Unfortunately while Merida is strong-willed and determined, her attitude towards her mother, Elinor, makes her appear petulant, especially as her mother genuinely wants what’s best for her and never really gets the opportunity to explain her reasons to her daughter before getting shut down each time. Merida’s motivations to avoid being married off to a stranger for political reasons are perfectly understandable and one that audiences can get behind. ‘Brave’ is also the first time Pixar gave us a female led tale with Merida: the clan princess who fights against her apparent destiny as a wife and mother, preferring instead a life of adventure, full of weapons and more masculine pursuits. Setting the story in Medieval Scotland was an unusual choice when their other movies have had little focus on the where the characters live (even in Ratatouille, Paris was merely a backdrop and not a central plot point) so having a story steeped in history and folklore was an unexpected move. The incredible animation style that they are famous for was completely rewritten to accomplish even more realistic, beautiful and complex visuals than ever before. Pixar is no stranger to accolades and awards so winning the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Animated Feature Film for ‘Brave’ was unsurprising.

Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson

Brave characters family