Turning into a red panda every time you experience strong emotions has got to be exhausting. In the movie “Turning Red,” this is exactly Mei Lee’s situation. “Turning Red,” a coming-of-age film about a 13-year-old girl named Mei Lee, is a movie that has gained popularity ever since its release in late February. She soon finds out that she has other problems aside from just her strict mother. When she experiences intense emotions she turns into a giant red panda. Throughout the movie, you get to see Mei change from obeying her mother’s every word to living a chaotic life with her friends. It shows great relationships between Mei and her friends as well as with her parents. It is also very relatable and can teach us things we wouldn’t expect from a movie like this.
Most students said they enjoyed the movie for its accurate representations and character designs. Skye Alvarado said, “it showed accurate Asian-living in Canada and had a creative animation.” She went on to further say that the beginning of the movie was okay, but the ending concluded everything wonderfully. “The middle of it was a drag, but the ending was amazing!” said Alvarado. The character relationships and the resolution of their problems added a nice touch. Many other people also agreed that the ending of the movie was the best part. Many said the beginning was slow, or even “cringe,” but it ended well. From the relationships to the remix song at the end, it was a very good movie that most would watch again.
Most Disney movies are enjoyable for all ages, and fun to watch with the entire family. “Turning Red” was exactly that: interesting and comedic. While this movie is funny it also teaches many lessons and can explain to us a lot about self-acceptance. Dawn Kahunahana explains that “it’s both comedic and heartfelt” which is very accurate. This movie was a rollercoaster of emotions and could either have you laughing or crying. Kahunahana also continues to say, “it is able to explain that you are who you are, [and] to just accept it instead of holding it back.” Surprisingly, “Turning Red” is able to explain much about self-acceptance not just through the panda, but through Mei’s need to impress her mother. This being with grades or behavior, she was always working too hard to seem perfect.
Finally, “Turning Red” showed a great representation of friendship and close family bonds. Mei and her friends were very close and their friendship was represented very well. Faith Carrillo said, “it showed how her friends had her back. They allowed her to live her life and have fun.” Having close bonds with friends and being able to have fun with your life is important. This movie can connect with many people who aren’t allowed to live their life the way they want because of their parents like Mei’s. Though Carrillo goes on to say that, “having characters you can relate to makes the movie more enjoyable.” She explains that Mei’s parents are very relatable as many parents are strict and don’t let their kids do whatever they want. It is also easy for people living in Asian homes to relate to this movie. Being able to relate to a movie makes it much more enjoyable.
“Turning Red” is a fun movie for everyone, and overall very captivating. With its relatability and interesting plot, this movie is highly recommended. Many students agreed that “Turning Red is a good movie,” some even said they would watch it again. It represented relationships well and Mei’s personality was very fitting. It was an overall great movie and I see no reason why you shouldn’t watch it.
The Cougar Connection 