Three Reasons To See Disney•Pixar's 'Brave'

When I attended the D23 conference last August, the trailer for Disney•Pixar's Brave struck me as a strong departure from their typical animated fare. We don't have a male lead or a helpless princess or a film with a built-in merchandising empire.  Instead, we have a strong, stubborn, independent, and fierce gal by the name of Merida.  She wants to live life on her own terms, but she is going to learn the hard way how to get there.  It is a gorgeous film, but I am not sure it is for everyone.  Here are my three reasons to see Brave:

1.  Animation:  Duh.  Of course, you are there to see an animated film, but I am here to tell you that Pixar has taken their work to another level with this film.  The flowing red curls on Merida merit their own mention.  It's as if they animated every strand of hair.  It's detailed, lush,and rich in color. (If you are a fan of 3D, then this is a movie to splurge on. ) The scenery is also spectacular, you might as well be in the Scottish Highlands on vacation.  As for the bears that play into the story (I'm trying not to spoil the story here.), it's as if you could reach out and touch their shiny fur.....even though you probably don't really want to pet a bear in real life.  

2.  Soundtrack:  If you are lucky enough to live near one of these locations around the world, go see Brave in Dolby's new Atmos surround sound technology.  You will hear a beautiful Scottish music and Gaelic chants created by Patrick Doyle for the Brave soundtrack in 64 speaker feeds and 128 simultaneous inputs.....in other words, it sounds amazing. If you are a total tech geek, head here to see a demo of the Dolby technology.  It's unbelievable. 

3. Story:  This isn't a Disney princess waiting for her man to rescue her and this isn't a little fish, car, or grumpy old man who is lost and looking for his literal and figurative way home.  This is about a girl who kicks some serious butt.  She's a great role model for young girls and of course, there is a lovely lesson to learn along the way:  there are consequences to your actions.  The film is darker than the typical Disney•Pixar fare and I did wonder if the preschool set would sit through it.  The kids sitting near me were quietly munching on their popcorn and enthralled with the film.  However, the two-year old behind me was terrorized by the darker moments on the big screen  It's not for everyone and I think parents might want to leave those under the age of three at home.  (You've been warned.  You know your own kids, but I suspect those that are easily frightened will have nightmares after watching certain scenes.) 

Brave opens on Friday, June 22nd nationwide.

Once you see the film, give me your thoughts on Disney•Pixar's summer animated feature in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook. If you want to see my photos of the gorgeous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood where Brave will be playing, follow me on Instagram:  @KristynBurtt

Radio Burtt on Driving with Gass: May 7th

Every Monday night, I appear on Driving with Gass with Kevin Gassman and Cindy Love at 7:35PM PT/10:35PM ET on 106.7FM (Arizona) or online at KWSS.  My segment, Red Carpet Confessions, talks about the latest in entertainment news for the week.  Here is what we talked about on Monday, May 7th:


1.  Fifty Shades of Grey:  This is the hottest (XXX) book of the summer and it will be a hot trilogy from Universal and Focus Features soon enough. I'll be discussing the book on my June 2nd appearance on Cocktails and Conversation, so let's read the book together.  Watch the SNL spoof of what to get your mom for Mother's Day:



2.  The Avengers:  It is only the biggest movie ever after this weekend.  Kevin and Cindy were supposed to see it this weekend, but I was the only one who followed through on the homework assignment.  I will be interviewing Chris Hemsworth on Saturday, so I will have more Thor dish next week.  In the meantime, take a look back at the Disney D23 conference where they gave Disney enthusiasts like me a sneak peek at The Avengers and then head over to The Hollywood Reporter and read this fascinating article with Jeremy Renner.  He's kind of a reluctant A-List star, but his work onscreen is impeccable.

Chris Hemsworth

3.  Dark Shadows:  This is everyone's homework assignment for next week's show.  I am going to see it.  Let's see if Kevin and Cindy follow through.  I am a big Tim Burton fan, so enjoy my adventures at the Burton exhibit at LACMA last summer.  

Don't forget to mark Monday, May 14th on your calendar for the next Radio Burtt night.