One shining point of the recent global pandemic has been the release of streaming, straight-to-TV animation. My offspring and I have loved watching animated movies at home instead of at the theater. The latest one we have been looking forward to is Turning Red. The latest Disney/Pixar project will go straight to streaming, with some limited theater release, through Disney+ on March 11th.
Thankfully, Turning Red will be free with the regular Disney+ subscription. Most of the live-action films, such as Mulan and Black Widow, released to Disney+ had a secondary paywall to view the film. Similar to Disney/Pixar’s previous films, Soul and Luca, Turning Red bypasses Disney’s “Premier Access.”
Turning Red
Turning Red follows 13-year-old Mei Lee as she enters adolescence. As a girl who tries to please her parents yet lives her truth, Mei seemed to have it all figured out. Until the day arrived that she suddenly turned in a giant red panda. It is a day that most girls fear.
Mei’s mother tells her it is a family trait, going back generations. The deep connection with the red panda causes Mei to transform whenever her emotions go wild. Which, for a 13-year-old girl, can be quiet often. The trailer shows that instead of being scared, Mei’s friends love her panda side. It makes sense because being a fluffy red panda looks awesome. One friend is especially envious that Mei now has a tail. Relatable.
In a way, Turning Red picks up where 2015’s Inside Out left off. In that movie, Riley’s puberty lay on the horizon, whereas Mei’s just begun. Set in Toronto during the early 2000s, Mei’s Chinese-Canadian heritage brings a fresh voice to mainstream animation. Plus we need more coming-of-age stories for girls. Because being 13 is a lot to deal with.
(featured image: Disney)
