Thirteen—some people consider it an unlucky number, but not the animators and dreamers at Disney.Pixar because the number 13 marks the 13th full-length film from their studio—”Brave.”
If you are a Pixar-lated person you are familiar with its other 12 delightful films like all three “Toy Story” gems, “Up,” “Wall.E,” “Monster’s Inc,” and “Ratatouille,” the tail, oops tale, of the marvelous Parisian chef , an amazing rat named Remy.
Thirteen—some people consider it an unlucky number, but not the animators and dreamers at Disney.Pixar because the number 13 marks the 13th full-length film from their studio—”Brave.”
If you are a Pixar-lated person you are familiar with its other 12 delightful films like all three “Toy Story” gems, “Up,” “Wall.E,” “Monster’s Inc,” and “Ratatouille,” the tail, oops tale, of the marvelous Parisian chef , an amazing rat named Remy.
Pixar’s latest creation, “Brave,” takes the viewer back in time to the ancient magical Highlands of Scotland where we meet Merida, the headstrong, red haired daughter of a Highland Chieftain. Like her father, she is brave and feisty; she is also an accomplished archer as well.
Trouble brews when her mother wants to turn her into a demure lady so she can marry, but Merida wants no part of this plan. To remain true to her nature, which is much like her dad’s, she turns to a witch for a magic spell.
Alas, the witch is a wee bit of a screw up whose curses and spells have a way of backfiring. Instead of changing Merida’s mother’s mind, the spell turns mom into a bear, which is an unbearable thing to do.
But some good comes from this terrible situation as her mother begins to appreciate her daughter’s ingenuity in the wild and her great skills with a bow and arrows. There is plenty of humor in the film along with some great scenes involving bears that may be too frightening for the very young or the scardy cats in the family.
For this reason the film is rated PG. Also some of the humor is a little rowdy at times.
The exciting home entertainment debut of “Brave” will be available in multiple ways, containing exciting all-new bonus features that extend the breathtaking movie experience.
“The Ultimate Collector’s Edition: 5 Disc Combo Pack” is loaded with countless extras, but you can also buy the DVD package as well. The DVD package includes two animated shorts, “La Luna” and “The Legend of Mordu” plus director commentary.
If you get the Blu-ray 5 disc combo pack you will also experience “Brave Old World” as members of the “Brave” production team go to Scotland to learn about the land, culture, people and dialects. Fans will also learn what Emma Thompson (voice of Queen Elinor) thinks of Pixar’s take on her homeland.
Another interesting segment, “Bears,” looks at the art and design behind the bears in “Brave” and “Magic” talks about the magic and mystery of Scotland from mystical potions to the will-o’-the-wisps that appear in the film.
Other features give you a closer look at the evolution of the storylines plus extended scenes as director Mark Andrews discusses the decision making process that led to the shortened versions of these scenes in the actual film, plus much, much more.
*****
Also arriving on Nov. 13, “Pixar Short Films Collection 2” should be of special interest to movie buffs. It includes seven rarely seen student films by directors John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter, plus 12 Disney-Pixar short films. Here are a few samples:
In “Your Friend the Rat” Chef Renny and his brother Emile guide fans through world history from a rat’s perspective. “Partly Cloudy” features baby-delivering storks who receive their special packages high in the stratosphere from clouds who sculpt babies and bring them to life, and then there’s “Presto” who is a great turn-of-the century magician who neglects to feed his rabbit one too many times. Soon the magician discovers that he isn’t the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve.
“Hawaiian Vacation” has a “Toy Story” theme as Woody and Buzz lead a group of toys in giving Ken and Barbie the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams–without ever leaving home.
In “Small Fry,” another “Toy Story” short toon, Buzz Lightyear is left behind at a fast food restaurant where he finds himself in a support group for discarded toys. As Woody and the gang devise a way to rescue their friend, Buzz tries to escape the toy psychotherapy meeting.
There are several shorts featuring dump truck Mater from “Cars.” In “Air Mater” Mater decides he wants to learn how to fly and is accidentally recruited by an elite group of formation flyers, the Falcon Hawks.
Then there’s “Time Travel Mater.” In this one a clock lands on Mater’s engine and he travels back in time to 1910 where he meets Stanley, the founder of Radiator Springs.
“Day & Night” is a charming short that follows Day, a sunny fellow, who encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly dark moods.
As their suspicions turn to curiosity, they are delighted to find that this budding friendship can offer a new perspective on the world.
