Okay, I'm going to be honest with you. I think I was bit harsh on Brave when it released earlier this year. In my defense though, I had extremely high expectations. It was the studios first non-sequel since Up, it was their first fairy tale, their first story set in an ancient time period, and all of that just sent my expectations through the roof. A friend put it best, so far as feelings about Brave after it released; "It's like having a child that gets straight A's all the time, and one day they come home with a B+. It's not a bad grade, but it's just not what you're used to seeing." I thought Brave was a letdown because it wasn't another A, but the fact of the matter is it's a pretty darn good, fun, heart-felt, entertaining movie. Watching it on Blu-Ray, removed from the ridiculously high expectations of its summer release, made me realize what a good film it is. It's not the pinnacle of what Pixar has achieved, but it's still far and above the rest of the competition.

I also think one reason why the film didn't really connect with me is because it's a story about mothers and daughters. My wife was equal parts moved and horrified by the film, but then, she has two daughters and more than anything, she just wants to be a great mom to them. That's what this story is about; a mother wanting the best for her daughter, and a mother and daughter who can't really communicate with each other. I'm a dad. I'm more like Fergus, Merida's father, in the movie. I'm generally looking around with an air of confusion and "what just happened?" It's important for dads to connect with their daughters, and I work hard at that, but there's just something special about that mother/daughter bond that causes more emotion and more angst that just about any relationship; at least, that's my observation. And from that perspective, Brave is a very well done story. There are still a few, minor plot holes here and there, which is unusual for a Pixar movie, and the overall arc of the movie feels a bit formulaic, but it all has that special Pixar touch and for whatever reason, I enjoyed the movie much more the second time around than when it was in theaters.

One thing that hasn't change, and perhaps has improved, is how Brave looks. It's a stunning film. On Blu-ray, it looks absolutely pristine. Producer Katherine Sarafian said the biggest challenge really wasn't the curly locks of Merida's hair, but recreating the wild, naturalistic landscape of Scotland. It's very organic, with green stuff growing everywhere, and very few predictable lines. Well, somehow Pixar perfectly captured the wild grandeur of that land, and even its innate sense of mystery. This is a rich, lush looking movie that looks absolutely spectacular on Blu-ray; even better than it did in the theater (which I think is partly due to the dimming effect of 3D glasses). This is a reference quality disc, one you pop in to show people just how stunning Blu-ray can look (assuming you know anyone who's still not convinced).

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