3/11/2022 – PG – 1h 40m – Disney+

Alan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
Michelle: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

Turning Red, Pixar’s newest animated feature directed by Domee Shi, is about the challenges faced by Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13 year old Canadian-Chinese girl, as she enters puberty: newly intense emotions; sudden attraction to boys; transforming into a giant red panda.

Alan: This is a very funny movie. The movie does an excellent job of capturing the awkwardness of youth. It was also very sweet. Mei is surrounded by good friends and family who love her and want the best for her. I loved that very wholesome aspect of it.

Michelle: I read a blurb about Turning Red before it was available on Disney+ that said that it was about a girl getting her period. Eeeww. I did not want to watch some pedantic lessons on growing up and puberty and periods. Thank goodness that this is not a parable about periods other than a passing mention in the whole adolescence narrative. The magic transformation into a super cute red panda and goofy trouble she gets into make the movie a fun escape.

Alan: Mei’s mother, Ming Lee, has very rigid and high expectations for her daughter. The core conflict is the mother’s expectations of Mei against Mei developing and defining her own identity. The theme of wanting the approval of your parents versus finding your own path was very relatable and compelling.

Michelle: At the start of the movie, the mom was a caricature of a clueless parent blind to current realities in her daughter’s life. At that point, I thought the movie had bad writing and wasn’t very subtle.The elementary school aged kids we watched the movie enjoyed being horrified by the mom. I suppose Turning Red is made for the 6 to 11 year old set, not the middle aged parent set.

Alan: Mei is 13 years old. My daughter is 14 years old. My daughter got bored during the movie because it was about “young kids”. That surprised me. My 10 year old son enjoyed it but thought the awkward teenage moments were too cringey to watch. This movie might have a very narrow age range of appeal for children.

Michelle: Later in the movie once the magical transformations start to happen and gather more steam, I started to really enjoy watching the story unfold. Having a set of elementary school aged kids excited about all the new developments probably also helped get me into the spirit. One kid yelled out, “She can now double-jump!” (like in video games) during an action sequence.

The animation was well done and fun. When the kids see something cute like kittens or a boy band or a cute boy their eyes get all Japanese anime style starry eyes. 

Alan: This was an endearing coming of age story with a bit of magical transformation as a hook (and metaphor). I laughed hard several times. I didn’t cry. The overbearing mother seemed to have little empathy for her daughter’s experiences. I can understand the pressures to perform, but some of the behavior bordered on the unbelievable. Maybe that is okay in a cartoon with exaggerated experiences. I gave it four stars out of five.

Michelle: This one would be best watched in a matinee theater full of kids or barring that since it’s Disney+, a living room full of under twelves. 

I was prepared to really hate this movie, but was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was to watch. Four stars.