The Legend of Mordu (2012)

Directed by: Brian Larsen | 6 minutes | animation, short film

Anyone who visits Google knows that the search engine regularly puts people, companies or historical events in the spotlight by changing their logo for a day; through the well-known and beloved Google Doodles. On October 21, 2011, Google celebrated the centenary of Mary Blair (1911-1978), an artist who made beautiful illustrations for Walt Disney, among others. She worked on ‘Dumbo’, ‘Lady and the Tramp’ and the second version of ‘Fantasia’. Her contribution to ‘Cinderella’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Peter Pan’ also sets the tone for the atmosphere and look of the cartoons. The short Pixar film ‘The Legend of Mor’du’, which is an extra on the DVD and blu-ray of ‘Brave’, proves that her work is still a source of inspiration for many illustrators, but also film makers.

‘The Legend of Mor’du’ takes a closer look at the origins of the dangerous, fearsome bear, who plays such a vital role in the main film. The witch, who is responsible for Merida’s fate in ‘Brave’, tells us the story. After all, she was involved in the enchantment of the crown prince and knows the history in detail. Who she tells it to (except us as viewers) is only revealed at the end.

What stands out about ‘The Legend of Mor’du’ is the animation style. Those hoping for a visual tour de force like ‘Brave’ will be largely disappointed, as much of the frame story consists of Mary Blair-esque hand-drawn scenes. That has a somewhat abstract, picturesque and dark effect. It’s very different from what you’re used to from Pixar, but different doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t successful. The same goes for ‘The Legend of Mor’du’. The video looks beautiful.

On a story technical level, ‘The Legend of Mor’du’ is nice, but no more than that. The plot has everything of a traditional fairy tale and is therefore hardly surprising. The sparse jokes that the film knows are good for a smile. Nice addition if you enjoyed ‘Brave’, but above all ‘The Legend of Mor’du’ is a nice tribute to Mary Blair.