by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Pixar is back, baby! Well, you know, back in their little Disney+ cage that is… sad. Industry politics as to what movies the mega corporate overlords at Disney decide to gift theatrical releases aside, Pixar is back to bring us a brand new coming of age tale from Domee Shi, the director of the Oscar winning short, Bao. You know, the one that had you bawling your eyes out in the theaters before Incredibles 2 even started rolling back in 2018. Here, Shi weaves together a relatable story about teenage adolescence, tight friendships, and overbearing parents, all the while still delivering on some early aughts humor, beautiful animation, and emotional themes that you’ve come to expect from this studio. Though the film is not without some flaws, Turning Red certainly stands triumphant as another great Pixar adventure for the whole family to enjoy.
It’s 2002. For Meilin (Rosalie Chiang), or “Mei Mei” as she’s often referred, life is fairly simple. Take care of your Tamogachi, hang out with your friends, and obsess over your favorite boy band, 4 Town. Oh, and one other thing — become a compulsive student who achieves straight A’s in everything, while participating in extracurricular activities and working part time at your parents’ Chinese temple in Toronto, Canada all in the endless quest to make your overbearing mother, Ming Lee (Sandra Oh), proud of you. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Not at all! Especially once you tack on the family curse that turns all the women in the family into giant red pandas. That’s right. So now Mei has to enter her tumultuous teenage years not only worrying about the cute boy who works at the local shop, and making sure she spends time with all of her friends, but also trying to tame a mythical, magical beast that’s trying to escape from inside of herself.
As I sit here and recap the plot, all I can really do is smile. This movie is a firecracker. Dynamite entertainment from beginning to end, and oozing with fun. All the way down to the setting, this movie knows what it is. Although, seeing as it is largely autobiographical based on the middle school years of Shi, it’s easy to comprehend why this world feels so well fleshed out. She lived it. To that end, almost any Millennial will feel right at home. I personally am just a few years older than Shi, being midway through high school in 2002 when this story has her in eighth grade. Although I was not personally a connoisseur of N*Sync or the Backstreet Boys, I was more than familiar with the passion their fans had for them. I saw it and heard it walking down the halls at school. Whether you can personally relate to the time period or not, Shi vividly paints the era and fleshes out her world. Although I do love the personal Nostalgia trip down Tamagochi, Twilight, and flip phone lane, I have to wonder if this was necessary, as it doesn’t add anything to the story other than feeling more personal to Shi. But as much as this wasn’t necessary, it’s not a negative either, as it doesn’t detract from the film. It ends up feeling fairly net neutral.
What’s definitely not neutral, however, is the gorgeous color palette and animation stylizations. This film is beautiful. It’s full of vibrant hues, and bright neons contrasted with grounded earth tones. There’s also great texture work on display, from a tranquil coy fish pond, to the fully red panda fur that makes you just want a big hug. Heck, even the way the food looks in this movie will have you salivating. Beyond that, Shi stylishly sets up quick zooms on a character’s face, antic-filled jump cuts, or out of body anxiety moments that stuff the movie with life and laughter. It was actually reminiscent of The Mitchells vs. The Machines from last year in many ways, just not as extreme with the memes. Even the chibi puppy dog eyes these characters got at random intervals throughout the movie added to the fun and lighthearted tone of the film, injecting it with humor throughout. Several scenes had me doubled over in laughter. There was a panda transformation in a classroom, a box of cute kittens, or even pushing someone into a bathroom stall via a paw to the face that had me cackling. It’s rare that an animated film can pull off the wide range of elegant animation all the way through to laugh-out-loud moments, but Turning Red accomplishes this nicely.
What really works so well for this flick is that heart at its core. Leave it to Pixar to deliver a resonant and impactful thematic vision while distracting us with adorably cuddly red panda bears. The most obvious metaphor the movie has going for it is the teenage transition into puberty. Although, I think this movie hits the nail on the head a bit too much, as it not only has the main plot with the red panda transformation, but even adds a subplot about young girls getting their first period. Which is fine, and I actually like to see a film targeted toward a younger audience that’s willing to have that conversation, but that conversation was already being had with the panda motif. Still, it’s hilarious, personal, and relatable. Everyone remembers their awkward teenage years — having their first crush, doodling in their notebook. Shi particularly nails the overbearing and embarrassing parent trope. We’ve all been there too. Your mom or dad showing up to school might as well have felt like a social death sentence. Even worse if they spoke to your crush or said something absurd in front of your friends. Let alone multi-generational relationships that feel smothering and anxiety inducing. A kid can only be so perfect, but some adults don’t want to hear that. Especially when a kid really just wants to be… a kid. Turning Red captures all of this. Every morsel of teenage angst and rebellion, in a journey to being finding a sense of self, individuality, and personal creativity.
More than anything, I really appreciated this picture’s stance on friendship. Mei Mei leans on her friends and truly discovers what it means to have a real friend. Of course, I’m referring to her traditional friends from school, but also those within her family and community. It’s easy to feel like you’re alone and stranded on an island when the tides of life thrash you around. Whether it is dealing with your first boy/girl party or something much deeper, our support networks are what make this world manageable and livable. No one can do this on their own. To be able to have a connection with someone so deeply that it can bring you peace and inner calm just be thinking of the bond you share, well, that’s something special, something to be cherished. And Turning Red certainly illustrates this to a beautiful degree.
I will say, however, that there were some parts of this that irked me. Parts that made me scratch my head. Like, where did these girls get a whole bunch of red panda merchandise printed out of nowhere? Why did we need to change the date of the concert and add extra contrived conflict to the film? Couldn’t we have left it how it was, or had the correct date so we could feel the proper tension throughout the script, instead of trying to forcibly add extra barriers just for the sake of adding extra barriers? Why do the panda transformation rules change throughout the movie? Because what is stated at the beginning is clearly no longer the rule set by the climactic finale. Admittedly, this is all fairly nitpicky in nature. Most of these grievances are barely grievances at all, and can be easily ignored and tossed away with the wave of a hand. However, one major thing cannot be tossed away.
Simply put, this movie is just Brave all over again. Yes, it changes the finer details — the setting, the culture. I would also say that, yes, this is even a better film than Brave. It achieves a much greater level of comedy, much more relatable story, and in my opinion a much more heartfelt resolution to its conflict. But it is still Brave nonetheless. It’s a Pixar movie centered around a mother-daughter dynamic that has rising conflict and tension as the overbearing perfectionist mother wants to control the life of the young and passionate daughter who is growing into her own womanhood with an increasingly independent spirit wanting nothing more than to discover her own passions, and express her own creativity. Then, in both movies, one of these two individuals turns into a bear. Sure, in Brave the bear is the mother, and here it is the daughter, but it’s still someone turning into a bear to create conflict. Even the climactic action-packed endings of the films are mirrored with their furry combatants squaring off against a similar threat. I like Brave, and I loved Turning Red, and there’s enough to differentiate between the two of them to keep me enjoying both experiences. But dang it I really wish this wasn’t the same basic story.
Qualms aside, Turning Red is still a tremendous experience. It’s engaging enough in its cultural depictions and hilarious enough in it’s slapstick gags and witty humor to keep the overall experience feeling fresh despite the plot retread. Whether you’re looking to find a new movie for the kiddos, a flick to wax nostalgic about, or a deeply empathic Pixar emotional rollercoaster, you can find greatness here. I highly recommend Turning Red, and I look forward to rewatching it myself in the days and years to come.
Score: 8/10
You can follow Heath Lynch on Letterboxd