My review of BRAVE

BRAVE, Disney/Pixar's newest film, is coming to theaters in just two days (Friday, June 22)!  I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening of the movie earlier in June, and I am so excited to finally be able to share my thoughts on the film:


I loved it!


Disney/Pixar did a great job in creating characters you could come to care about in such a short amount of time.  The character development was thorough, and, for quite possibly the first time ever in a Disney film, the main character's (Merida's) entire family was present and important to the plot.  It was really nice to watch a movie in which the important relationship was the mother-daughter relationship, instead of the mother being dead or absent for the entire plot.  It really was a wholesome film that focused on the importance of being an individual while also staying true to your roots.  In the film, the question becomes, What is our fate and how can we reconcile this with our desires for our lives?  This is an important message, and I'm so glad that Disney/Pixar decided to focus on it for what is arguably one of their most advertised movies recently.


For the kids, because BRAVE is based on Gaelic lore, the film has a lot of fantastical elements to it, such as magic and witches.  Luckily, these are all presented in a humorous rather than scary fashion, so the movie stays upbeat and fun.  Merida's three younger brothers add another funny element to the story, because they act just like typical little kids who would rather eat sweets than dinner, and who play pranks on the rest of the family.


Don't worry, though- there are plenty of moments for adults to enjoy in BRAVE, too!  As in most Disney/Pixar movies, there are lines that will go over kids' heads, but make all the adults in the theater crack up.  In BRAVE, these moments are scattered throughout the film, and I noticed them especially in scenes where there is a lot of kids humor, too.


My overall review of BRAVE is, Go see it!


Here is one last clip I'll share with you before BRAVE hits theaters this Friday.  It's a behind-the-scenes look at the film.  Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer:  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  I was given the opportunity to see an advanced screening of BRAVE in exchange for a review and publicity about the film on my blog.  All opinions expressed are my own.  All clips were provided to me by Disney.

Product Review: Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles

As a BzzAgent, I often have the opportunity to sample new products in exchange for my honest opinion on them.  This time, I've been able to try Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles.  I was really excited for this campaign.  I have some problems with my feet/knees, and I'm always interested in new products that might help me with that.


I decided to put the Massaging Gel Insoles into an old pair of sneakers that I was hoping to "revamp".  The original insoles were getting flimsy from wearing the shoes for so long.  I was very pleased with how the new insoles made me feel like I was wearing new shoes again!  They fit perfectly into my shoe and gave me the support I needed.

My old sneakers with new Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles

The insoles are able to fit women's shoe sizes 6-10.  That means that if you have a shoe that's smaller than size 10, you have to trim the insole down.  I've been wary of products like that in the past, because I'm always afraid of messing up when I'm cutting and ruining the insole.  The Dr. Scholl's insoles were super easy to trim, though!  On the bottom of the insole is a guide telling you where to cut for each shoe size.  Despite that, I still measured them against the insoles I was replacing.  I was extremely pleased to find out that they lined up exactly with the size 8 guideline on the Dr. Scholl's insole!


I liked that I wasn't constantly thinking about the new insoles in my shoes while wearing them.  Sometimes, I find that replacement insoles don't fit the shoe well, or are too thick, and therefore interfere with day to day activities when you're wearing those shoes.  The Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles were nothing like those annoying other products!  They seemed to disappear, and while I could definitely tell that they were much more sturdy and supportive than the old insoles I'd replaced, that was the extent of my paying direct attention to them.  I was very comfortable walking around with the Massaging Gel insoles in!


Overall, I would give this product a 5/5 rating!  (I'm very surprised to be saying that, but I'm also very pleased!)  The insoles gave me the support I need because of my knee problems, fit my shoes perfectly, and were very comfortable to wear.


FTC Disclaimer:  I am a BzzAgent, and received free product samples in order to give my opinion.  This in no way influences what I say about the Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles.  The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Clips from Disney/Pixar's BRAVE

I had the amazing opportunity to see an advanced screening of Disney/Pixar's new movie BRAVE on Thursday night.  While I can't say anything about the movie just yet, I can share some clips and other goodies to get you excited for BRAVE, which hits theaters on June 22!


First, a trailer:

 


And a clip from the movie:





My review will be coming the week the film gets released...I can't wait to share my thoughts with you all!

An Update...

You probably have noticed that I haven't been blogging here much lately.  A lot of it had to do with all the work I had keeping me very busy during my senior year of college.  Now that's over, but I've still been thinking a lot about what I want to do with this blog.  I considered switching over to a new blog and dedicating it to reviews, but I've done so much with this blog that I'd really hate to abandon it.  I'm going to keep blogging here, but focus more on posting reviews (of foods, movies, books, products) than I have in the past.  This may all change in the future, but for now, this is the best choice for me.  So, now that I'm back, get ready for more posts, more reviews, and hopefully, a much more exciting blog!