Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. Robin Eriksson 02.12.13 / 12am

   yeah she knew how to shot a bow, hah.. I think the movie is for kids though. But the film is very well done!
2. Margaret Gonzalez 03.22.13 / 5pm

   Over the years Disney has captivated young girls by depicting the ideal princess. Typically, she is the perfect damsel in distress that cannot conquer the world unless the prince saves her. For the modern girl who is taught to help herself, the idea of needing a prince to do so is a dated tactic. In “Brave,” Disney evolves from its own portrayals of women and successfully creates Merida, who is the tough, yet charming princess that destroys the evil bear and saves herself and her family. To keep the story interesting and meaningful, Merida also must face her own self-centered ways and how they involve her mother. Instead of following the traditional Disney-princess model, it is an interesting coming of age story that mothers and daughters can appreciate and relate to.
3. Erika Gutierrez 03.22.13 / 9pm

   Pixar’s “Brave” is a story about love, family, and the act of being courageous. Merida, the young princess wants to be free and enjoy life as an independent young woman instead of being forced to marry before she is ready. Her mother, the queen wants her to be settled down and take the thrown however Merida has a different plan. To escape her mother’s marriage plans, Merida runs off into the woods and finds a witch that allows her to change her fate but in doing so she alters her life as well as someone else’s. This film was both created for young kids as well as adults, it truly is a masterpiece.
4. Josh Feldman 07.04.13 / 10pm

   Brave has shown that because it is a story about a princess, does not mean it is the typical Disney movie. Brave’s great story about a young woman who is bold and defiant, she eventually comes to blows with her mother and chooses to change her fate to the way she wants. In doing so, she learns that she could tear her family apart. I agree that this movie is good for people of all ages, and not just for little kids. I think that this movie was an overall great movie!
5. Brianna Robinson 07.19.13 / 9pm

   The Disney animation movie Brave was a typical story about a defiant teenaged girl who is disappointed with her mother. She thinks that her mother is over protective, controlling, and non-understanding and wishes that she would practically stay out of her life. However the ‘blinded’ princess Merida notices that she actually needs her mother there for her and needs her guidance and structure as a young woman. The basic theme of the film is Merida struggling to reconnect with her mother and have her change back into a human. The story is a fun, fantastic, family adventure film. I recommend it to people that enjoy Disney films and like corky animations.
6. MariahKlusmire 11.03.13 / 11pm

   I loved this movie, it was the perfect Disney princess movie in that it took the emphasis from getting a husband to growing up into a responsible adult. Merida fights for her own future with her mother, a very real fight that happens with every mother daughter relationship, and she slowly learns to forgive her mother for her faults and see that there is some insight into why her mother is so set on tradition. An interesting fact about this Disney movie is that it’s one of the first movies where the main character has a good relationship with their mother, most Disney movies the princess has no mother and a rather absentee father. in this movie both parents are present and very involved with the raising of Merida. Another interesting fact about this movie is that it was created by also an all female creative team. I feel like this was a smart move because it offered a new perspective on the whole princess story.
7. ivan Rosas 11.21.13 / 4pm

   even thought this is an animation when i saw the name brave i was spectating something more aggressive for example a fight cartoon or something more intense. however, i have to recognize that even if this was a cartoon movie and i am not a kid anymore the film is has a great development all the stories about princess are boring but this princess showed me that they can also become aggressive and brave as the name of the film is called her story and the nature effects of the cameras were amazing because in real movies using real people in order to try to do this special effects and movements the cost are so expensive and here we can appreciated even if it is a cartoon movie.
8. Kathryn Rucker 07.14.14 / 11am

   Brave is one of the most well made animated films ever. Though it was visually stunning, I recall finding the action in the movie a little boring and typical. Princess in conflict with family, add some magic, something bad happens, then the day is saved. Sounds like The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas…. The difference is that somehow Brave didn’t stick with me as much as the others, and that is probably because the story does not give depth to the other characters or supporting characters as much. I never thought I would say this about a Disney movie, but I have little to no desire to watch Brave again. See it once for the amazing animation, but other than that this movie did not exactly have me on the edge of my seat.
9. Jenna McDonough 07.29.15 / 7pm

   Besides all of the spelling and grammar mistakes, including the misspelling of the studio’s name this review is sweet and to the point. It is missing all of the juicy details though. Not only does Merida run away from home but she is doing it in order to protect her feminist right to choose how she lives. This film can teach anyone, including adults, how to be open minded about others’ lives. A good moral it teaches is if they are not hurting you or themselves then don’t let it bother you. Many people in today’s society could learn from this movie. Just because your family has done something a certain way for generations, doesn’t mean it is the best tradition to continue. As human kind evolves, the ideas and traditions should too.
10. Corona Yu 06.11.17 / 11pm

    The story of Brave was interesting. I think it’s more realistic in what being a princess entails. A lot of the earlier fairy tales romanticize being a princess, but Brave shows that it’s a lot of hard work. Being a princess means there’s a lot of pressure to be perfect, holding a big responsibility of your kingdom on your shoulders. You have to learn skills like diplomacy and public speaking. It’s more than just lavish dresses and lifestyle and fairies singing. It reminds me of today’s Kate Middleton, Diane, etc and what they signed up to do for the rest of their lives when they married into the royal families, always having to uphold the family and the country’s honor. I also enjoyed the Celtic-inspired soundtrack, but thought the animation itself wasn’t as strong as the other Disney/Pixar movies. I like the little surprise ending because you’d expect Merida to do something heroic but turns out it’s not her, it’s someone else who you wouldn’t expect that save the day.
11. bella177 04.02.18 / 11am

    This movie was very mediocre and I don’t feel the need to ever watch it again. With that being said, I do really appreciate the message and morals this movie provides the audience. The princess, Merida, represents a strong, independent, and feminist example of a princess in this movie, which is a very positive thing for young girls growing up in a generation eared for empowerment! This movie, which lacks in plot, makes up for it in its beautiful visuals. The animation is very well done!

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