Last night, I watched Pixar’s Turning Red. I had been so hyped for this and I really hoped that it wouldn’t disappoint. I was ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY!!! Everything from the storyline, characters, Red Panda lore, and style of animation was just so well done. Plus, it's set in Toronto!!!! By the end of the movie, I didn’t want it to end. The director, Domee Shi, and the rest of the cast and crew really did a phenomenal job and knocked it out of the park…. an instant classic! I’m sure a number of you may know the storyline from the trailers and ads. Here’s a quick recap from Disney:
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Mei Lee is a 13-year-old girl who is torn between being her mother's obedient daughter and the chaos of her youth. As if that were not enough, when she gets too excited, she turns into a big red panda.”
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One of the many reasons I was so excited for this film isn’t just because its animal-focused. When I saw last summer that it was set in Toronto I was so hyped. I originally thought maybe they would incorporate the Toronto Zoo somehow since it has Red Pandas as well in addition to the fact that Toronto is an AWESOME city! Some of you may remember that I visited in 2017 and went to
Canada’s Wonderland, the
Zoo, and the ROM. Next time I’m in Toronto I want to spend some more time in the ROM’s
Gallery of Chinese Architecture because they had some really unique pieces that were like Mei’s family temple in the film.
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Perhaps my favorite aspect of Turning Red is the exaggerated faces that the characters make which really makes this animation style work. The film uses a lot of anime inspiration for added effect such as the huge eyes when the characters see something they really like such as kittens. This is particularly evident when Mei shows the rest of her squad the 4*Town brochure at the beginning. I thought Mei was going to be the funniest character and indeed she was! The part where she runs home from school after she poofs into her Red Panda form was absolutely hilarious! I haven’t LOL’d that hard since watching the scene where Boo chases Sully in Monsters Inc and that was way back in 2001. In terms of humorous characters and moments, Ming, Mei’s mom was perhaps 2nd. She has several moments where she looks funny. However, you don’t want her to get mad!!! Mei’s friends Abby, Priya and Miriam are great too. They each have their own unique different personalities which help Mei control her inner panda.
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One thing that I found out was really awesome was that, unlike a regular Red Panda which is long and tubular, due to living a mostly arboreal lifestyle Mei’s panda design is chunky and bear-like. This was fascinating to me because figure-wise she looked like the extinct
Giant Raccoon (Chapalmalania altefrontis) from the Pliocene. Mei’s Red Panda was a little larger than the Giant Raccoon which was the
largest Procyonid to ever exist. The scene with Tyler’s birthday party was intense and made me realize I’m glad
Chapalmalania is extinct especially after encountering a ferocious raccoon at night last spring!
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Also, I found out not too long ago was that there actually used to be Red Pandas in America! They’ve found fossils in Tennessee and Florida that date from the Miocene. The specific related species from Tennessee was larger and named
Pristinailurus bristoli. Its reconstructed skeleton can be seen at the
Gray Fossil Site.
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The final showdown of the film was completely different than what I originally thought would happen. It gave off vibes from the conclusion of the first Incredibles. The main conflict is resolved and everything goes back to normal. The finale at the end with the bamboo forest was so well done. The attention detail is meticulous and I could really tell that the bamboo species was
‘Moso’ Phyllostachys edulis. The design of the family temple was really interesting and Mei’s family history with the Red Panda was well written. I really want there to be a sequel but it would have to be just as original and unique as this first one to work. I want to see Mei & her friends go on a cross-country adventure or maybe create their own band group and go on tour.
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After watching the film, I watched the documentary all about how they made it titled “Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red”. It gives a great behind-the-scenes look at how they created the movie from start to finish. In final, I would suggest this movie to anyone. Several zoos are promoting the film including
Nashville,
San Francisco (where the zoo's Red Pandas were used as references by the animators), and of course
Toronto! Now I want to do one of those Red Panda encounters at a zoo where you get to meet them close up. I'm glad that the species is gaining attention. Hopefully, this movie will help others realize that they're special and raise awareness of the plight of Red Pandas in the wild. Now you’ve read my review…. what are you waiting for??? Go watch Turning Red! What species do you think your “inner panda” would be? I think for me it’d be a Sarus Crane, Adjutant Stork, or Gaur!
Final Score & Rating: A+ 10/10
If you don’t mind me asking, what is something you liked and didn’t like about the film?
I’m glad I do see others like yourself actual feel in a similar way about it as I did. I’ve seen people say it’s either the best Batman or it being complete garbage, seeming a bit extreme to me haha
I thoroughly loved the BTAS, it was always on in my home and it came out just as I was young kid. Batman in that iteration, as well as this new version, is definitely living up to the World’s Greatest Detective moniker and it shows how although far from perfect, he is constantly thinking and trying to make the puzzle piece to fit together.
