Pixar hardly ever miss and Turning Red is another hit for the animation studio.
This coming-of-age movie is exactly the kind of story we need for our times and funny enough it takes place around the time I ‘came-of-age’. Now there might be many ways to interpret turning into a giant red panda, but the obvious answer is puberty.
So this might be one of those animated films not targeted at younger audiences but rather tweens, teens and adults. Sure, some jokes might go over your child’s head, but some things might just be obvious and that can lead to dozens of questions.
I definitely won’t watch it with anyone under 13. That said, it’s still one of the most relevant and funny stories I’ve ever seen. I want to focus solely on the story for now and just praise the storytelling.
It was fantastic to see some stuff I went through at that age in an animated movie. The movie is just honest storytelling with a little fantasy sprinkled in. It’s a relevant story of most kids who are coming of age.
Now the characters are just as wonderful. We all have that one overbearing parent, but in the end we realize that they only wanted what was best for us. The visuals are stunning. There’s one cooking scene that I can watch over and over again, I just wish it was a little longer.
Pixar’s animation team really knows how to push themselves to deliver better visuals with each film. The combination of early 2000’s trends and Chinese culture blends together so smoothly. The city of Toronto also gets to shine in several scenes.
All-in-all, the movie is heartfelt, funny and simply fun. Just have a blast whenever you decide to go watch it. You might learn a thing or two about Chinese culture or puberty along the way. I can’t wait to see what director, Domee Shi, brings to the table next.
Mei Lee is a 13-year-old girl who is torn between being her mother’s obedient daughter and the chaos of her youth. As if that were not enough, when she gets too excited, she turns into a big red panda.
My Verdict
Turning Red is a kids movie that isn’t really for small kids, so it might not be wise to let them watch it yet, but for the rest it might be a blast. I can’t wait to re-watch it, just to get a second glimpse at some of the scenes and to pick up on some jokes I might’ve missed. So if you like animation and good stories then you should definitely check out this one.
My Rating: 8..7 out of 10 – Love It!
