Wonderful Japanese 'Brave' Trailer Is Packed With Mystic, Mythic New Footage

This is a must-see. I know some opinions have been divided on Pixar's upcoming film Brave. Personally, I was captured by the first teaser trailer and then felt as if the clip and full trailer that followed were a bit scattershot. I was left not really knowing what to expect from the film.

Now a Japanese trailer has surfaced for Brave, and I think it is the best look at the film yet. Doesn't hurt that this trailer features a lot of new footage, and that much of that footage emphasizes the mystic aspects of the story, rather than the comic. (The title, as translated in this case, is even cool: Merida and the Frightening Forest.) Check it out below.

This trailer almost makes the movie seem like a Studio Ghibli film, and that's not a bad thing. It gives me a lot more hope for Brave, as I've thought the comic beats seen in the previous US trailer were a little broad and ineffective. Now some of the film's sense of mystery — that aspect that I responded to in the teaser — has been restored.

Brave, directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, features the voices of Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane. It will release on June 22. Here's the plot description:

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In "Brave," a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts. Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

[Bleeding Cool]