Brave Review

Friday saw the entrance of Pixar/Disney's newest Princess Merida as she made another excellent #1 debut in Brave.  I particularly enjoyed this screener and I recommend it for all the little Princesses out there.

I immediately fell in love Merida who is adorable.  They introduce her as a toddler with her trademark wild hair and how could your heart not melt?  She is especially wonderful because I think she represents the great hopeful gorgeous tomboy set that sits well with the millennial generation.  They went old school to find her.  She's willful and defiant but spirited and her ability to go her own way often gets her in trouble yet she also finds herself and her voice (NO SINGING).  It sounds familiar, I know, but they do it well and it's a great new entry in the Disney Princess catalogue.

There are some slightly scary parts with a huge menacing bear but I don't think it's too much for most kids to handle.  Mostly it's hilarious with great Scottish actors lending his trademark Scottish voices to the cast and little brothers that work the laughs like you would expect from triple gingers.

In the end the story is pretty straight forward but the entertainment is top notch.  The moral is taken from the oldest human truths as always, but Merida stands out.  May she teach the tomboys out there that their time is now.  Though they have obligations to family, they must shine in their own way.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Hype

Just saw this poster at the AMC Palladium after watching the screener for Contraband.  Don't you love the excitement of seeing a concept movie on the horizon that's either going to be spectacular or awful?  I love that Tim Burton is heading this one up because he should be very much in his element.  In any case it will certainly be an experience in June.  There are no previews available yet to get an idea of how this will play but the tone of the posters seems spot on.  It should get you warmed up but not overexposed for Spielberg's very serious Lincoln movie set for December 2012 where the giant president is portrayed by none other than Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York.)

More about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
More about Lincoln by Steven Spielburg.

If you liked the first Sherlock Holmes with Guy Richie's quick cuts and hyper reality set against the cold European post-industrial revolution *breath* you'll love this one.  Immediately you will realize he's taken everything and cranked it up a notch.  The plot twists intermix with the action perfectly but you will have to pay attention so you don't get left behind.  Fair warning, an older crowd may find all the density in the story difficult to follow.  Luckily, there are plenty of places to jump back on the train and there is enough exposition as the pace slows toward a climax to tie up your lose ends.
Robert Downy Jr. shines as much as ever and Jude Law plays the straight man with vigor.  Both characters keep their familiarity, though I'm surprised that Richie took the time to develop their characters just as much if not more so than the original.  Jared Harris also carries out the bidding of Holmes' legendary nemesis Moriarty well.  The character's ingenious intellect has always given Holmes trouble and this script continues that tradition with devious grace.  A lovely addition to the plot is Noomi Rapace who you may recognize from the original Girl With A Dragon Tattoo movies.  I don't know that her character was too much more than window dressing but she made the living room shine.  She plays a gypsy, which I would think would be difficult for a Swede.  It turns out she has roots in Spain as her biological father was a Spanish flamenco singer.  In any case, she shines and gives the movie another dimension so that it doesn't feel too familiar. 
It keeps you guessing and when you're not ducking for cover and allows you to soak up another dimension to the mythos of Sherlock Holmes.  I over heard many a pleased audience member talk about how it was one of the best of 2011.  My wife thought it was great fun, entertaining for the whole family.