It’s time for another Disney+ battle. This week we are comparing and contrasting at two popular Pixar films: “Brave” and “Up.” One has what is considered by many to have the saddest opening ten minutes in cinematic history. The other is the only “Disney Princess” film made by Pixar Studios. Let’s take a closer look.

1. PROTAGONIST

The main character of “Brave” is Merida, the daughter of the leader of one Scottish clan. She is expected to marry the son of one of the other leaders, but she wants to change tradition and choose her own path. She enters the tournament to win her own hand, leading to her accidentally turning her mother into a bear. She then works with her bear mother to change the minds of the rest of the Scottish clans. Meanwhile, the main character of “Up” is Carl. He’s a man who loved adventure as a boy but became bitter following the death of his wife. He decides to move his house to Paradise Falls using balloons. He goes on quite the adventure and learns how to be a happy man again despite learning that his hero is really a villain. Both are great, but I think Merida is a stronger protagonist. Point to Brave.

Brave 1 | Up 0

2. ANTAGONIST

The villain of “Brave” is Mor’du. He was a Scottish man who tore the clans apart with his selfishness, and that led to him being turned into a bear. Merida and her mother accidentally free him leading to him attacking the Scottish clans until Merida’s mother defeats him while protecting her daughter. Meanwhile the villain of “Up” is Charles Muntz; he was thought to be an adventurer searching for a particular bird. By the time Carl, and his young friend Russell, finds Muntz, Charles has lost his sanity and is killing innocent people he thinks is trying to steal the bird from him. Muntz is more evil. Point to “Up.”

3. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

“Brave” has some fun supporting characters that make up Merida’s family. Her father, Fergus, is incredibly funny and voiced by Billy Connolly. Her brothers are troublemakers that work with her or against her depending on how much trouble they can cause. In contrast, the supporting characters of “Up” stand out in different ways. Russell is a young boy who just wants to earn a scout badge. Kevin is a bird that wants to be left alone. And Dug is a dog that wants to be liked. They are slightly more memorable. Point to “Up.”

Brave 1 | Up 2

4. MUSIC

Neither of these films has music that stands out too much. Both have excellent scores that drive the plot, but neither is very memorable. The bag pipes are slightly more memorable, though. Also, neither has a song that really stands out to grab the viewer’s attention. Because of the bag pipes, I’m giving the point to “Brave.”

Brave 2 | Up 2

5. MEMORABLE MOMENTS

“Brave” features several memorable moments including Fergus’ initial fight with a bear, the archery contest for Merida’s hand, Merida turning her mother into a bear, Merida’s fight to save her mother, and Merida’s mother turning back into a human. In contrast, the memorable moments in “Up” include that first ten minutes, the balloons, Russell, Kevin, Dug, realizing Muntz is a villain and Carl showing up for Russell’s badge ceremony. “Up” is a little more memorable. Point to “Up.”

Brave 2 | Up 3

“Up” wins this battle. I liked it a little bit better, but don’t sleep on “Brave.” It’s a great film in its own right. I’m going to throw it over to you. Which of these films do you prefer?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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