Fans looking for the kind of story structure familiarized by 'Up' and 'WALL-E' could be disappointed, as the film takes a relatively bare-bones approach in terms of story. With more in common with 'Carrie' than 'Cars' (yes, there is levitating cutlery), 'Brave' plays more like Disney than Pixar. For all its attention to period detail, lush green landscapes and wistful soundtrack, 'Brave' still presents a very realistic relationship between mother and daughter (by contrast, the male characters are secondary, well-meaning buffoons, and there are no knights in shining armor). But what I loved most about the story was that Queen Elinor isn't a wicked stepmother or an overbearing slave-driver.

Merida is her own person, is set on doing things her way, but is still a teenager with a lot to learn. Pixar isn't hiding the fact that pretty much everything about 'Brave' revolves around a desire to break from tradition. When the time comes to choose a suitor from one of the family's allied clans, Merida resists, causing a huge row with the queen that throws the entire kingdom off balance. Uninterested in the lessons of etiquette and fancy behavior imparted by her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson, of course), Merida prefers racing through the forest on her horse and shooting arrows with the bow her father gave her. Set in 10th-century Scotland, 'Brave' tells the story of Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), headstrong daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly, of course). The result is a film that bears little resemblance to anything Pixar has ever done before, but gives us one of the most progressive Disney princesses to grace the Magic Kingdom. It's the first period piece it has ever attempted, the first to be directed by a woman (a bittersweet victory as Brenda Chapman - also credited with the original story - eventually was replaced by director Mark Andrews) and the first to feature a female protagonist. With 'Brave,' Pixar decided to make a few drastic changes.

Brave animated series desire queen