I’m just not getting that magical Pixar vibe from Brave. Then again, I said the same thing about Ratatouille and now it’s my favorite of the Pixar lot. Part of my pause comes from Brenda Chapman’s directorial credit (a title she shares with Pixar-regular Mark Andrews). Chapman directed Prince of Egypt, and if you ever want a great read I highly suggest checking out Nicole Laporte’s The Men Who Would Be King. It covers Dreamwork’s rise as the studio to watch to later being marginalized and sold off in chunks. Disasters like Prince of Egypt had a lot to do with that, though not all of the blame could be laid at Chapman’s feet for its failure.

Still, I’m having a hard time finding a way into this. It’s certainly not Tangled, but the vibe I get from this trailer is a surprisingly similar one to that recent Disney hit. Hopefully there’s some cool shit in the Highlands of Scotland that the trailers are holding back on. After all, it’s not like I’m not going to see it. Sound off in the comments section if I’m missing something:

Synopsis:

“Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous 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 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 old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.”

Source: itunes via Coming Soon