Brave (2012)

Most people think so. 81% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics agree, scoring it 74%.

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida's quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom's three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall. Wikipedia ↗

Brave is a 2012 American animated fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. Set in medieval Scotland, the film follows Princess Merida, voiced by Kelly Macdonald, a fiery, independent archer who defies the ancient tradition requiring her to be betrothed to one of three rival clan lords' sons. When Merida's attempt to change her fate through a magical spell goes catastrophically wrong, transforming her mother Queen Elinor into a bear, she must mend the bond between them before the spell becomes permanent.

Brave was significant as Pixar's first film with a female protagonist, an achievement made bittersweet by the fact that original director Brenda Chapman — who drew on her relationship with her own daughter as the film's emotional foundation — was removed from the project during production and replaced by Mark Andrews, though both share directing credit. Kelly Macdonald's vocal performance captured Merida's combination of fierce independence and adolescent recklessness, creating a Disney princess defined not by romance but by her relationship with her mother. The Scottish Highland setting was rendered with extraordinary visual detail, from Merida's famously complex curly red hair — which required Pixar to develop new simulation software — to the misty forests, ancient standing stones, and craggy castle interiors.

Patrick Doyle's Celtic-influenced score enhanced the film's Scottish atmosphere. Brave earned $540 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, though it received more mixed reviews than most Pixar productions.