Turning Red is a 2022 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is directed by Domee Shi in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay written by herself and Julia Cho. The film stars the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen, and James Hong. It is the first Pixar film to be solely directed by a woman, the first to take place in Canada, and the second to feature an Asian lead character after Up. Set in Toronto, the film centers on Meilin "Mei" Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who is horrified to discover that whenever she gets too excited or stressed, she turns into a giant red panda; however, she can turn back if she becomes calm. Mei later learns from her mother Ming that her ancestors have a shared history with the species as a family curse, though the curse can be contained by performing a special ritual on one specific night which happens to coincide with a concert by her favorite boy band, 4*Town.
Inspired by Shi's experiences in Toronto, the film began development in 2018 after she pitched it to Pixar in October 2017. A special screening took place in London at Everyman Borough Yards on February 21, 2022. The film had its world premiere on March 1, 2022, and it was released on Disney+ in countries where the service is available on March 11, 2022, along with a simultaneous limited run at the El Capitan Theatre. It was released theatrically in countries without the streaming service. Originally intended to be released in theaters worldwide, further disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant resulted in the change being made. The film received critical acclaim with praise for its story, humor, animation, and use of culture.
_________________ I believe in God as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
I was blind, but now I see.
Fri Mar 11, 2022 1:55 pm
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
Re: Turning Red
A+. Pixar has made yet another masterpiece and it is a damn shame this wasn't released in theaters.
Fri Mar 11, 2022 2:25 pm
publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18879 Location: San Diego
Re: Turning Red
Yeah, this was great. Of course it'll do gangbusters on D+ but it would've been nice to see this kill in the box office. Oh well. Loved the animation and think they handled adolescence really well.
Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:31 pm
Alex Y.
Top Poster
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:47 pm Posts: 5705
Re: Turning Red
Can’t believe all the 4*Town boy band songs are from Billie Eilish and Finneas
Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:18 pm
Corpse
Don't Dream It, Be It
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 pm Posts: 37152 Location: The Graveyard
Re: Turning Red
Pretty great, indeed. A.
-Bold and honest coming-of-age story many can relate. Thankfully doesn't shy too much away from the typical experience. -Excellent unique and stylized animation. Great use of colors too. -Funny, often silly, yet knows how to portray the emotional serious moments in between. -Good parental messaging. Let kids be themselves and allow them to remain true to themselves; they're their own individuals and will figure things out. Move aside a little bit.
Feels this could be a step toward new approaches for Pixar (and hopefully animation studios as a whole, but sort of feel Pixar is the only one bold enough to do it right now) to explore for future projects too.
Hopefully 4*Town's "Nobody Like U" can hit #1 on the Billboard charts.
“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.” “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.” “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” “You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.” "Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."
Fri Mar 11, 2022 11:37 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
I really liked it except the ending, I was not sure if I liked that she kept the panda. Doesn't the panda represent like her out of control, worst most undesirable side of herself? I don't know if keeping it was the best message. But highly entertaining, heartfelt and relatable nonetheless.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:38 pm
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
Re: Turning Red
Maybe I'm the crazy one, but I don't think anybody else wanted her to get rid of the panda. As soon as her friends show acceptance towards it the question of 'if' she should keep the panda was over. I thought it was obviously symbolic that the panda is the real version of herself, while Mom (the villain of the movie) was just trying to make her a younger version of Mom, the same way her mom did before that and likely on down the road. Letting your kids be themselves v Who You Want Them To Be = Untoxic Parenting.
Last edited by Flava'd vs The World on Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:53 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
I mean there is a difference between letting you children have whatever career they want and marry whoever they want and letting your child participate in toxic behavior.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:54 pm
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
Re: Turning Red
What exactly was toxic about the panda? The way it made both Mei and everyone around her very happy?
Were you rooting for Joy to send Sadness and Anger into the pit of forgotten memories during Inside Out?
Sat Mar 12, 2022 1:59 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
Well, it made her attack the bully boy.
I honestly think a message to parents to let their children be themselves is fine, but the message of this movie really just seemed to be "f*** your parents" even though her parents didn't make her do anything toxic. Really the only thing Mei was upset about was not being allowed to have $200 concert tickets just because she wanted them. And wanting her to get good grades and help run the family business. None of which are bad things to tell your child to do (other than maybe they should pay her to help run the family business if they are not, it was unclear if they were profiting off of her labor without paying her like unfortunately far too many parents do.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 2:33 pm
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
Re: Turning Red
The Mom only approved of Mei when she was acting like a little version of herself. Any indepedent thoughts were deliberately squashed. "All her hopes and dreams are on me" is an actual quote from the movie. And she had so little self awareness that she publicly humiliated her daughter at every opportunity. There's a reason she turned into a kaiju at the end. And even after all that she still never understood why her daughter made the choices she did. Dad and Grandma were the only ones who saw what was really happening inside of Mei.
Also the bully boy totally needed to get his ass kicked and became a better person because of it.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 3:13 pm
Corpse
Don't Dream It, Be It
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 pm Posts: 37152 Location: The Graveyard
Re: Turning Red
Pretty deep messaging here about letting kids find their true selves and allowing that messy, weird, loud part out (actual quite in the movie at the end). These aren't aspects one should try to banish (as they try to do with the panda, which represents Mei's true self), because you're banishing what makes you you.
You can't just wish part of you away. It can be difficult, but that's how one grows and learns how to be themselves and accept the "inconvenient" parts of themselves (as the Mom says in the film) in a HEALTHY way. And it makes you and everyone around you better for it (look how Tyler, the bully early on, became friends with the girls by the end of the film as an example within the film, or how Mei and her Mom interact at the end).
Trying to keep all that bottled inside is what often leads to people becoming, well, all sorts of things. Emotionally cut off. Unware. Isolated. Overprotective. Close-minded. And the list goes on and on.
“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.” “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.” “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” “You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.” "Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."
Sat Mar 12, 2022 3:34 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
I also hope parents know this contains references to periods and tampons before they just let their wee ones watch it without context.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:36 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
Why is this PG? it's absolutely pg13 content. Cuz it's animated I guess. The main characters are even 13.
Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:52 pm
Rev
Romosexual!
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:06 am Posts: 32104 Location: the last free city
Re: Turning Red
A+
Fuck you Disney for not letting us see this in theaters
Zwack continues to have some of the most unhinged posts on this site. Parents should be aware there are references to TAMPONS AND PADS?!?! Holy shit dude. That's literally a part of life.
My 5 year old loved this. A, maybe A+.
_________________
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Sun Mar 13, 2022 12:43 am
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
Well, my guess is most parents don't want their children introduced to periods via Disney Plus babysitting, but if you do knock yourself out.
Unhinged, lol, for thinking that we shouldn't have lessons about the female reproductive system in movies aimed at 6 year olds. I think it's totally fine for older kids, but out of place in a PG Pixar animated movie.
Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:45 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
I do want to clarify that I really did enjoy the film's first 2 thirds and would have no problem showing it to middle school or above as long as I could talk to them about it afterward. It's very funny and the animation is gorgeous as ever.
Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:06 pm
Corpse
Don't Dream It, Be It
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 pm Posts: 37152 Location: The Graveyard
Re: Turning Red
It (puberty, and things associated with it) is only "awkward", embarrassing, and potentially offensive to some because of how we treat the topic like some taboo thing when it's not. I think the earliest Sex Ed. was taught around here was 6th grade? So, if parents haven't discussed puberty with their children by then, teachers are around ages 11-12. (Edit: Even 5th grade in some school districts, so ages 10-11 for some).
So, slapping a PG-13 rating on this with the period talk is a bit much. If a kid under 10 is questioning what that (or those) scenes meant, I would hope parents are mature enough to explain a perfectly normal human thing without ignoring it or even finding some offense to it. Not really the film's fault if they haven't yet and/or aren't mature enough to handle basic parental skills.
PG still means "parental guidance suggested", after all. They're warning you right there that it (and any other PG film) may have some content not all parents want their kids to watch alone. Puberty certainly isn't less "kid-friendly" than watching characters in Raya and the Last Dragon use swords and bows & arrows to try and harm (or kill) each other with.
“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.” “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.” “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” “You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.” "Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."
Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:37 pm
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23787 Location: Classified
Re: Turning Red
While this is probably the horniest animated film since Sausage Party, I don't it this a PG13... But I'd very interested to see what Pixar could do with that rating in a future project. It's not like Marvel's Pg13s keep the kids away right? It'd still make a ton of bank.
Sun Mar 13, 2022 9:47 pm
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20347 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Re: Turning Red
I agree technically this is a PG back in the 90's when even films like Hunchback of Notre Dame were rated G. But now everything is rated PG by default kid movie rating because G is considered "lame".
It was 5th grade for me in school too, though I don't think we learned as much about women beyond the most basic "girls don't have penises, they have vaginas" until later, it was mostly segregated by gender.
I'd honestly say its mostly on parents if they're used to letting their little kids stream stuff unsupervised that may have content they find objectionable. But a stronger warning even if they don't rate it PG13 would be nice.
Another uncomfortable scene is the one where it's clear she's getting off to the pictures she's drawing. Even if kids wouldn't understand the innuendo, it's still sketchy to have a scene of a 13 year old girl grunting potentially orgasmic noises as she draws sexy, if not pornographic, images of her kissing a 17 year old dude.
Die Geschichte der Menstruation ist eine Geschichte voller Missverständnisse.
_________________ "Acting is the only thing I'm good at." - Freddie Prinze jr.
Ator: I love you. Sunya: And I love you. Ator: Why can't we marry? Sunya: Ator, we are brother and sister. Ator: I'll talk with our father.
Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:22 am
Corpse
Don't Dream It, Be It
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 pm Posts: 37152 Location: The Graveyard
Re: Turning Red
This has become one of my favorite scores/tracks in any Disney or Pixar film.
The first half or so being a nice instrumental piece that builds into a crescendo of sorts, then we get the Chinese ritual chanting, followed by the kids beatboxing, and finally 4*Town joining in with their reprise. And then ALL of it gets mixed together perfectly for the final minute.
“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.” “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.” “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” “You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.” "Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."
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