Turning Red

As someone who has paid close attention to Pixar’s depiction and representation of people of color over the years, it always comes as a delightful surprise to see announcements of films including various ethnicities. This year, Disney and Pixar studios gave Domee Shi a chance to create her own feature film after her Award-winning Academy success for her short film, Bao. As a Chinese-Canadian, Domee Shi wrote and directed Bao to express the feeling of a mother seeing her child grow into an adult, moving on to create a whole new life for themselves. Her short film is remarkably animated and well written, with characters able to emotionally attach audiences in only 8 minutes. Shi shows talent and potential for her future as an animator-director, and the reputation grows in a way with her newest film, Turning Red, featuring an Asian-Canadian young girl making her way through the journey of adolescence and the change that comes with it. As a child grows during an age that revolves around boy bands and popularity, Mai Lee has to deal with being the perfect daughter her mother expects of her, but with so much on her plate, she now has to worry about the fact that she is now transforming into a red panda if too excited. 

Like most Pixar films, Turning Red begins by introducing our protagonist right off the bat with the help of the refreshing animation of characters and the world the film is set in. This bubbly yet absorbing introduction is, in a way, perfect for this type of film as it establishes the target demographic and introduces characters we will follow for a majority of the film. And to speak on the animation once again, it is greatly appreciated to see, in some measure, a new style of animation to construct a world and its characters. The busy colors expel enthusiastic tones, working side by side with the quirky lineup of charmingly written characters. The technical animation itself is practically flawless, specifically the highly detailed work done shot for shot. Follicles of hair or the photorealistic animation throughout the film are especially breathtaking. Incredible work and execution by the Pixar Animation team as it does not fail to surprise and entrance anyone wanting to appreciate skillfully crafted animation. 

But it would be unfair not to mention the performances as well, especially seeing how entertaining and fitting each actor is for their role. Rosalie Chiang alone puts on such an energetic performance as Mai Lee, going above and beyond what was expected to see. Her overall performance is pleasurable and her chemistry with the rest of the characters is also a plus, notably Mai Lee’s comedically written friend group. It’s such joy whenever any character joins the screen since each character is flowing with an immense amount of charisma at any given time. But what makes each enjoyable character such a joy to watch is the writing by Domee Shi and Julia Cho which they absolutely nail. Domee Shi has been one to use specific foods or animals or objects to represent an underlying message, whether it be a personified dumpling for a growing child, or in Turning Red, Mai Lee’s puberty and hormones disguised by the fluffy red panda. I find her methods brilliant, and especially for children, it’s a great way to spread a message or even a relatable story. But the disappointment, or rather the slight flops of this film belong to the linear or albeit far too simplistic plot and message. Its message feels too on the head even for a children’s film and with a plot consisting of less than engaging elements, the energy, and vibrancy of the film dwindles slowly as it progresses. And dare I say, even with a runtime of 100 minutes, I’d say this film would benefit from a slight cut down on its runtime as it feels the plot drags on which dulls the vibe as a whole. But the small mishaps and errors contained in this film do not at all sabotage the landing, and for the most part, Domee Shi’s latest film is a quaint picture consisting of a relatable message for children reaching the age of Mai Lee. 

Ultimately, Turning Red becomes a nice surprise at the end. It’s filled with beautiful animation to attract and visually please, a refreshing underlying message to those experiencing the everyday challenges of adolescence and writing to amuse adults and children. It is a charming film that suffers from some overused tropes and cliches, but the overall representation of Asian-Canadians is highly respectable and creates a warm center for the film. Turning Red is those looking to keep any child quiet for a while, but as for avid Pixar fans, it’s a film that does not raise the bar and it settles as more than an adequate animated film. I can’t say it’s a film deserving of consecutive viewings, but nevertheless, it leaves a significant mark for Domee Shi and leaves some eager to see what she might end up directing next.