Ray J's Review - Disney & Pixar's "Turning Red" (Streaming on Disney +)

To puberty....and beyond🎬😂 Good morning everyone! Today I will be reviewing the just released Disney-Pixar film "Turning Red", which in case you haven't realized yet, openly, yet also vaguely discusses the topic of periods and puberty in the most brilliant of ways😅

The film revolves around spirited thirteen year old Meilin Lee or "Mei" for short (voiced by Rosalie Chang), who strives for perfection in almost every way to keep her mother, Ming (voiced by Sandra Oh) feeling impressed. Mei, along with her equally as spunky tight knit group of girl-friends, Miriam, Priya, and Abby are at that age when their bodies begin to, well, um, feel a certain way. They are also huge fans of the boyband 4*Town, who just happen to be making a tour stop in Toronto, and they are freaking the freak out! One morning Meilin wakes up to notice something strange has happened to her body...she has transformed into a big *RED* panda. Mei soon learns that she is able to control when she turns into the red panda, coming to the conclusion that she only transforms when her emotions are at a heightened level. However, once her mother finds out, Mei learns that all of the women in her family have received this transformation as a blessing (or in her mind, a curse) from an ancient ancestor named Sun Yee. Not knowing what to think at first, Meilin is soon relieved to learn that there is a cure for this Red Panda transformation, and that it can be taken away via ritual and placed in a talisman, but only on the night of a Red Moon. While her mother firmly believes that this transformation isn't a good thing, Mei soon begins to realize that this awkward gift stowed upon her, could truly be a blessing in disguise🙂

Ok, so I'll admit, I really wasn't completely sure about this movie at first, but the more it went on, the more I began to enjoy it, and appreciate it😄

As I mentioned, and it's clear throughout the entire film "Turning Red's" central theme is coming of age, and puberty. Some things are spoken in a very outright way, such as the mentioning of tampon pads, while other subjects are dealt with in a more vague way. Now I'm not saying this isn't a good movie to watch with kids, but I'd say that it's definitely more appropriate for the older kid crowd, than the pre-school crowd. There actually is a bit of language too, (which we've seen before in Pixar movies), but it seems more present here.

Even though "Turning Red" is set in 2002, it somewhat feels like nostalgic crack for 90's kids😂 The film features three original songs performed by the first ever Pixar fictional boyband, 4*Town, and written by Billie Eillish + Finneas O'Connell. While the catchy songs surely give off N*Sync/Backstreet Boys vibes, the film's music score, composed by Ludwig Gorannsson is the true standout.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying that "Turning Red" is one of my favorite Pixar films, it is for sure a bold, and entertaining delight.

Consensus: "Turning Red" is a cheeky, and accomplished treat from Pixar, but beware you may have to answer some awkward questions from curious kiddos🤷‍♂️

The Ray J's Reviews Rating Is

5 out of 5 Lime Green Hearts

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