Turning Red Movie Review: This red panda is here to steal your heart

Turning Red is a coming-of-age comedy film, directed by Domee Shi. The film features the voices of Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakishnan and Wai Ching Ho.

There is something endearing and innocent watching a panda goof around. In fact, videos of pandas slipping and stumbling clock millions of views on the Internet. It doesn't come as a surprise that the animal is at the centre of yet another (after King Fu Panda) creative universe. This time, the story revolves around 13-year-old Mei (voice of Rosalie Chiang), who wakes up one day to realise that she has turned into a giant red panda. What is interesting is the analogy and the metaphorical nature of her embracing her puberty and the fact that now she's turned into this red furry creature.

The film looks stunning with the palette it uses - be it the animation or capturing the nook and corner of the Chinese community in Toronto, US. There is minute attention to detail in bringing these characters to life. Just because they are Asian doesn't mean they all need to be in the same hue. Director Domee Shi invests a lot of effort in extracting op-notch performances, especially in making their eyes talk. Mei and her mother (voice of Sandra Oh) have beautiful expressive eyes which capture your attention in an instant.

Here's the trailer of Turning Red:

Turning Red also deals with a myriad of topics like anxiety, insecurity, teenage angst, self-love, peer pressure and so much more. The fact that we see a giant red panda stuck in odd situations through most of the film makes it an engaging watch. The film's deeper messages of how we end up numbing our own voice to hear others out or how one self sabotages his or her dreams to suit another person's narrative is what makes the film so special.

The animation and the witty dialogues are major plus points for Turning Red. For anyone who has ever dealt with anger management issues, or felt insecure as a child, Turning Red serves as a reminder that eventually it all plays out for the best. Do give this sweet animation film a watch.

Turning Red is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

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