User reviews

There's a reason this movie is a PG and not a U! Everyone having a little turn because a 13 year old girl is given some maxi pads and has crushes on boys - it's not woke, it's reality.

And if you have a problem with characters wearing turbans/hijabs, then I really think you need to look deep inside yourself!

This movie doesn't feel like a Disney/Pixar because it's cringey and has anime elements - but it's still fun, and my 10 and 8 year old boys had no problem at all with seeing sanitary protection because guess what, they see it in our bathroom every day!

'Turning Red' (2022)

Opening thoughts: Pixar is one of the finest animation studios to exist and one of the few studios today for anything to continually deliver. Sure they did become less consistent post-'Toy Story 3', but in the 90s and 2000s their work was of higher quality than Disney's generally and hit more than it missed. Pre-'Toy Story 3', the one slight disappointment was 'Cars', the others are very good to brilliant and even their lesser work is still watchable.

'Turning Red' appealed to me immediately when looking for things to watch when on a three week cruise last year where there was a lot of film and television watching in the evenings and on the at sea days. Really liked the concept, unique for Pixar, and the message. 'Turning Red' is not one of Pixar's best films and can understand why people had issues regarding its target audience (admittedly not as accessible as other films from the studio), but it is still very good with relatable themes handled with fun and emotion and one of the better films seen on the cruise.

Bad things: Some of the awkwardness is a little too overkill in the humour, especially between the four friends early on.

Also felt that the darker tone seen at the concert, where the mother in red panda form was reminiscent of something like 'Jurassic Park' or Godzilla, clashed a bit too much with the rest of the film.

Good things: However, there is so much to praise. The animation, as per usual, is stunning. Absolutely loved the vivid colours and the very rich attention to detail in the character animation. The character animation on the panda and the background art and visual effects at the end standing out. The music really enhances the story's wild energy, and "Nobody Like You" sticks in the memory for a long time.

Did also really enjoy the writing on the whole. The humour is sharp, hip and witty, of course there are awkward spots but that was hardly uncommon in adolescence (a lot of it actually at my school) and how adolescent children acted and still do. The cool geekiness of the four main characters took me back, being somewhat a geek myself and it stood out in both a good and bad way, and adolescence and the mature themes are depicted entertainingly and with heart. The atmosphere didn't feel out of date and was affectionately handled, some may have issues with some of the characters' negative actions, but the film isn't encouraging anybody to do them, just showing that they do happen, and in a realistic way.

Loved the story's wild energy and often infectious wackiness. Also how inventively the culture of the family was shown, in a way that was intriguing and expansive. Having never seen a family backstory like this before, so it felt fresh and original. The mother and daughter relationship was beautifully realised and realistic, both points of view understandable and not hard to relate to.

A great job is done with the emotional side of the film, especially in the truly heart-wrenchingly powerful climax. And with the message, one that was brave to tackle and also one that is universal and relatable. Luckily delivered in those ways here and not heavy handedly. The friendships and outcome warm the heart. The characters are strongly written and the voice acting is top notch, particularly Sandra Oh.

Closing thoughts: Overall, not one of Pixar's best and not for all but very good and hardly a waste of the studio's most unique concept.

8/10.

Interesting. I thought my 14 year old & her 13 yr old friend would have loved this movie. We waited for it to come out and they had a movie night. 3/4 of the way through they were bored and switched to the Nintendo switch. They said they didn't really "get" what the point of the story was and they lost interest. Head scratcher. I need to watch it myself but if the target audience don't enjoy it - is it really for them?

Turning Red features a predominantly East Asian cast and is about the growing pains that come for a young adolescent and her mother - oh, mothers and daughters, the things that come between them are about as (in this case) building busting as the love that invariably keeps them together - but it's an absolutely universal story. So many young people come to find that their parents, one and/or both depending on the time, become way too much to deal with, and that finding attraction in others is something immediate and pleasurable and also forms friendships (like 4-Town... ugh and they're 5 teens what gives). So many don't know what to do with their bodies as they sprout hair all over and hormones rage like a furnace. Is it possible to find your "center" when you're 13?

Turning Red is no different than, say, the 400 Blows in addressing how a young person finds themselves at a crossroads of life and choosing a way to go is a conundrum on top of a pain-pile some days, this despite/because of the joys that come with being young and (sometimes/discovering one likes to be) carefree and DGAF about stuff like school and routines and rituals. That these two films are from very different countries and times and protagonists isn't the point, rather that Domee Shii, like Truffaut or Greta Gerwig or Reiner/King with a Stand by Me or (insert other Coming of Age serio-comic saga), finds through her art some compelling ways to express how these changes are vast and cruel and bewildering.

In this case, Mei doesn't know what to quite do with her Panda-y self, or more significantly with what her mother wants her to do with it. It's a film ultimately about familial vs self expectations, and it's realized and executed with a heck of a lot of heart, wit, intense cuteness (that box of kittens made me laugh hard), and enough pathos to crash through a dozen concerts. I do have a few nitpicks on my first viewing, some maybe a little minor that I know come with suspending a bit of disbelief (there was never any time the parents thought to mention the whole Panda-transformation curse thing), and some maybe not as much (not to give too many spoilers away, but would 4-Town or their legions of fans react like *that* after what happens in the climax of the movie? I don't know if I fully buy it, even if it still makes for a heart-pulling finale). And on a more fundamental level, you can kind of see what's going to happen with the Mom pretty early on.

But these little points don't take away from this being another triumph for Pixar - I almost want to say yawn another but these things are so much harder to pull together and click all into place than most realize - and Shii fulfilling her promise after the dynamic High-Cute Big-Cry energy from Bao (which if you watch again, as I did, is thematically so similar to Red). I love the characters, the vision of Toronto, and so much to do with how we all as younger people struggled through the UGH and AAGH of so much, and it's a movie that manages to remind the adults how profound it can be to confront that and reflect on it all. If it falls short of All Time Masterpiece that may be more on me than it will be for you.

The idea, the metaphor is not bad, coming of age or rather turning red (and honor your parents but stay yourself). Pixar production and graphics as good as ever. What is missing in the latest productions, in my opinion, is the genius of Pixar. They seem closer and closer to a typical Disney production, beautiful and musical but not brilliant.

This decline, I fear, may be due to an excess of production wanted by the Disney company, and I understand it but, there is a big difference between a tailor's shop and an industrial distribution of clothing.

Although I am an adult (and perhaps for this reason), I loved Pixar because in the past its target has never been solely that of children, they have included adults. Outstanding Pixar movies like "Wall-e", "Up", "Inside / Out", "Coco", "Finding Nemo" and Dory, also "Soul", even more than the still wonderful "The Incredibles", "Toy Story", "Ratatouille" , "Cars" etc. They bring with them messages, often moving, that do not concern only our children but also adults. Indeed, some messages are not immediately understandable by a very child / adolescent audience but they leave the fun to them anyway. In fact liked these movies as much as my son did.

This latest movie as well as "Brave", to a lesser extent also "Luca", show a slight flattening to Disney standards which I'm not saying are bad but they lack that typical modern tell and sneaky, Pixar genius.

It's 2002 Toronto. Meilin is a 13 year-old Chinese-Canadian girl on the verge of adulthood. Her family cares for their temple honorable their ancestor who turned into a red panda to defend her family. One morning, she wakes up to find herself transformed into a red panda.

This is a coming-of-age story from Pixar. It's fun. I love the characters. There is a realism in these characters. They feel very authentic. Aside from the supernatural, this is really a story of a girl trying to find her way through puberty and dealing with her mother-daughter relationship. There are no big name actors other than Sandra Oh which does give this a feeling of non-Hollywood. The Toronto locations are also part of that. This has plenty of fun while dealing with some real tween issues.

I'm normally a huge fan of Pixar. There hasn't ever been one that I haven't enjoyed. The movie did not feel like Pixar, it felt like I was watching anime with CGI. The animation felt like a mix of Disney and cartoon network, and it lacked the magic that makes Pixar films special. There were a few spots that made me laugh and that I found endearing, but overall I wish I could have gotten my time back.

My oldest daughter was thrilled as we watched "Turning Red", as she really could relate to the main character, Mei and her struggles with the emergence of puberty. It's something that might make many men uncomfortable...but it IS a part of life that has long been ignored in movies. So, while the film is clearly a metaphor for a girl's first period, it's pretty amazing that any film would talk about this in any way....and my advice to guys is just accept it and enjoy the story. As a father with two daughters, I got over my fears of female sexuality and puberty long ago....and like the film seems to say, it's NOT a curse or something that should be a taboo.

Mei Lin is an 8th grader whose transition to puberty is MUCH worse than she could have imagined. This is because party of puberty is also the onset of a family curse (or gift...depending how you look at it). What is the curse? Well, when women from this Chinese-Canadian family lose their emotional control, they literally become giant red pandas. Now red pandas are about the cutest animals on the planet, but a 7 foot (or larger) red panda is difficult to explain!! The film is about Mei Lin's struggle...as well as how her mother and extended family also struggle with this beast within them.

As you'd expect from Pixar, the animation is lovely and the film looks pretty. I also appreciated the daring plot. My only regret is that the first half of the story is great...the last half is a bit formulaic...especially the big confrontation scene between Mei Lin and her mother at the stadium. It's not at all bad....just a bit disappointing. Overall, it's a film girls will adore and guys will like IF they let themselves appreciate and aren't afraid to see a film about girls' first period.

In the latest Pixar movie, Rosalie Chiang voice a 12-year-old girl in Toronto in 2002. She is the daughter of a tiger mother, has nervous breakdowns when she comes in second in spelling bees, and is securely under the thumb of her mother -- voiced by Sandra Oh -- although she adores a boy band, of which her mother severely disapproves. But being at that age, she finds a change in her body: under great emotional stress, she turns into a giant red panda. This turns out to be true of all the women in her family.

In what may be described as 'fantasy autobiography' -- the director was born in China, moved to Canada at 2, and was twelve for most of 2002 -- we see the expected Pixar combination of technical excellence -- the red panda looks like a plush doll, with every one of its million or two hairs carefully drawn -- and story telling. It hews a little too closely between its literal and figurative meaning -- we're dealing with menarche in some form -- with jokes about her mother bringing tampons and similar products to school, embarrassing the protagonist. But I laughed out loud and leaked some tears, and what more can you demand of any movie?

Greetings again from the darkness. If only the transformation brought on by puberty were half as soft and cuddly as the giant Red Panda in this latest from Pixar, imagine the reduction in slammed doors and the increase in dinner table conversations between parents and young teenagers. Writer-director Domee Shi won an Oscar for her excellent animated short film BAO (2018), and has collaborated with co-writer Julia Cho for the director's first feature. It seems reasonable to assume that much of what we see on screen is taken from their own adolescent experiences, as well as those of countless others.

Meilin (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) is a 13-year-old 8th grader who fancies herself as a free-spirited teenager basking in her independence. However, the real story is that she's a straight-A student obediently following the highly structured life constructed by her mother. Mei's responsibilities include helping her mother clean the temple the family manages ... the oldest temple in Toronto. It not only serves the local Chinese community by paying homage to the Gods, but it also holds a sacred place for Mei's ancestors. Mei's mother keeps her so duty-bound, that she's unable to find time to karaoke with her friends.

One morning, after a particularly vivid and emotional dream, Mei is transformed into a giant Red Panda ... well she pops in and out of Panda state. Her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) quickly reacts assuming her daughter's "change" is the beginning of a menstrual cycle. But things change drastically when Ming finds out about the Red Panda. Her family has considered this a spell from the Gods, one that has followed the women for multiple generations. Mei discovers this when her grandmother and a slew of Aunts show up for the Red Moon ritual - the only way to rid Mei of the Red Panda.

Mei soon realizes her emotional outbursts are what cause the transformation. When she's overly excited or agitated, the Red Panda appears. It's mostly when she's calm and at ease around her friends that she's her 'normal' self. In fact, the friendships are the key to this story. Miriam (Ava Morse), Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), and Abby (Hyein Park) immediately rally to Mei's defense and accept these startling changes. They even find a way to use it to their advantage, focusing on an upcoming concert by 4-Town, a 5 member (yep) boy band that the girls are gaga about. The music for 4-Town is co-written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, and is humorously in line with what we'd expect (and remember) from a 2002 boy band.

We watch as Mei struggles with the emotional rollercoaster that brings out the Red Panda. It's refreshing to see such a portrait of friendship, and also acknowledge that overbearing parents can cause stress, no matter how caring they might be. Mei learns that by letting go of the perfect kid syndrome and wallowing in her messy self, she can truly discover who she is as a young person. It's a Pixar movie, so we fully expect life lessons and psychology to play a role. And that's also part of the problem here. Being a Pixar film means you get compared to other Pixar films, and that's a crazy high standard. This one doesn't come close to the best work from the studio, although we welcome the rare look at female adolescence and friendship, as well as the impact a mother-daughter relationship can have on multiple generations.

Available exclusively on Disney+ beginning March 11, 2022.

Listen, this is an incredible movie. I've seen people comment on how this film is telling us to 'not listen to your parents and lie' and how the message of this movie is clearly wrong- well those people are obviously missing the point here.

It's about growing up! And that growing up is about finding yourself and finding a balance between making your parents proud AND finding out who YOU are, and not just being the perfect image of who the people around you expect you to be.

The director herself even said she's not quite sure what the answer is, or even is there is a balance, but that it's a mix between the two.

So yeah.

Watch this movie.

Enjoy it.

It's a wonderful tribute to growing up, dealing with changes, and finding yourself amongst it all. And if you're a parent watching this with your kid, and they ask 'uncomfortable' questions after it.. Just answer them truthfully and set a good example for them.

Yes, it might be hard. But so is growing up, right?

Incredible art style. Great humour. Amazing storyline. 10/10.

This is what Toronto looks like, it is an incredibly diverse city. Really, it is. This is not "woke propoganda", come visit sometime and you'll realize that this realy is just a cute coming of age story about a tween girl that's also a bit of a love letter to the director's home town.

If you feel the need to politicize that, then maybe that's just a you problem.

This film is about a 13 year old Chinese-Canadian girl named Meilin who turns into a red panda anytime she is overwhelmed with emotion. And the panda is freaking adorable and this is a really cool idea because who wasn't getting really overwhelmed at that age! However, the characters in this film are so obnoxious! Whether it is the teenage girls whose entire identities center around their love for a fictional boy band or Meilin's mom who is so over the top embarrassing that it's impossible to believe, there really aren't any characters who are easy to identify with or are fun to watch. Finally, what is the metaphor of the panda in the film? Is it puberty? Is it individuality and forgoing tradition? Is it embracing your emotions and insecurities? Well, it could be all and none of these things, as the director isn't very direct with the plot. So, overall this is a fine movie but it really could have been a great one.

First, if you're focused on "wokeness" in a cartoon, go watch reruns of Bonanza. You have too much time on your hands.

This film is beautifully made. Nice story. Lots of laughs. Keeps you watching because of how heartfelt the film truly is.

Kids will love it. Adults will enjoy it as well. And it's on Disney+. A nice addition to the Disney library. Watch it.

You won't regret it...

A very lighthearted movie about, by now, pretty standard topics. Simply put there are quite a lot of other tf animated movies with a very similar premise. All in all, pretty standard with some a above average pixarlike animation style.

6/10: not bad, but unfortunately forgetable.

In this film, reference is made to puberty and the physical changes that are representative of this stage.

The film makes a metaphor for puberty and menstruation, although this metaphor can be confusing since it changes constantly and the meaning of what it represents or what it is referring to is lost. It also portrays the sudden mood swings, physical changes, and emotional repercussions that come with it, as well as how dealing with your parents' expectations of you can be self-defeating. It also shows us that we must accept ourselves and our personality and we must not pretend to be something that we are not because that never leads to anything good. In the long run, the movie becomes very dramatic and some characters become very annoyed by their stubborn attitude that don't get much development, just as other characters get very little development. The movie is funny at times, reflecting on the importance of friendship and the ups and downs of growing up. The animation is good but not as dazzling as the studio's previous films.

The film has several parts that work well alone, but all together can become too much and even fail to complement each interesting situation that the film touches on, but it can still be enjoyable for children despite its flaws in the story.

A lot of people are complaining about the story, character development, saying things are rushed, but personally I had no problem with it. It's on point like most Pixar films. Hell I even enjoyed the animation, it's something a little different and it's honestly kinda charming. So why did I give it a 6/10? The jokes! The jokes in this film are so cringy and bad it takes a lot out of it. I get some of them are about the pains of hitting puberty but a lot of them could've landed better. I just feel like Pixar wants to create straight drama sometimes and the mouse forces them to include comedy. Either way it's a mostly enjoyable watch.

Pay attention to the rating.

It's PG = Parental Guidance.

It's not intended for 8 year olds.

Read the storyline. Read the reviews that have spoilers.

I found it a refreshing and light hearted look at the relationships smart and funny young girls have with each other, with their peers, and with their parents.

Yes they "lie" to try and go to a concert. Yes, the girls have crushes on boys. Yes they focus on the main character needing to be NOT overly dramatic. These things happen in real life to 13 year olds.

But they also show incredibly close relationships within family and extended family. They show how important respect for your elders is.

A splendid surprise on Disney Plus (not sure why this didn't see a theatrical release), "Turning Red" is a colorful, vibrant coming-of-age story, accessible to all ages but teens especially (my twelve-year-old in particular, she loves this movie). It uses the charm and wackiness of anime as a metaphor for puberty - who among us can't relate? - and I appreciate this subject matter in a Pixar movie. If only we could all Hulk out into a big giant fluffy panda at the first sign of strong emotion.

Well worth a watch; it feels personal, has a great sense of humor and it made me feel like a kid again, with all of the world-ending drama that entails.