By Ivon Michal Turning Red is a fun, heartfelt story about growing up that is frank and mature enough to address some serious issues. It’s also wholesome and colorful, and features Pixar’s signature animation style. Much like her 2018 Oscar winning short film Bao, Domee Shi’s feature directorial debut evokes strong emotions with a delicate touch. The movie is about a young Chinese-Canadian girl who experiences the angst of shouldering sky high parental expectations.
The Story
Pixar’s first female-directed film, Turning Red, is also the animation studio’s most frank movie yet about puberty. It’s not a moment you’d expect from a film about a girl who turns into a giant red panda, and while the story might veer slightly into the bombastic absurdity of its third act (complete with a kaiju battle in the middle of a pop concert), the leaner moments in between keep it funnier, smarter, and more honest than you might expect.
Directed by Domee Shi (the Oscar winning short director of Bao), the film follows 13-year-old Meilin in Toronto’s Chinatown. The daughter of overprotective parents Ming and Jin, Meilin is a rule-follower who’s infatuated with the boy band 4*Town secretly has a crush on her coworker at the local convenience store.
When she discovers that she has the power to transform into a giant red panda, Meilin struggles to control her newfound powers. Her best friends Miriam, Abby, and Priya stay by her side, demonstrating the power of positive friendships. Meilin also learns to be honest with her family, overcoming her fear of rejection. It’s a sweet and funny coming-of-age tale that feels both authentic and fresh, despite the fact that it’s set in an unapologetically Asian culture. It’s a rare thing to see in an animated movie, and it helps that Shi, who is Chinese Canadian herself, has captured the delicate emotions of being a girl and a teenager.
The Characters
A movie as unabashedly girlish and sexy as Turning Red is bound to draw criticism from people who want it to be more like a traditional Disney princess movie or less like a feminist fantasy. But there’s a lot about the film to love. It’s the first Pixar movie to focus on a teenage girl since 2012’s Brave, and it celebrates several aspects of female adolescence that typically get overlooked in animated movies, including complex mother-daughter relationships, preteen fangirling, and period maintenance as something normal and non-stigmatizing instead of an issue to be ashamed of.
It also has some of the best character designs that Pixar has offered in a while, thanks to co-writer/director Domee Shi and her team. The animators give Meilin and her best friends rounded, evocative shapes that feel both Asian and universal. And they have fun with cultural references, from the anime-inspired hairstyles of Mei’s friends to the references to kaiju movies and martial arts epics.
Unlike recent Pixar films that have leaned towards more realistic environments and tactile direction that mimics physical camera work, Turning Red is all about the fantasy of Meilin’s life. And that’s what makes it so compelling. It’s a ibomma telugu movie that’s both playful and poignant, a fantasy for tweens and teens who can relate to the challenges of growing up in a world where they can be either the obedient Princesses or the rebellious teens they see on their Instagram feeds.
The Animations
Turning Red, co-written by Domee Shi and Julia Cho, is a powerful reminder of the tender joys and turbulent angst of becoming a teen. And though it reflects the Chinese-Canadian experiences of its creators, this story resonates with any young viewer.
The film’s animation — infused with traditional motifs, interludes of anime, and zippy energy — rises to the occasion. Where recent Pixar films have leaned towards a more realistic approach and tactile direction that imitates physical camera work, this one deftly straddles the line between computer-generated realism and a more fluid anime style. With crash-zooms that heighten emotions and a focus on the girls’ crushes, it manages to capture the way that feelings are often both overwhelming and elusive.
Like the best Pixar films, Turning Red reaches far beyond its target audience and speaks to an entire cultural experience. Its central dynamic between Mei and her mother is a potent reminder of the power of toxic familial dynamics, but it’s also a powerful illustration of how to communicate your needs and desires to others, especially in difficult situations.
Unlike the world-threatening backstories of Moana, Coco, and Raya and the Last Dragon, or the thorny family dynamics of Encanto and Luca, the stakes here are smaller and more personal. But this is still a movie about the pressures of being a teenager, and it’s one of the most important to come out in years.
The Soundtrack
Like most Pixar movies, Turning Red features a slick soundtrack that evokes the mood and emotion of the movie. The score is a fusion of styles, from traditional Chinese instruments to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell pop songs. Ludwig Goransson, the composer behind Black Panther, did an amazing job combining these different styles into a unique soundtrack that fits the movie perfectly.
The music starts with a simple yet moving track called “Family,” where Mei’s mother, Ming, tells her to always honor her family and obey them no matter what. This track uses a combination of spinning records, a digitally-made bass beat, interspersed vocals, a flute, and more to show the importance of Mei’s conservative family.
Another great song in this soundtrack is “Temple Duties,” where Mei and her mother clean up their family temple at the end of the day. This song uses a similar sound palette as the previous one, but adds in some funk-inspired drums and a more upbeat rhythm to show the two women working together.
This movie is a wonderful coming-of-age story that captures the joy and turmoil of being a teenager. It does a good job of showing the power of friendships, family, and courage to stand up for what you believe in. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, heartwarming movie.
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