Turning Red
Year: 2022
Rating: PG
Length: 100 minutes / 1.67 hours
I’ll give Pixar credit for taking on a challenging subject like puberty. Of course, they also played it safe by making it modern enough that there are computers and cell phones, but not so modern that social media is a big issue. Oh, to long for that early 2000s nostalgia. While I couldn’t relate to the gender issues presented in this movie, I definitely experienced late puberty around the film’s timeframe. And perhaps that’s why I found Turning Red (2021) so funny: they nailed a lot of the popular cultural elements.
Also, as a guy, I actually found a lot of the “period humor” to be hilarious as well. Perhaps because it’s somewhat embarrassing, but also a totally natural part of growing up, these jokes had me laughing out loud. Or, maybe my humor is just a bizarre combination of memes and puns. Probably the latter (gotta love all the multiple meanings of “Turning Red”). Still, this movie is a good jumping-off point for talking to my children about these changes that will eventually happen. Anything to aid in these inevitable conversations is a welcome addition in my book.
Visually, it is interesting to see a CGI movie like this use a style that’s grounded in a more 2-dimensional aesthetic. The CalArts “jellybean mouth” style of animation has been around for many years (with a notable example being Adventure Time), but its cartoony look clashes a little with the extremely realistic settings that Pixar can produce. Plot-wise, Turning Red is a bit simple, relying on Asian parent and child stereotypes just enough to get the point across. Ultimately, Turning Red has a lot going for it, but other movies have also done this kind of “coming of age” bit as well.
Some funny early 2000s nostalgia fused with a potentially taboo subject, I give Turning Red 3.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
