Having almost completely stalled their creative engines with Cars 2, Disney Pixar heads for the ancient Scottish highlands in Brave, a computer-animated fable of female empowerment. The film signals a return to form for John Lasseter’s team of digital wizards, striking a perfect balance between laughter and tears.

The central plot of a daughter’s fractious relationship with her mother might be slight, but directors Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman and Steve Purcell conjure excitement and heart-warming sentiment out of the ether. They cannily appeal to lads by making the heroine a bow-wielding, adventure-seeking tomboy, and provide plentiful giggles for very young audiences with mischievous red-haired triplets.

King Fergus of Clan DunBroch (voiced by Billy Connolly) and his wife Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) plan to marry off their daughter Merida (Kelly Macdonald) to the first-born son of one of the other clans. But Merida disrupts the Highland Games, which are designed to test the suitors, then flees into the forest where she encounters a witch (Julie Walters). The witch gives Merida an enchanted cake and when the Queen takes a bite, she turns into a bear: the same animal which cleaved off King Fergus’s left leg.

The princess is consumed with regret and fears her father will kill Queen Elinor in her fearsome new form. So mother and daughter head into the wilderness to break the spell.

The quality of animation in Brave is jaw-dropping. Merida’s fiery flowing locks deserve an Academy Award on their own, such is the exquisite detail of every windswept fibre, and that’s before your eyes are wooed by the sweeping landscapes, action-packed chases and colourful supporting characters. The 3D format is used sparingly and comes into its own when Merida and her steed Angus gallop through forests and glens as trees with low-hanging branches whizz past at dizzying speed.

Predominantly Scottish vocal performances are strong. Macdonald is a spunky heroine and Connolly brings typical humour to his chest-thumping patriarch. Thompson adds emotional warmth that really tugs the heartstrings.

As usual, Pixar packages an animated short with the main feature and this year’s offering is La Luna, a stunning seven-minute coming-of-age story about a young boy who discovers his family business is, quite literally, out of this world. Devoid of dialogue, Enrico Casarosa’s bite-size gem, which was nominated as Best Animated Short at this year’s Oscars, is utterly beguiling and very nearly upstages Merida’s gung-ho wee tale of girl power.

Sean (Ryan Guzman) and best friend Eddy (Misha Gabriel) work at one of Miami’s most popular hotels in Step Up 4: Miami Heat. When they are not serving guests with overpriced drinks, the handsome duo mastermind a troupe of hugely talented dancers and artists nicknamed The Mob. They orchestrate daring flash mobs around the city, hoping to win an online competition. During a night out, Sean meets Emily (Kathryn McCormick), who hopes to join a prestigious dance company. Attraction is instant, then Sean discovers Emily is the daughter of Mr Anderson (Peter Gallagher), who plans to bulldoze the neighbourhood for a costly development. Sean and Eddy plan the ultimate flash mob to galvanise support against Anderson and stop the bulldozers.

Plausibility aside, Scott Speer’s film is undemanding fun. By abandoning the rigid structure of dance battles from previous films, choreographers incorporate every conceivable style, including ballet, Latin and robot. Martial arts fighter and professional model Guzman is easy on the eye and he’s certainly not shy about flaunting his washboard abs. He doesn’t have the fluid, tight moves of his co-stars, so director Speer sensibly affords his leading man just one brief solo before he merges into the frenetic group sequences.

In stark contrast, contemporary dancer McCormick relishes her extended moments alone in the spotlight, demonstrating grace and agility as her feisty heroine hones her audition piece.