On March 11, 2022, Disney Pixar’s latest animated film, Turning Red, debuts on Disney+. This coming-of-age feature — set in Toronto in 2002 — focuses on 13-year-old Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang) who is dealing with the typical chaos and drama of being a teenager while also trying to remain a dutiful daughter to an overbearing, overprotective mother (Ming – voice of Sandra Oh). When it all becomes too much for the adolescent, Mei Lee finds herself transformed into a giant red panda.

GIANT PROBLEM – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” 13-year-old Mei Lee “poofs” into a giant panda when she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS). Featuring Rosalie Chiang as the voice of Mei Lee, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

This Mulan meets Teenwolf narrative is all too familiar and predictable. Watch the original 1985 comedy Teenwolf starring Michael J. Fox —if you didn’t watch it a million times as a kid and have it forever stored in your memory— before or after watching Turning Red and tell me you don’t see all the parallels between the two films. Personally, I found it a bit distracting. As a Gen-Xer, it is getting tiring seeing so many of our childhood films, tv shows, etc. being remade or rebooted. Hollywood is running out of original ideas. I always saw Pixar as a creator of inventive and creative storytelling. So I find it disappointing that this film came from the same studio that created Toy Story.

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” 13-year-old Mei Lee, a confident-but-dorky teenager, is surviving the mayhem of middle school with a little help from her tightknit group of friends. Featuring the voices of (from left to right) Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Priya, Rosalie Chiang as Mei, Ava Morse as Miriam, and Hyein Park as Abby, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

I understand that myself and fellow Gen-Xers are not the target audience for Turning Red but who is? Is it current adolescents and tweens? If so, then why is it set in 2002–twenty years ago? The N’Sync styled boy band 4-town that Mei Lee and her friends obsess over would spark nostalgia to those now in their 20s-30s (maybe to the Gen-X New Kids On The Block fans as well). These are generations that might watch it with their kids who are entering the tween or adolescent stage. It would be interesting to get their opinions of this film when it drops on Disney+.

INTRODUCING 4*TOWN — Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red” introduces 13-year-old Mei, a confident-but-dorky teenager who—along with her friends—is eternally devoted to the boy band 4*Town. Mei and her friends will do anything to get tickets to 4-Town’s upcoming concert. Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (“Finding Dory”), “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

The feature does have some positive attributes like having a non-white non-American protagonist. It is refreshing to have a film set in Canada with diverse characters. The focus of the film also seems to center around female relationships — Mei Lee’s group of friends (no Mean Girls hierarchy in this group), Mei Lee’s relationship with her mother and Ming’s relationship with her own mother and sisters. I will remain quiet about other plot points and details to avoid spoilers.

LIFE IS GOOD – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” 13-year-old Meilin Lee is happy with her friends, school and, well, most of the time her family—until the day when she begins to “poof” into a giant red panda at decidedly inconvenient times. Featuring Rosalie Chiang as the voice of Meilin, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
FRIENDS FOREVER – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” 13-year-old Mei Lee, a confident-but-dorky teenager with a tightknit group of friends who are passionate about a boy band called 4-Town. Featuring the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Hyein Park as Mei, Miriam, Priya and Abby, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
WE’VE GOT YOUR (FLUFFY) BACK – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” everything is going great for 13-year-old Mei—until she begins to “poof” into a giant panda when she gets too excited. Fortunately, her tightknit group of friends have her fantastically fluffy red panda back. Featuring the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Hyein Park as Mei, Miriam, Priya and Abby, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
MOTHER, PLEASE! — Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red” introduces 13-year-old Mei Lee and her mother, Ming. They’ve always been close, so when Mei begins showing interest in typical teenager things—like boys, for example—Ming is a little (or a lot) tempted to overreact. Featuring Rosalie Chiang as the voice of Mei Lee, and Sandra Oh as the voice of Ming, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
MOTHER’S NATURE – In Disney and Pixar’s all-new original feature film “Turning Red,” confident-but-dorky teenager Mei Lee is torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And Mei Lee’s mother has very strong feelings about it all. Featuring Rosalie Chiang as the voice of Mei Lee, and Sandra Oh as the voice of Mei Lee’s mother, Ming, “Turning Red” will debut exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) on March 11, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Overall, Turning Red is OK. If I had to grade it, I guess I would give it a C. However, I would consider watching it again to see if I can get past the whole Teenwolf thing (which perhaps the filmmakers were unaware of) and see if it grows on a Gen-Xer like myself. I am curious as to what others in my generation (and younger) think of this film.

My recommendation — if you have Disney+, I definitely recommend you watch Turning Red and form your own opinion. I would love to know what you think.

Disney Pixar’s Turning Red debuts on March 11th on Disney+.

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