Turning Red Review (Spoilers)

Turning Red is the latest Pixar film to release on Disney Plus, and it is another hit for the studio. This film is a coming of age story following a teenage girl called Meillin Mei Lee, who's parents run one of the oldest temples in Toronto. But instead of honoring gods, they honor there ancestors. Mei seeks her mother's approval because she does not want to disappoint her, and she puts too much pressure on herself to achieve this. When her mother finds drawings of a boy she likes in her notebook, her mother goes to the store he works at and embarrasses Mei which causes the events of the rest of the film. That night Mei has a weird dream and in the morning we see her as the red panda. When her mother finds out about this, she has to tell her about the gift that is given to every generation. Which is they turn into a red panda. But there is a cure for this, which is a ritual that they can do when the red moon appears. The red moon will seal the red panda's spirit into a item, like her mother has the red panda spirit trapped in her necklace. But the red moon won't come until a month from then, so her mother tells her that strong emotions will trigger the red panda, and every time she turns into the red panda the harder it will be for the ritual to be successful.

This is when the film really kicks off from here. We see that Mei is able to calm herself when she is around her friends, or thinking about them. Mei and her friends want to go to see a music band, but there parents won't let them go. So they try to raise money by having Mei transform into the red panda and take photos and videos to sell. They also make a lot of money off the merchandise they make as well. When they do finally raise the money for the tickets, they find out that the concert is on the same night as the red moon, when the ritual is suppose to take place. When Mei does do the ritual, she chooses to embrace the red panda and not let it go. Her mother is not very happy about this and she turns into a red panda and tries to stop Mei from going to the concert. The ending is pretty epic, with a showdown between Mei and her mother, who's panda is a extraordinary size. When this encounter ends we find out that Mei's mother was just like her, who was trying to impress her mother by trying to be perfect.

What I really liked about this film was the setting in Toronto, because Mei and her family lives in China town. The area they live in is colorful, and the city feels lived in. I also like the different representations of people of color, which you don't see much of in animation films. The character's evolve throughout the film, especially Mei's mother. Her mother starts out as a controlling person, but at the end she realizes that she is putting too much pressure on her daughter. We also have Mei who starts out as a goodie too shoes, but as the film goes on she becomes rebellious and starts to think for herself. All Pixar films have a message for the viewer, and this one was to embrace change and be yourself. I like this message because it also tells you to embrace all sides of yourself, even the parts we don’t like about ourselves.

If I was to compare it with the recent Pixar films that have been released on Disney Plus, I would say it is not as good as Encanto or Luca. But it is still in my top four of my favorite Pixar films of all time. Turning Red was suppose to release in cinemas, but Disney decided to release it on there streaming platform. I believe this film would have been a hit in cinemas, just like Encanto was. This film deserved a release on the big screen, and I would have happily paid to watch it at the cinema.

Overall it was a brilliant watch and the message of the film will stay with me for a long time. The Chinese culture really suited this film, and gave it character. It is a wonderful coming of age story and I will definitely watch it again in the near future, and still be captivated by the film.

Verdict - 8/10

This is one of Pixar's best films of recent memory. It is a perfect coming of age story, and the Chinese culture represented is truly magical. If you love Pixar films, especially the last couple which were Luca and Encanto. Then you won't be disappointed in this truly breathtaking animated film by Pixar.