We have less than two weeks to go until Pixar's Brave arrives in theaters. Though I needed little reminder of that fact, my excitement over the film was enhanced just yesterday when I happened upon the Brave display in the Disney Store at my local mall. Having just returned a shirt at another store, I was on a mission to burn through the money I'd recently re-acquired on presents for my nephews, which is what brought me to the Disney Store. It's worth noting that the Disney Store employee I encountered was especially enthusiastic about the upcoming film and the prospect of an empowered female heroine. I couldn't agree more. But my attention was drawn to some of the toys, which I'm convinced confirm a theory about what's set to transpire in this film.
Before we get to that, since it's a little bit potentially-spoilery, let's start with the latest Brave promotional video.
Set in Scotland, Brave follows a young woman named Merida, the daughter of a king and queen, who's unwilling to conform to tradition and looks to change her fate, which sends her on a dangerous adventure. Following the previous promo, which was set up like an ad "Witch's Magical Mystery Brew," a likely reference to Merida's fate-changing efforts hinted in the trailer, this one (via iTunes) is a nod to the Olympics. It showcases Summer Games, many of which aren't so much games as the are obstacles and challenges Merida and her family face in the movie, and things Scottish people (in Brave-land, anyway) might do for sport. But it's still fun!
Going back to the toys, this is where things get potentially spoilery. Because, from I've seen so far, Disney hasn't given up the specifics on exactly what happens to her family. I've seen descriptions for the movie that mention that Merida's efforts to change her fate result in her family being cursed. But the actual curse seems to unconfirmed at this point, and it may be something people prefer to see unfold on screen. If that's you, stop reading here and wait for June 22.
Among the Merida dolls and curly-haired wigs available for purchase at the Disney Store is this set of toys:
Seeing the set of triplet brothers packaged with the set of triplet bears piqued my interest, mainly because I've been theorizing that this curse involves Meredith's family being turned into bears. We see bears throughout the trailer for the movie, and they don't necessarily look like they're a danger to her. An even bigger clue that this theory may be correct is this toy:
This stuffed boy reverses into a stuffed cub, Popple-style.
And in this set of figurines, the female-looking bear is wearing the same tiara the mother is…
The stuffed version of the same bear is described as having "a royal penchant for bear hugs."
Disney is selling plenty of other bear-focused merchandise along with their Brave toys, which I think suggests that the bears are good-guys. Whether or not that's entirely the case and these clues indicate that the bears are indeed Merida's family remains to be seen. We may have to wait until the movie arrives in theaters for confirmation of that.
Brave releases into theaters June 22. More information, photos and videos can be found in our Blend Film Database.
