The Hype for Pixar’s 25th Animated Feature Turning Red was at an all-time high for me. Most of my hype for this movie came from the fact that the director of the movie would be none other than the same person who directed the outstanding 2018 Pixar Short Bao, Domee Shi. I loved her work with that short and have no trouble admitting that it made me tear up big time. When it was announced that Domee would take the reins in directing her own animated feature for the almighty studio, I was more than ecstatic to see how her unique vision would translate into an hour and a half long story. Much like Luca beforehand, this movie may not be the most groundbreaking movie the studio has made, but it was filled to the brim with so much charm and likability that the end result is something that is very hard for me to turn down.
In 2002, Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is a Chinese normal overachieving 13-year-old girl in Toronto Canada who has a hard time balancing her mom’s (Sandra Oh) wishes and her best friend's wishes. To make things even worse she wakes up one day to find that every time she gets emotional Meilin transforms into a giant red panda. Her mom watches over her constantly to make sure Meilin doesn’t transform but Meilin may soon discover that she might like the new person she is turning into but is hesitant to wonder if her mom would approve of all the new changes.
This is a film that goes for a specific tone and style that is radically different from Pixar’s most well-known works. From the very beginning, the film hits you with a passionate dose of energy that is unlike anything seen in Pixar before. Chinese influences, Canadian Culture, and Early 2000’s pop culture references are all bundled into one package that may not be timeless but it's surprisingly irresistible and does not overstay its welcome so the main conflict and lovable characters can take the forefront. There will be some funny moments and heartfelt moments but the film is for the most part very fast and peppy. Heck, it's probably the first time that there is a Pixar story where the main Character breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience about her feelings. The stakes are lower and the movie isn’t necessarily a tear-jerker like you’d experience in Inside Out or the Toy Story movies. If I did have a slight nitpick I’d say that the third act confrontation seemed a little overblown and out of place but was still entreating regardless. Still, this is a unique kind of Pixar movie that breaks some of the studio's well-known rules but still keeps true to others that made the company a powerhouse of quality entertainment.
The characters of Turning Red may not be the most complex or deep, but they are so dang irresistible and charming that they get by so well without a second thought. Melin Lee is such a charming protagonist as she is spunky but also comes with her own set of challenges outside of turning into a red panda. Ming Lee is Meilin’s mother and I appreciate how they give a balance of her being strict but also understandable as a character. Meilin’s friends Miriam Priya and Abby while a little annoying at times are also very likable and funny too. I personally like how there are no evil bad people and everyone has their faults and triggers. These characters make the adventures of going through puberty change feel more entertaining compared to puberty change in real life.
The animation style is littered with director Domee Shi’s visual art style that was already shown to us in her short film Bao. Human characters are very different looking than the ones in the Toy Story movies or even The Incredibles. One thing I admire about the characters is how their eyes are animated. They are so big and expressive and they managed to include details like little white sparkles or sometimes little cartoony symbols in the eyes that feel very similar to what you’d see in a Japanese anime. Even the background designs are very stylistic to Domee Shi’s style as buildings and locations are shaped so differently to make the animation more unique than most Pixar films. Almost every Pixar movie while great does start to blend in together after a while so it's great to see the studio change it up with a very cartoony stylized look just like they did with Luca the previous year. Just like the story, there will be a lot of visuals reminiscent of Chinese culture and the early 2000s and they are integrated well into this movie. Add that with the unique setting of Toronto Canada and you got a Pixar film that is visually different but very expressive.
The music is composed by Ludwig Goransson as this marks the first time he has scored a Pixar film. Ludwig uses a combination of traditional orchestrations, Chinese music and some music cues from the early 2000s to make a different and unique score that is of the times in a good way. The movie also features some songs that are sung by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell who represent the fictional boy band 4-Town in the movie. The songs are very inspired by other early 2000s boyband songs and they capture that feeling almost shockingly well. This music is different from the rest but still interesting overall.
This movie is probably the most specific movie that Pixar has ever made. It may not be able to speak to everyone as the pop culture references may catch younger viewers off guard and the tone and style may hit more to home for millennials than older crowds, but Turning Red still carries the spirit and creative energy that Pixar is most well known for. Its simple but its effective, It's also a time capsule for early 2000s culture but in a great way, if this kind of premise was given to an incompetent director it could have been so easy to make this pandering and annoying but Domee Shi understands that the audience deserves to have a charming story that has likable characters and interesting dilemmas. If Shi is planning to make any more movies after this I would love to see them, especially if the animation is reminiscent of her art style. I may not love this movie as much as Domme Shi’s short Bao, but this movie is another winner from Pixar Animation Studios.
(Final Grade: A-)