Pixar Animation Studios has a pedigree like none other. Or, at least, it did.

Eleven films in a row, with not just critical but mass appeal. Countless awards, billions of dollars of box office. They created new icons for generations of fans.

And then last year, Cars 2 happened.  While it is a film I have still yet to see, the word of mouth I had heard was far from good. Sure, the box office remained huge ($560 mil), it was a decided drop in both financial and critical success from the prior Toy Story 3.

People started to speculate if the amazing run of incredible films had reached its end. Would Pixar become just another studio?

But a shining beacon of hope for Pixar fans appeared just before Cars 2. It was there we saw the first teaser trailer for Brave.

We didn’t know much about the film - just that it had Scotland, a fiery haired lead, a bow and a bear. But it felt special.  Much how a robot who longed for humanity grabbed us, just how an old man on an adventure made us want to traverse on our own, something grabbed you from this trailer.

And I am very proud to say that the final film absolutely lives up to its promise.

If you’ve seen the full trailer for Brave, you have the concept down pat. Our lead is Merida (Kelly MacDonald), a strong headed teen who while being a princess, loves nothing more than archery, riding her horse across the Scottish plains and setting forth on the adventure which is her life.  Her father, the large and honorable King Fergus (an absolutely joyous Billy Connolly) is a gentle but battle worn man, who lost a leg in a legendary battle with a just as legendary bear.  And her mother is Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), who, as far as Merida is concerned…is just a bear. Not in the growling sense, but in the running her life sense, as it’s now time for the tomboyish Merida to marry one of the sons of the other 3 kingdoms.  Of course, Merida wishes to do anything but this, and hopes to change her fate.

What takes place next is absolutely joyous.  Mixing elements of time tested fantasy with medieval legend, Scottish heritage with the strength of family and the classic Pixar heart, the story is an absolute joy - and no, it never cops out. Merida doesn’t suddenly fall in love. A man doesn’t save her. While a Princess in name, a “Disney Princess” she is not, and she will stand alongside Wall-E, Carl Fredricksen, Remy the Rat, Buzz, Woody and all of the Pixar greats.  You feel her every bump and bruise along her journey towards becoming who she wants to be (or who she thinks she wants to be), and every successful moment is earned without being cloying.

It’s hard to not write out so many beats of the story, as, in what we’re accustomed to from the Pixar storytellers, there are many great moments, both big and small.  So many great little gags which payoff and big ones that will leave you laughing for some time to come.  And Merida’s little brothers, the red-haired triplets? They’re going to be the break out characters from this movie, a group of mischievous little demons that people will be talking about as the credits come to a close.

As for the animation? Pixar has never done better. The Scottish glens are beautiful and photogenic. Hair, costuming, fur, lighting, all the little details have rarely been done this well and this lovely.  I had the pleasure of seeing the film digitally projected, and picking out all of the little details just had my eyes doing somersaults. (Be sure to look at the detail in the fur of Angus, Merida’s horse - the lighting done there is nothing short of astonishing).

But it wouldn’t be worthwhile if the magic weren’t there, and it truly is.  The cast of the film isn’t huge, the number of talking parts are probably less than a dozen, but you really get a great feeling for each member of the cast.  Every voice actor brings their A-Game, and you feel like the world of Brave is one which you never want to leave.

In a blockbuster summer full of capes, heroes, explosions and other epic tales, the film that might leave me with the most is the one that focuses on the love of a Scottish family.  Sure, there’s magic and mayhem along the way, but the fact is, Brave is a film full of heart.  And if you let it in, it will fill yours too.  The Pixar record is back on track.

Absolute highest recommendation.