Disney Pixar’s Brave has been one of the most anticipated movies of this year. Being the first Disney Pixar movie since the death of Steve Jobs, it was rightly dedicated to him.

In the tradition of Pixar films, before the movie, there was a six to seven minute long animated short, called La Luna. It was utterly adorable, and quite possibly my favorite short of all time. The animation and storyline is just lovely, and definitely something to look forward to, other than the movie itself.

The heroine of Brave is a spunky and headstrong archer who just happens to also be a princess. She struggles against both tradition and her mother’s wishes for her to marry one of the eldest sons of the neighboring clans. In an effort to change her fate, Merida defies the old custom of shooting for the princess’ hand. In the wake of her actions, uproar ensues, and Merida is left helplessly watching as the other lords of the kingdom, Lord MacGuffin, Lord Macintos, and Lord Dingwall squabble with each other to see who will win the hand of the princess.

Angered by her mother’s stubbornness and looking to find a way to change her fate, Merida seeks the help of an old witch. But what she thought would be a spell to change her mother’s mind about the marriage quickly excels into something Merida would never have dreamed of. In the events that follow, Merida is forced to realize what true bravery means and what she needs to do to achieve it before it’s too late.

The animation in this movie is simply amazing, from Merida’s fantastic hair to the beautiful scenery of Scotland. Merida’s hair alone is exquisite, it seems to move and breathe on its own. The voice acting was also superb, featuring Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor and Kelly Macdonald as Merida.

Overall, this movie was definitely a success, and I highly recommend it to just about anyone, adults and children alike.