Brave
PG

Brave

Change your fate.

2012 • 93 min • Adventure · Animation · Family · Fantasy

Synopsis

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida's quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom's three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall.

Our family guide

Best from age 7
73
Movie Knight Score
14334 reviews
  • 75 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
  • 70 Audience · 14330 · 40%

Princess Merida, a skilled archer, defies ancient customs in the Scottish Highlands, inadvertently bringing chaos to her kingdom. She seeks help from a witch, whose ill-fated wish transforms her mother into a bear, forcing Merida to find a way to break the spell and mend their bond.

Violence & peril
3/10
Language
1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking
1/10
Romance & sensuality
0/10
Scary moments
4/10

Heads up

  • Some intense scenes with a large bear
  • Mild peril during chases and confrontations
  • Brief moments of tension and emotional distress
  • A few rude gestures and mild insults

What it models well

  • Bravery and courage
  • Family bonds and understanding
  • Breaking harmful traditions
  • Apology and forgiveness

Talk about it after

  • The importance of listening to others and compromising
  • How our actions can have unintended consequences
  • The meaning of true love and sacrifice for family
  • Balancing personal desires with family responsibilities

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Brave. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman • Crew: Irene Mecchi, Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell, Nick Sung

Trailers & clips

THIS Disney Castle actually exists in real life...

Explore the Research Behind Disney and Pixar’s Brave

Fun Facts | Pixar Did You Know

Chase the Sky from Brave | Pixar Side by Side

Wonder Moss

Brave Old World

It's English Sort Of

Dirty Hairy People

Reviewer notes

Recommended

To be honest, I was expecting rather more from this feature. It centres around the tomboyish princess "Merida" who is being groomed by her fastidious mother 'Elinor" into a refined and genteel lady befitting her station. Her father, "Fergus" is a bit rougher round the edges but by and large the family - along with the two younger twin boys - rub along ok. That is, until the king and queen announce to their daughte...

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

A wholehearted animated film from Disney. <em>'Brave'</em> is very good. The Scottish vibes help a lot, but the meaningful message and superb animation are just a few of the film's other big positives. The casting, characters and music are some too. The premise itself isn't anything breathtakingly new, but is most certainly enjoyable to see unfold. The cast are excellent, with my personal standouts being Kel...

Not recommended

The following is a long-form review that I originally wrote in 2012. The film in all was a relatively decent venture. Perhaps Pixar's well deserved success is its pitfall here. Though highly enjoyable, Brave was simply not up to the standard brought forth by the likes of the Toy Story trilogy, Up or Monsters Inc. ?This movie falls more into the category of "Entertaining, acceptable, cute" instead of the higher ...

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

I enjoyed Brave but it wasn't without a few flaws. First of all, I never felt like there was much meat to the story. It was enjoyable sure, and had some good morals and family values but I never felt like I was invested in the main characters. Stuff just seemed to happen. Secondly, and this isn't as much the movies fault as perhaps the marketing that surrounded it, but it was actually a very different movie ...

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