Movie Review: Brave

Head off to the movies with your kids as soon as you can to see the delightful, fresh animation Brave. It's the first Pixar movie with a heroine at its center.

Brave tells the story of a little Scottish girl, Princess Merida, who defies the fate imposed on her by tradition and uses her archery skills to break an ancient curse. Beautifully voiced by the likes of Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson, spectacular Scottish scenery, action, adventure, romance, humor and a wholesome message about daughter-mother relationships, make this superb viewing for the whole family. If you can, see it in 3D which is stunningly rendered.

 

Positive review

'Brave has a manic, almost daffy energy and sense of humor.' - Rene Rodriguez/Miami Herald

Negative review

'This isn't the NASCAR-fellating cash grab that is the Cars franchise, but it's still Pixar on preachy autopilot.' - Keith Ulich/Time Out New York

Content advice

some scary action and ride humor

• AUS: PG
  
• USA: PG
  

You will probably like this movie if you liked Coraline, Anastasia, Tangled, Mulan

Movie Review: Ratatouille

Thinking about rats and food together does not usually bring pleasant associations (to say the least). But Pixar have created a heartwarming animated movie about just those two things and the outcome is the delightful family film Ratatouille. Remy is a rat whose food taste is different from the rest of his clan - he likes gourmet food and has a natural gift for being able to put food together into new, exciting combinations. He dreams of being a chef. One day, his dream comes true. Escaping from his home in the Paris countryside when a little old lady discovers him raiding her kitchen, Remy ends up in Paris in a famous restaurant which, because of the death of its owner and the self-interested commercialism of the new one, is declining in popularity. Remy teams up with a young boy desperate for a job at the restaurant and, together, they produce stunning dishes that bring renown back to the restaurant. And, of course, there is lots of fun, action, thrills and spills as the unlikely rat-plus-food story unfolds. And there is the inevitable bad guy - a nasty food reviewer - who is out to close the restaurant down. Ratatouille feels too long but is mostly enjoyable fare that, for once, is suitable for the whole family with its subtle themes of the importance of family and pursuing excellence in whatever one does. It’s a simple, straightforward narrative that doesn’t try to be clever for the sake of being clever. The animation is absolutely brilliant. A lot of work has gone into making the look and feel realistic and authentic. For example, the animation team worked alongside an actual French chef (Thomas Keller) to learn the art of cooking. A rat expert brought several of her personal pets to help the animation department learn about rats. The compost pile in the movie was researched by allowing various types of food to rot and photographing it. Overall, a tasty movie the kids and their adults will enjoy. My Rating: ***1/2 (out of 5) Positive Review ’Ratatouille is delicious. In this satisfying, souffle-light tale of a plucky French rodent with a passion for cooking, the master chefs at Pixar have blended all the right ingredients -- abundant verbal and visual wit, genius slapstick timing, a soupcon of Gallic sophistication -- to produce a warm and irresistible concoction that’s sure to appeal to everyone’s inner Julia Child.’ - Justin Chang/Variety Another Positive Review (because I can’t find a negative one!) ’For parents looking to spend time in a theater with their kids or adults who want something lighter and less testosterone-oriented than the usual summer fare, Ratatouille offers a savory main course.’ James Berardinelli/ReelViews Content Advice Mild animated violence AUS: PG USA: G

Movie Review: Meet the Robinsons

Here’s one for the kids. Meet the Robinsons is a sweet little story for young kids with little to offer adults. Lewis was delivered to an orphanage by his mum when he was a baby and has developed into a gifted inventor whose inventions never quite have the outcomes he’d hoped. He has survived a number of interviews with potential adoptive parents but they haven’t. So Lewis is feeling very unwanted - until a stranger named Wilbur turns up and warns him of an evil Bowler Hat Guy. After the Bowler Hat Guy sabotages one of Lewis’s inventions at a Science Fair, Wilbur whisks him away to the future in a time machine to track down the Bowler Hat Guy. In the future, Lewis meets the eccentric Robinson family and things get more and more complicated until a surprising ending for Lewis. Meet the Robinson is a competent animation but there is little depth and doesn’t match up to the expectations we all have since great movies like Shrek, Toy Story and The Incredibles. But it will keep the kids entertained and has a nice message about family and belonging built in. My Rating: *** (out of 5) Positive Review ’Simply put, it’s terrific.’ - Steven Rea/Philadelphia Inquirer Negative Review ’The characters, starting with Lewis himself, are downright obnoxious. Not counting those singing frogs or the time-traveling T. rex (with its big head and little arms), only Lewis’ sad-sack roommate ’’Goob’’ is remotely sympathetic.’ - Peter Debruge/Miami Herald AUS: G USA: G If you like Meet the Robinsons, check out ...

• Toy Story 2
• The Incredibles

Movie Review: Open Season

If you are looking for a movie to take the kiddies to these holidays, you probably can't go wrong with Open Season - a pleasantly enjoyable animation voiced by some well-known actors that is adequately entertaining. Boog (Martin Lawrence) is a BIG grizzly bear who has been domesticated by the nurturing, caring animal trainer, Beth (Debra Messing). But when he gets mixed up with Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), a fast-talking mule-deer who is intent on "liberating" Boog from captivity, things start to go wrong for Boog until he finds himself transported to an isolated mountain forest to fend for himself. The only problem is that it is the start of open season and hunters are coming up the mountains to shoot the animals. Boog and Elliot team up to rally all the other animals to deal with the threat. Open Season is not as spectacular as some of the animation we have experienced in recent years but does a fine job of moving the story along with some interesting, unusual, and loveable personalities! An enjoyable movie for the whole family (but mostly the kids). My Rating: *** (out of 5) Positive Review 'Though silly and predictable, this animated comedy has stunning visuals, a catchy soundtrack and charming characters that are family-friendly crowd-pleasers.' - Angel Cohn/TV Guide Negative Review 'An excellent case for euthanizing the entire talking-animals genre.' - Lou Lumenick/New York Post Content Advice Some rude humor, mild action and brief language AUS: G USA: PG