Turning Red (2022)
“I’m a freak!” – Meilin Lee.
Turning Red (2022)
Directed by: Domee Shi
Written by: Domee Shi, Julia Chi
Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
Pixar’s new colourful animation Turning Red tackles the highs and lows of puberty in a relatable, fun, but…somewhat strange…package.
The film follows Meilin, a 13-year-old girl who suddenly turns into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. Having to wait an entire month before she can reverse this curse, Meilin must balance high school, her friends, and her overprotective parents.
It’s a pretty wacky plot, but the transformation is clearly a metaphor for puberty and the perils of growing up. Meilin’s parents are strict and overbearing, and while she still loves them, she has reached an age where she wants to carve out her own personality. She starts daydreaming about boys, obsessing over a boy band, hanging out with her friends – making mistakes along the way.
This overarching message will resonate with both parents and kids from all sorts of backgrounds. Who doesn’t have an embarrassing story from puberty? Who didn’t have a ridiculous argument with their parents during their early teen years? It’s such an awkward time in everybody’s life – kids become annoying brats, and parents are left scrambling to keep up with the annoying little stranger in their house. Turning Red captured the dysfunctional awkwardness of growing up perfectly, with a steady balance of comedy and heart.
Pixar knocks the visuals out the park once again, but this time the animation style and fourth-wall breaks were heavily inspired by anime. This might annoy some Pixar-fanatics, but I loved this new look.
However, I found the overall tone of the film and some of the characters a little bit grating. It’s set in 2002 for some reason (Tamagotchis and flip phones feature heavily), and from the opening scene the film slams you with in-your-face exposition from some of the most animated (pardon the pun) characters to grace a Pixar movie.
To be fair, this frenetic energy is meant to represent the chaotic mind of a pubescent 13-year-old, but it left me feeling exhausted by the middle of the movie. Don't get me wrong – kids will loveeee this energy – but it was too much for my lazy hungover brain. Make sure to time this right.
Rating: 7.5/10