"Wall-E" was a brave endeavor. A kids' film where the main character can't speak: That must have been a hard sell, and a risk in itself. But it paid off, creating one of the most emotionally charged films of 2008. "Wall-E" taught a moral lesson about our consumerist behavior; a lesson that transcended international borders and was received worldwide.

This was yet another success in the eclectic and successful repertoire that makes up Pixar's short history. After changing the way we interpret our childhood playthings with "Toy Story" then reinventing the idea of the superhero with "The Incredibles," Pixar has been breaking trends with big-picture thinking and well-placed creativity. And with "Brave," which opens this weekend, the studio is at it again.

Today's princesses aren't the love-hungry damsels they used to be, and the movie's lead character, Princess Merida, redefines those old ideas of a princess in a world of fairy tale. She's fiercely independent, rebellious and wild, characterized by her rambunctious self-expression and frizzy red hair. "It's a coming-of-age film," producer Katherine Sarafian tells The Japan Times.