Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

78% Tomatometer 254 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings

Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous but courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is a skilled archer who wants to carve out her own path in life. Her defiance of an age-old tradition angers the Highland lords and leads to chaos in the kingdom. Merida seeks help from an eccentric witch (Julie Walters), who grants her an ill-fated wish. Now, Merida must discover the true meaning of courage and undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

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Brave

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Critics Consensus

Brave offers young audiences and fairy tale fans a rousing, funny fantasy adventure with a distaff twist and surprising depth.

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Critics Reviews

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Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Rafer Guzman Newsday The main problem is that Merida craves adventure but Brave limits her to mother-daughter psychodrama. Nov 18, 2013 Full Review Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Richard Corliss TIME Magazine By the climax, at which all right-thinking viewers will have dissolved in a puddle of warm appreciation, the new Pixar film has earned two cheers and a big bear hug. Nov 18, 2013 Full Review Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Ben Sachs Chicago Reader The story for this revisionist fairy tale, which promotes contemporary attitudes about parenting and gender equality, is less inspired than usual for Pixar, but the movie upholds the studio's high standard of computer animation. Nov 18, 2013 Full Review Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Many daughters, young and old, can relate to this kind of story about the plans and expectations that their mothers have for them that differ from their own interests. Rated: 4/5 Feb 18, 2024 Full Review Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Merida becomes a rare kind of protagonist, whose lesson tells a rapt audience that defying customs is okay, as long as we take responsibility for our actions and consider the ones we love in the process. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 4, 2022 Full Review Brave | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies A powerful and relevant story wrapped up in gorgeous animation and one of the best soundtracks of the year. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 19, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Russell H Not quite the adventure I was anticipating. There were some funny moments when the mother was a bear. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/25 Full Review Garrett S Absolutely terrible. By far the worst movie I have ever seen. Like with frozen this movie is 100% geared towards little girls and unless you are a girl under the age of 10 years old I bet you will hate it. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/25 Full Review Mateo B Stole the best feature film award Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review SkyRo P "Brave" is a remarkable film from Disney Pixar, standing out as one of their true masterpieces. I find this movie absolutely breathtaking and one of the most captivating animated films I've ever experienced. The enchanting world of Dunbroch and its Celtic princess is so vividly brought to life that it truly makes you wish to be part of it.Merida is an extraordinary princess, breaking the mold of traditional princesses. She embodies strength and independence, showcasing her archery skills and fierce determination, proving that she doesn’t need a man to define her worth.The film also features a delightful mix of comedy and emotion through the dynamic of the king, queen, and Merida's brothers, which enriches the storyline and highlights the powerful bond between mother and daughter. This makes it accessible and enjoyable for all audiences, including boys, without leaning into overly sentimental themes. Notably, she is the first Disney princess who doesn’t sing, adding to her uniqueness.Mordu, the antagonist, is an intriguing character—a bear who was once a man, filled with anger and longing for freedom, rather than a typical villain. The humorous attempts from various clans seeking Merida’s hand in marriage add a comedic touch, while the witch introduces a whimsical element of sorcery that provides lighthearted moments throughout the film.I wholeheartedly recommend "Brave" to viewers of all ages; it's a film that resonates with everyone. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Darío C It has a touching story, but the plot is boring and the characters are not interesting at all. This movie is enjoyable, just can't reach up to other pixar movies. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/24 Full Review Alex H Love the theme humour drama and set in Scotland and has billy connoly in it great film highly recommend it too all age groups Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/02/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Brave

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Cast & Crew

Mark Andrews Director Brenda Chapman Director Kelly Macdonald Merida Billy Connolly Fergus Emma Thompson Elinor Julie Walters The Witch
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Brave

Brave: 'The Prize' Trailer Brave: 'The Prize' Trailer 2:30 Brave: 'Families Legend' Trailer Brave: 'Families Legend' Trailer 2:31 Brave: Trailer 1 Brave: Trailer 1 2:04 Brave: Teaser Trailer 1 Brave: Teaser Trailer 1 1:05 Brave: Teaser Trailer - The Triplets Brave: Teaser Trailer - The Triplets 1:01 View more videos

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Synopsis Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous but courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is a skilled archer who wants to carve out her own path in life. Her defiance of an age-old tradition angers the Highland lords and leads to chaos in the kingdom. Merida seeks help from an eccentric witch (Julie Walters), who grants her an ill-fated wish. Now, Merida must discover the true meaning of courage and undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

Director
Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman

Producer
Katherine Sarafian

Screenwriter
Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi

Distributor
Walt Disney, Pixar Animation Studios

Production Co
Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios

Rating
PG (Some Scary Action|Rude Humor)

Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Animation

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 22, 2012, Wide

Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 1, 2014

Runtime
1h 33m

Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Datasat, Surround
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