Brave previews wake the bear

Disney has released two preview clips for Brave, an upcoming animated medieval adventure film.

The previews each depict a part of the plot from the protagonist’s point of view – and voice. The first details the main plotline, while the second covers the subplot involving the protagonist’s triplet brothers.

We definitely see some new footage here, as well as a bit more of the film’s core sensibilities, which I have to admit, I’m not impressed by. Frankly, I’ve been looking forward to this film since the first teasers, which made it look like a beautiful and fun adventure, but lately, a lot of the trailers, clips, and previews seem to show the film as one that focuses a bit too much on slapstick comedy. Plus, the protagonist appears to have gone from a strong young-woman who wishes to find her place in a man’s world to a whiny little girl, who wants to shirk her responsibilities to her family and her people. She’s not assertive, she’s just bratty.

It may still be a great kid’s film, sure, if that’s all they want, but Pixar used to make great movies that stood on their own, apart from their seemingly indented child audiences. After the disappointment of Cars 2, which was clearly only for children, I was hoping it was a one-time slip. Perhaps not.

Here’s the theatrical trailer, for reference:

The official synopsis is thus:

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Brave hits theaters June 22nd, 2012.