Merida is a new character and soon likely to be a favorite, especially among young girls. Glad to see another strong, self-reliant, brave female character at the forefront!
As is often the case with PIXAR flicks, there is always a challenge of introducing original (i.e. unknown) characters to an audience. If there is source material, nobody knows is enough to give you a built-in audience. In animation, they often rely on celebrity voices to fill in that familiarity gap and hopefully guarantee a few butts in seats at the multiplex.
I'm quite encouraged to see that for Brave, rather than finding huge blockbuster stars to portray the characters (for a brief moment in time, Reese Witherspoon was slated to play the voice of Merida before the folks at PIXAR found religion and used an actual bonnie Scottish lass.) I'm especially excited to see the performances of the three fathers who bring their songs to win Merida's hand. They are not exactly unknowns, but you might not immediately recognize them.
But as a fan of all three, thought I'd introduce you . . . since you're unlikely to meet them in the parks any time soon.
Lord MacGuffin
portrayed by the intense ginger Chief of Staff at Seattle Grace Mercy West, Kevin McKidd.
He may play an American veteran trauma surgeon, but in reality, McKidd's a Scotsman!
Lord Dingwall
Sort of reminds me of the creature Bill Paxton got zapped into at the end of Weird Science. But in Brave, this Scottish lord is voiced by veteran character actor Robbie Coltrane.
Still don't recognize him?
And finally, rounding out the comic trinity, the one I'm most excited about . . . even with his crazed nod to Braveheart . . .
Lord Macintosh
Performed by another true Scotsman and my personal favorite late-night chat show host, the one and only Craig Ferguson.
Ferguson is a perfect choice for a number of reasons. First, he's Scottish. But as well as being a veteran comic and sit-com actor (don't forget he was on The Drew Carey Show) he's also quickly becoming a favorite performer in animated features. He practically stole the show in How To Train Your Dragon (my favorite flick from that wanna-be PIXAR knock-off studio headed up by the traitor Katzenberg.)
My initial reactions to Brave were "meh." But my anticipation grows stronger now as little plot points are leaking out, topped by this stellar cast . . . let's not forget the incomparable Billy Connolly as Merida's father, King Fergus.
Now I canna'wait to wrap myself in tartan, tuck a bottle of Glenlivet in my kilt, buy my large popcorn and a haggis at the concession counter, and settle in to see this Celtic fantasy unfold!
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