The enchanting girl character Merida from the film Brave is now a Disney Princess. The company has given the animation a make-over--which has occasioned an online petition. Most noteworthy is she has been stripped of her bow--which gave her power.

Thinking about princess movies, you quickly realize that most of these heroines grow up cursed, motherless, orphaned, or generally miserable. It's no wonder they have so little spirit by the time they reach adulthood that they need a charming prince or some cheery dwarves to rescue them. But Princess Merida, the heroine of Brave, is in no need of rescue. She's just trying to do what women have been trying to do for millenia -- change her fate.

After the jump, watch the trailer for the latest Disney Pixar film, "Brave." The film is the first from Pixar to feature a female lead; it focuses on the adventures of Scottish archer Merida, voiced by actress Kelly Macdonald. Other voice actors in the film include Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, and Craig Ferguson. "Brave" will hit U.S. theaters in June 2012.