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Disney Pixar has just released a new feature film on Disney Plus titled Turning Red, and its dialogue and plot points have a few parents raising eyebrows. Pixar is known for its ability to relate to its viewers with their storylines, aiming to grab us emotionally from the start. But did Turning Red take it too far? As a mother of two young daughters, I wanted to voice my personal opinion on the matter.
Turning Red is about a spunky, studious 13 year old girl named Meilin (or Mei Mei, as her friends and family call her). Mei Mei is the perfect girl any parent would wish for. She is smart, helping and abiding, and is constantly seeking her mother’s approval. She helps run the local family temple after school, and takes on more mature duties than most girls her age. Although she is treated in a more mature manner, she still is a typical 13-year-old girl. She feels awkward most of the time, has a small circle of friends that are like family to her, and is obsessed with boys, especially a popular boy band by the name of 4 Town.
The movie follows Mei Mei as she starts to become increasingly embarrassed by her mother’s overprotective actions, causing her to turn into a literal giant red panda when she is going through an overflow of emotions. It turns out that this panda situation runs in her family, and if a ritual is performed, the curse can be lifted and her “panda” controlled. Problems arise when the date of the ritual falls on the same day as the 4 Town concert she and her friends worked hard to get tickets to. Mei Mei has to choose between going to the concert or going to the ritual.
My Honest Review
This film was something I wasn’t quite expecting it to be. I was pleasantly surprised at how many relatable things they touched on that we don’t often openly speak about. Teenage years are very tough. I can only imagine being a teenager in a mixed cultural environment, and how I would try to cope with these changes. Turning Red had its usual Disney dynamics, and the overachieving kid and obsessively controlling parent make for the stereotypical film plot. I did, however, like the subtle nods towards uncomfortable subjects like menstrual cycles.
The traveling journey through puberty is given in a metaphorical image through the giant red panda, which comes out every time Mei Mei is going through an emotional swing. The increased curiosity toward boys, constant internal conflict, and random emotional outbursts has every woman relating to what it was like to be that age, and I’m happy they shined a light on it. We all want to just feel not so weird and alone, and Pixar did a great job with that.
Can we also talk about the boy band 4 Town?! Not only did they actually create a fake boy band for the film, but completely nailed what it’s like to be a crazy boy band fan! As a crazy boy band fan myself (NSYNC for life) the love and devotion you have for this band is indescribable, and it can really bring a group of friends together. I loved how the girls came together to earn the money to go to the concert, and I loved how they would use lines in popular 4 Town songs to express how they were feeling at the moment. The girl gang’s obsession with the boy band presents plenty of opportunity for real moments of friendship between the four who, despite cultural differences in their backgrounds, stand as a rock for each other when faced with a problem. It becomes relatable for anyone who has turned toward their friends when they have found themselves in a hard place during their teenage years.
The movie does mention things about puberty, strippers, feelings about the opposite sex, and more. It garnered a PG rating, making it a bit more adult than your usual Disney movie. Both of my girls, who are ages 5 and 10, seriously enjoyed the movie and did not take offense to anything that was presented in front of them. Honestly, my five-year-old thinks it’s a movie about a cute red panda girl, so the forcing of conversation because of certain topics that were brought up was not an issue. Although my 10-year-old knows she can talk to me about anything, I am glad that there is a movie out there that touches on these sensitive subjects. The life lessons are great, and so is the music! I would watch Turning Red with my girls over and over again and would recommend this movie to anyone, especially parents with children who are hitting the stages of puberty. Well done, Pixar!
Have you seen ‘Turning Red’ yet? Tell us what you thought of Pixar’s latest movie in the comments!
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