Pixar’s Turning Red is a heartwarming coming of age story that is sure to give viewers all the feels as it is jampacked with relatable moments.
Pixar’s Turning Red many not be coming to theaters, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an incredibly well done movie worthy of the big screen — because it is. Not only is this film visually stunning with an animated style that is heavily inspired by anime, it is tells a wonderful coming of age story that will have many parents, and kids, relating to it.
In Turning Red, Mei Lee finds herself growing up. With that strange things are happening to her body. She is noticing that she is smelly and hair is everywhere. Oh yeah, she also turns into a giant red panda whenever she is overwhelmed with emotions.
Mei must learn to deal with this new version of herself physically, while struggling to figure out who she is as a person. Does she love boy bands and hanging out with her friends? Or does she want to be a mama’s girl and do everything her mother tells her to do, even if that means passing on the things she enjoys?
One of the best things about this movie is that Pixar is unafraid to dive headfirst into the puberty comparisons. There is period talk, BO talk, and even some gyrating talk. Yes, they use the word gyrating – more than once. This is a very bold choice for them, but it really pays off.

All through out the movie Mei is extremely easy for me to relate to for many different reasons. As a preteen / teen I was obsessed with boy bands. OK, let’s be honest, a large chunk of me still is. I literally followed *NSYNC around the country and worked two jobs to support my concert habit. I also had a group of ride or die friends and butted heads with my mother. What teenage girl doesn’t?
In Turning Red Mei is just trying to find herself as she comes of age — a journey she is not the first to go on, and definitely won’t be the last. Once puberty hits we all grow up, a little at a time, and we change. We might not like the same things and we certainly want to a little break from our parents, especially if they are overbearing. While Mei’s mother, Ming, is only trying to help her daughter, it doesn’t always come off that way. Another very common occurrence between mothers and their children.

All of that is going to be relatable for the majority of teenage girls (and boys because they go through puberty too), but what really hit for me was the unbreakable bond that she has with her friends, and her struggle to keep her relationship with her mother strong while also exploring who she is inside. Mei, Priya, Miriam, and Abby do everything together — which is beautifully expressed in the animation as their bodies literally move in sync with one another.
This is where a lot of the comedic relief in Turning Red comes from, and it is impossible not to love these girls, despite their flaws. Sneaking around behind their parents’ backs isn’t something that should be condoned, but it is entertaining to watch. The mother in me wanted to get upset with Pixar for showing my daughters how to do this, but in the end, I am okay with it because of how it all plays out.
That being said, I also relate to the events of Turning Red from Ming’s point of view. I am a mom of girls myself and with two daughters quickly approaching that puberty age, I want nothing more than to keep them close to me as long as I can so that I can protect them if they need it. It is almost a motherly instinct to shelter them from the cruel realities of the world as long as we possibly can — even if we know it will eventually come to an end.
Not everything about this movie is perfect, however. It hits on some pretty overused tropes like a teenager dealing with an overbearing mother, but it saves itself with the reasoning behind Ming’s actions. Before being a mother myself, I might not have completely understood where she is coming from, but I do now. I might not like it, but I get it.

I will say that Turning Red feels very much like a movie for young girls and their friends, and their mothers. Fathers and young boys will enjoy it as well, I believe, because this time in our lives is something we have all gone through (for the most part). I love that this movie exists. It is the perfect way to show kids that crazy hormones and changes are normal when hit that age, and they shouldn’t be hidden away and not talked about.
The themes surrounding Mei and Ming specifically are going to hit a lot of people hard — right in the heart. It is so easy for us to teach our offspring what we know, and keep that cycle going, but Turning Red is about breaking it. This is the most powerful message that came through for me. For my girls? Their takeaway was that everyone goes through puberty, and you aren’t alone — so don’t be scared.
Another issue is that a few key plot points are very predictable, but in all honesty this is the case for most movies geared towards children. The point is to lay the groundwork so that when the time comes, everything that happens is believable. Which Turning Red is successful at. That being said, there are also quite a few beats at the end that took me by complete surprise — in the best way possible.
Related: Creating 4*Town: The Boy Band Of Pixar’s Turning Red
We can’t talk about Turning Red without talking about boy bands and pop music. The songs are written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas and all three of them are super catchy. If you are not dancing around your living during the credits, you need to learn to allow yourself to be happy.
The group 4-Town is a major part of the story, but as a mother who went to many concerts in my day, it is hard to relate to Ming’s opinion of the band. Even my mother, who had to deal with my boy band obsession, never was cruel like that. She was always understanding, even if she thought I was a bit crazy.
I personally love the addition of 4-Town because it perfectly relates to my childhood. However I can see how those who don’t get obsessed with music groups like this might find the circumstances surrounding their inclusion and bit far fetched (trust me, it isn’t). Turning Red is sure to make them a part of the story, but is still able to focus on Ming and Mei’s relationship, and the changes that Mei is going through. This is one of my favorite things about the film, because it very easily could have become way too much about 4-Town, and not enough about Mei.

Overall Thoughts
Clocking in at just one hour and thirty-nine minutes, Turning Red is the perfect length. Short enough to make sure that younger kids are entertained from start to finish, and never once zone out, but long enough to tell a complete and cohesive story.
This movie is highly relatable for the preteen and teenage girls crowd, along with their mothers. There could easily be some disconnect here for men and sons, however I don’t think they are the target audience for Turning Red. Along with the cringe-worthy hilarious moments, the catchy songs, and the references to going through puberty, there are a lot of heartwarming moments that are going to hit the moms particularly hard. I was moved to tears by the end of this one, and I don’t think I will be the only mother who was.
A heartwarming coming of age story that is jam packed with extremely cringey, yet relatable, moments. Mothers and daughters will likely relate more than others, but still a great family friendly film in which Pixar pushes the envelope a bit.
Rating: 4 out of 5
NEXT: How Anime Inspired Pixar’s Turning Red
About Turning Red
Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.
And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins “Turning Red releases on March 11, 2022.
Turning Red comes exclusively to Disney+ on March 11th.

Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.