'Brave' -- 3 stars

PG; 1:40 running time

Many aspects of "Brave" remind us, at a glance, why Pixar rules the American animation game. Production designer Steve Pilcher's landscapes are nearly photo-realistic, but with a welcome touch of poetry; likewise, the director of photography for lighting, Danielle Feinberg, pours on the golden sunlight (and when it hits that red hair of Merida's ¿ wow!) but pays close attention to the shadows and the rough-hewn menace of Merida's quest. The vocal work is very good throughout, with Billy Connolly's King Fergus, Emma Thompson's Queen Elinor andJulie Walters' bulbous-eyed witch lending strong support for Macdonald's defiant Merida. -- Michael Phillips

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June 21, 2012