To an extent, this movie did portray a feisty girl refusing to conform to gender norms, especially in the ancient patriarchal age in which she lives. Our "heroine" Merida refuses to simply be "given" in marriage to someone she's never even met before, and watching her trounce the would-be suitors was hilarious.
But what I didn't find so entertaining was the way she came off as she fought against these gender roles. She came off sounding like a bratty teenager. When she argued with her mother, it was all about "me, me, me", and she refused to even hear her mother's viewpoint or try to reason with her in a mature way. You could say that mother was partly to blame as well, for being equally stubborn and refusing to listen to her daughter, and you could chalk Merida's antics up to typical teenage angst. Certainly you can find plenty of modern-day teenage girls who have fights exactly like this, with their own mothers. But does that make Merida a role model? I don't really think so. Maybe it serves an accurate portrayal of the stereotypical teenage-parent relationship, but I hardly see how that's anything to emulate or be proud of, or worse yet, glorify in the manner of the movie's marketing.
What also bothered me a lot was that she didn't simply run away so she could make something of herself in the world and live independently and prove her parents wrong. No, she believed that only by manipulating her mother could she get what she wanted. So... she didn't try to reason with her mother like an adult, and she didn't try to simply get away from her "oppressive" family so she could forge her own life. Instead, she resorted to magic and trickery and deceit. Yup, great life lessons there.
The rest of the plot was surprising, as well. Not quite the straightforward battle I was expecting, and I did like how the story turned into more of an introspective battle rather than a physical fight. But through it all, it still grated on me how Merida cast blame on everyone else for the dire situation she found herself in. Everyone but the one true person who shouldered 100% of the responsibility: herself. It only intensified my view of her as a completely self-centered and bratty teenager, and made it VERY hard to relate to her or empathize with her plight in any way.
All in all, it was a decent movie that had its cute and funny and even poignant moments, and is certainly enjoyable enough. But I feel this movie was way overhyped and disappoints greatly in its promise to showcase a strong, independent female lead. In the end, I found her spoiled whinging and self-centeredness no less irritating than a dainty princess staking her identity on her one true love.
Come on, Disney. You can do better than that.
