She’s a rebellious tomboy, but her concerns are still limited to those of a princess, the biggest of which remains, as ever, marriage. But depressingly, she’s a princess, the most traditional role for female characters in children’s fictions.

Merida is strong, capable and courageous. Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt) was the director of Brave, until she was replaced in the last 18 months of production by Mark Andrews, and the halfway-there aspect of that triumph serves as an apt metaphor for Pixar’s halfway embrace of female empowerment within the text of Brave. But Pixar has never made a girl the lead until now, just as it’s never had a woman direct one of its films until now. E and ant princess Atta in A Bug’s Life.The animation giant has featured female characters in its movies, including adorable Boo in Monsters, Inc., daffy Dory in Finding Nemo, feisty chef Colette in Ratatouille, the clever robot Eve in WALL She’d rather ride her horse, drink from waterfalls and wield her bow and arrow, like a medieval Katniss. It’s about a flame-haired princess named Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who doesn’t want to get married.

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