I watched this touching and funny Pixar flick with two of my daughters, one is almost 12 and the other almost 2. They both liked it for different reasons, and while I thought some of the concepts may have been too sophisticated or abstract for kids to fully grab onto, they kept watching, and that’s a success in this house.
In Toronto, of all places, (specifically in Chinatown) Mei Lee is a typical thirteen-year-old, which is to say that she has a squad of girlfriends who all love the same Boy Band, all are dealing with hormones, bullies and the natural acrimony with parents that comes with puberty.
But unlike her other friends, Mei is stuck in that familiar tough spot that children of Asian immigrants often have to navigate: balancing the “duty” to her parents and ancestors while trying to do the “normal” teen things that are particular to North America.
The main narrative gimmick, and it’s where the fun and chaos lie, is that when Mei gets too excited about a given situation, she turns into a cute, but big and fluffy Red Panda. It’s like the Hulk, but red instead of green and she can change back into a human, also like Hulk.
The film deals with early teen issues gently and comically. Will the girls get to go to that Boy Band concert from which Mei has been forbidden? Will they come up with an ingenious way to raise money using Mei’s liability as strength? Will the bully have a change of heart or get his comeuppance? Gosh, I’ll never tell.
But the animation is as good as you’d expect from Pixar, the story does a good job of representing diversity and mixing real life conundrums with…well, with a girl who can change into a red Panda. I liked that balance.
Turning Red can be seen on digital platforms, in addition to Disney+ (with subscription).
