roaming free over the land. Her mother (Emma Thompson), however, expects her to fulfill her duties as a princess and is preparing her for the day in which she will pick a suitor from one of the three neighboring clans. As you’d expect, that day has arrived, but Merida isn’t interested.

It’s at this point you can see entirely what they were going for; a strong willed heroine that won’t conform to tradition against her will. She’s not against marriage entirely (though she sort of is), but she’s certainly not in favor of being forced into doing so, and who can blame her? On top of that, once you see the three jokers vying for her hand you too would want to run away, which is exactly what Merida does, deep into the forest where we’ve already seen hints of magic before and will soon see more.

After making her escape on her trusty steed, Merida comes to rest in the middle of some strange Stonehenge-esque structure when she notices a trail of tiny blue flames known as Wisps. She remembers these from her childhood and the story of how they can change a person’s fate, something she most certainly wants to do in her efforts to rebel against her mother.

Deeper into the forest she goes until she happens on a small house built into a hillside. Inside resides a witch (voiced by Julie Walters) whom Merida convinces to concoct a spell to help change her fate, a decision that will not only affect her, but her whole family.

I only wish I could go into what happens next and it’s killing me not to, but I see no reason in spoiling a moment you won’t believe is all they came up with after what was actually a decent enough setup. By the film’s end I was left staring at the screen, searching for any rhyme or reason Chapman and Andrews would lead Pixar’s team of talented storytellers down a road that led nowhere.

One thing can be said, they definitely didn’t go for cliche, but in their attempt to create Pixar’s first female heroine they ended up creating a brat of a child whose accomplishments appear to be more self-serving than deserved, even if we know better. Her mother may have been strict and a bad communicator, but if they wanted the audience to care one lick for the character that goes pouting off into the woods when she doesn’t get her way, it’s best to make sure she’s given a chance to redeem herself or at least learn from the situation. I’m not convinced she was able to accomplish either of those goals.

On a more positive note, the animation is spectacular. Stories leading up to the film’s release have been sure to point out the technology that went into creating Merida’s fiery nest of red hair and the 1,500 individually sculpted curves necessary to tame it. This is actually a fact you better hold onto if you’re looking to appreciate anything this film has to offer, because there isn’t much more as even the color is drained out of the story as the film moves on.

Dark forests are the order of the day, the blue Wisps dancing in the darkness and Merida’s red hair burning hot, but for a film set in such a lush environment it was a shame to see not only the story devoid of appeal, but the landscape as well.

In terms of overall entertainment, I got a few chuckles out of Merida’s tart-thieving younger brothers — Hamish, Harris and Hubert — but these wordless little triplets were nothing more than tame comedy relief in-between moments of monotony as I never cared where the story would ultimately end, I only wished it would do so and do so quickly.

It’s a shame this film is such a miss. It’s a wasted opportunity and probably the first Pixar film I have ever seen that I absolutely have zero desire to ever visit again. Brave is a different kind of “bad” film. You can see the talent at work, but it lacks direction and purpose. I get the feeling someone felt there was something important they wanted to say, but were either too scared to say it or just couldn’t find the words. Either way, it doesn’t work, and the story should have been trashed and rewritten following the end of Act One.

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Based on 156 parent reviews

Scarier Than Usual For An Animated Movie

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Absurdly violent for a kids movie, with a weak story around it., another great pixar film, underrated movie and people need to stop whining over silly things, great adventure, lady in red, positive tale with some scariness, strong girl power, amazing but a little frightening for little kids.

‘Super/Man’: Christopher Reeve’s Courage and Strength Is Immortalized in First Trailer for Warner Bros. Doc

CinemaCon 2024: The inspirational tearjerker will be released in September

DC Studios Co-Chief Peter Safran hit the CinemaCon stage on Tuesday to introduce the “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” documentary, to give it “the launch it deserves.”

“Hands down, he was Superman from day one,” director Richard Donner said in the doc. “He convinced me a man can fly.” Footage from the first trailer included archival footage and interviews with Reeve’s children and friends like Glenn Close.

“Everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve’s family and the filmmakers behind ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ and bring his personal journey to audiences the world over,” a WBD spokesperson said in a statement. “WBD’s DC Studios, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max are grateful for the opportunity to honor one of our company’s most cherished creative partners and to celebrate Christopher’s rich life and career.”

Warner Bros. Discovery acquired worldwide rights to the buzzy documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” which received critical acclaim following its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance film festival. The documentary was acquired for $15 million, as TheWrap previously reported .

WBD’s DC Studios, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max jointly sought out the project and will collaborate on the film’s global release across its theatrical and home viewing release windows.

The film will hit theaters in September.

Captain America: Brave New World

Plot kept under wraps. Fourth movie in the Captain America franchise. Plot kept under wraps. Fourth movie in the Captain America franchise. Plot kept under wraps. Fourth movie in the Captain America franchise.

Julius Onah
Dalan Musson
Matthew Orton
Malcolm Spellman
Harrison Ford
Rosa Salazar

All About Captain America: Brave New World

Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross

Samuel Sterns …

Sam Wilson …

Isaiah Bradley

Joaquin Torres …

Presidential Aide
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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When will Captain America: Brave New World be released? Powered by Alexa
February 14, 2025 (United States)
United States
Captain America 4
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Marvel Studios
The Walt Disney Company
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

IMAX 6-Track
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos