“A 13-year-old girl named Meilin turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.” -IMDB
Ugh. But a good ugh. Let me clarify…
If you’ve read any of my prior Pixar reviews, then you know I have a love/hate relationship with the studio. I love them because they put out modern masterpieces. Seriously, I stand by that statement. I hate them because they seemingly conspire to turn every living, breathing adult in the world into a weeping puddle on the floor.
Toy Story 3. Finding Nemo. Up. Coco. I rarely cry so much in my real life as I do in a Pixar movie. And good lord, Turning Red may be in my top five sobbing movie experiences. And that is saying something.
This film expertly speaks to the range of emotions felt by young girls entering into puberty. It speaks to the loss of childhood, the changing dynamics between preteens and their families, the expectations of young women entering into society, and to all of the intense emotions young women are attempting to process all at once. Turning Red honestly helped me process feelings from that time in my life that I didn’t even realize I still had!!! It is clear that this was a female-led movie and I’ve rarely felt so seen.
Although some may disagree with me, I also thought that this film still had plenty of moments that spoke to both kids and adults. While I thought Inside Out was a bit dull and heavy for kids, Turning Red still had plenty of moments that were kid-friendly, including adorable characters, a bumping soundtrack, and plenty of jokes geared toward DA YOUTS. It may not be as friendly for five year olds as say a Toy Story or a Cars, but I still think that kids of all age groups can enjoy this film. And it’s nice to see the preteen audience spoken to specifically.
This movie is glorious and I can’t recommend it any more highly. But, as with many Pixar movies, you may need to break out the box of tissues (or ten) for this one.
Rating: 9 out 10 Claire Bears
🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻
If you like this movie, you should also watch: Any Pixar movie that makes you week uncontrollably.
Streaming: Disney+
With: Rosalie Chiang, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Sandra Oh
Directed By: Domee Shi
Let Me Clarify 