We are all the product of those who came before us, whether we try or not, we have traits that are passed onto us, taught to us, and shown to us by our parents, mentors, guardians, and even our peers. And while these help shape us into the people we need to become, there is a harsh reality that sometimes those people, and even we ourselves, cross a line, and try to shape the lives of others. And that is something we need to stop doing.
Turning Red has a few messages in its story. The personal fear of bodily change, the necessity to let go of perfection, and what I want to talk about today, the need to let children grow up independently of ourselves. This movie has a strong message geared towards that adolescent struggle for independence and the parental struggle for control.
What starts as a metaphor for puberty then turns into a story of a daughter, who has spent her whole life working to please her mother, trying to break out and become her own person with her own dreams, goals, and interests. And as a result it also becomes the story of a mother who wants to protect and guide her daughter, learning to see where the boundary is too far and learning to let go and let her daughter be free.
And there are very real moments in this movie, that, were this movie not geared towards children, could have been far more traumatic than they were. Mei Mei (Rosalie Chiang) turns to numerous sign of teenage rebellion: sneaking around, hiding aspects of herself from her parents, living two lives, and cracking under pressure. And when Mei Mei cracks, it’s a lot more obvious.
The Panda in this movie is a metaphor for so many things, but it is especially true of shame. When learning to be themselves, it is often embarrassing under certain circumstances, but incredibly freeing in others. And to watch those children learn to embrace that weirder side of themselves is sometimes incredibly inspiring, especially as it helps forge close relationships with those around them.
But on the other side, it makes them hide from those who they feel will not approve of their lives, and often don’t. And this is the big lesson that Turning Red teaches: children are not their parents. And by keeping children contained within a certain bubble, parents actually do more harm than good. And that causes children to rebel, shut down, and experience underdevelopment of their maturity, and social skills.
So here is my solution, if a child shows an interest, even if you don’t understand it, try to keep an open mind. Try to see that just because they aren’t your interests doesn’t mean they aren’t good and may in fact lead to a better life as a result. All children grow up at some point, how they survive that process is up to those who raise them and show them the way.
Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:
Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain
Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.
So here is my breakdown for Turning Red:
Voice Acting: The voice cast in this one is good but not outstanding. While the representation by Asian actors is absolutely phenomenal, a majority of the characters don’t have the chance ot develop enough to be completely memorable. But Mei Mei and her friends are all an instant high point. (7/10)
Storyline: I actually felt like the plot on this one was a touch based on convenience. It was certainly fun, but I do wish there was more development and time given to some of the relationships that drive this story forward, and conflicts resolve quickly in some cases and very slowly in others. (7/10)
Worldbuilding: The best part of this was the legend that started the Panda transformation, and how that cultural mythology was present in so much of the movie. But beyond that, the way this continues the much needed normalization of Asian characters telling Asian stories that are not just about race is so powerful and so wonderful to see. (9/10)
Most Memorable Scene: I mean the climax of this movie is just so fun, between the battle of multiple pandas, the goofy camp of the boy band 4-Town, and the high stakes that come from the ticking clock of the red moon, the whole thing just works really well. It’s not Pixar’s best, but it also isn’t its worst either. (8/10)
Villain: What makes Ming Lee (Sandra Oh) such a good antagonist is that she’s so understood. She’s not trying to cause problems for Mei Mei, but her personal desire to keep Mei Mei contained and sheltered, even if well intentioned, is what causes a lot of the plot to unfold and triggers Mei Mei’s reaction. And yet she’s still very human, relatable, and complete as a character. (8/10)
Total Score: 39/50
Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Luca
Monsters, Inc.
Soul
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Turning Red
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars
Hey, I finally saw the new Pixar movie! It’s been a little while since I released one of these so I’m glad I finally got around to it. Hopefully you all still enjoy the Pixar movies as much as I do. I hope the next one is just as a good!
So, until then, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 