Domee Shi’s "TURNING RED"
Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald
I’m predisposed to like Pixar movies both for myself and for my kids and grandkids. I love that they put so much effort into the animation, the stories, and the voicing. Turning Red is another triumph for the studio but admittedly it’s not for a little kids, not because it’s “inappropriate” but because much of the story’s foundation and source for dramatic conflict– and humor – will just fly over little ones’ heads.
As a parent of a daughter who was an adolescent many years ago this movie really resonates with me. For one thing, it takes teenagers in their concerns seriously without having to veer into the territory of crude or vulgar language or situations.
If you’ve been an adolescent girl or the parent of an adolescent girl, much of this movie rings true despite the occasional zaniness and chaos that really good Pixar films are famous for.
Add to this occasionally stunning animation and we have a real winner here. Watch, for example, the reflections on the car windows as Mei is driven in a family car by her mother at night. Or watch the cooking scene where the dad makes dinner. Beautiful stuff!
The movie surprisingly has an unexpected and spectacular action filled ending that brings together a weird combination of elements including Chinese ancestry that may be unfamiliar to some Western audience members. But that’s OK. When a Pixar female-run creative team decides to press the edge of the envelope, the wilder the better in my opinion.
A key theme of the movie is the sensitive treatment of female puberty. Not having seen many of those in my movie-going experience I really enjoyed Pixar’s fresh approach and was especially amused watching Mei’s mother’s reaction. (Another great treatment of puberty is the animated Japanese film Only Yesterday, but that’s told from the perspective of a grown woman looking back.)
Turning Red is a real triumph of the genre, in spite of (or because of?) its zaniness. Highly recommended.
Movie review (c) 2022 by Dennis D. McDonald