Title: Turning Red
Director: Domee Shi
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes
Watched via: Disney+
Pixar’s latest offering is most definitely not your typical Pixar film…but that is precisely why Turning Red works as well as it does. Don’t get me wrong, your staples of superb animation and an emotional gut punch are still present. But, have you ever seen a Pixar movie (or animated movie in general) that tackles puberty?
Meilin (Mei) is a 13 year old living in Toronto, Canada and focused on excelling in every aspect of her life. Like any early teenager, Mei has her friends and her interests. We get to see glimpses of her acting goofy with her friends and singing along to her favorite boy band 4*Town. But unfortunately, both her friends and her own interests take a back seat to school and family, specifically tending to the family’s temple to their ancestor Sun Yee. But then things change…
Mei wakes up from a nightmare in the morning to discover she is a giant red panda. With the bevy of changes that puberty brings with it, Mei struggles maintaining a baseline state of emotion. When we see her in a high state of emotion is also when we see her turn into a giant red panda.
Mei’s mother and father, Ming and Jin, decide it is time to explain to her why she is experiencing what she is. Ming tells Mei about how Sun Yee would transform into a red panda to fight battles and how this ability was bestowed upon every female member of their family when they go from being a girl to being a woman. It is explained to Mei that the only way to get rid of the panda within is to hold a ritual on the night of the Red Moon and seal the panda within a talisman.
Mei is unable to keep her transformation from her friends but surprised that they welcome her in panda form. Mei has a plan though, the next Red Moon she wants to go through the ritual. But as her luck would have it, the night of the next Red Moon is the same night that 4*Town is playing at the Sky Dome. Will she rid herself of the red panda? Or will seeing the boy band of her dreams win out?
As with any Pixar film, the third act is one that should be experienced before being read about. But, I can assure you they go full Pixar and stick the landing.
I applaud them for bringing something different to the table here. Yes, the message to be yourself and be happy with who you are is there. However, here it is framed to appeal to kids who are entering the most awkward phase of growing up. The way that the messaging is presented will only help Turning Red’s longevity.
Have you seen Turning Red yet? What did you think? Leave a comment or reach out to me on social media. Let me know, ”Hey, I’ve Scene That!”