Why does the Internet have a love-hate relationship with Pixar's Turning Red?
Disney has been making huge strides in potraying diverse cultures through its animation movies. Films like Luca, Encanto and now its latest release, Turning Red, are being loved by viewers across the world. Turning Red is Pixar's first feature-length film.
Rotten Tomatoes rates Turning Red at 94% and IMDb rates the movie at 7.1. Turning Red is available to watch on Disney+Hotstar in India.
Turning Red's depiction of traditional Chinese culture, generational trauma, puberty, 13-year-old pre-teenagers and animation design are being lauded all across the internet. Turning Red, a metaphor for menstruation ostensibly, has found takers in a lot of viewers who have struggled with puberty, generational trauma (especially cultural, societal rituals that conservative societies have around menstruation). Turning Red tackles the big red beast - the onset of periods - in the guise of a musical/comedy.
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The film also focusses on Mei and her mother Ming Lee's relationship, as well as on the bond between Mei and her best friends: Priya, Abby and Miriam. Turning Red communicates important messages about modern-day families and friendships as well as potrays the Chinese culture accurately through its characters instead of resorting to cultural appropriation.
Some key messages that audiences loved are its unfiltered showcasing of puberty, first crushes, the menstruation cycle, mother-to-daughter generational trauma as well as its depiction of Chinese aunties.
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Here is the official trailer of the movie:
On first viewing, the movie is delightfully colourful, filled with energy and exactly potrays modern-day teens. Turning Red is a joyride in itself and a fun-filled fest. And it's not just us who love the movie but the internet too.
Here is why the internet is going gaga over the film:
1. GENERATIONAL TRAUMA
#TurningRed spoilers/bruh when mei said "i've been obsessed with my mom's approval my whole life i couldn't take losing it" it's wild that they addressed this in a kid's movie because i literally learned that lesson like... just two years ago. when i was 30.
— emily hu (@emilyyyhu) March 14, 2022
I strongly recommend watching “Turning Red” on Disney+! It is such a great coming of age movie with the MOST adorable symbolism & connection to periods & how they’re commonly viewed in society. It also touches on generational trauma too. Inner child healing fr ? pic.twitter.com/gMOrIy1pOB
— ??????? ☯︎ ???? (@_gardenoflotus) March 14, 2022
*Turning Red Spoilers*As someone who has come from a line of not just generational trauma, but trauma handed down from mother to daughter through miscommunication and overt control over many generations, this scene of daughter leading mother hit me so fucking hard. pic.twitter.com/GPnwAGGobR
— ?????? ?????? ?️? comms open ? (@Crosschopper) March 13, 2022
turning red is a great example of how the hardest part of ending generational curses and radically accepting that your mother was just a byproduct of the cultural abuse she endured is seeing the same broken child that lives inside of you in her and having to learn to forgive her. pic.twitter.com/7QSaRqe4Fc
— ૮ ๑•́‧̫•̀๑ ა (@twitchyhoshi) March 14, 2022
I am loving how much #TurningRed fits in this new era of Disney realizing that their audience needs some heeling from generational trauma. Yes both #Encanto and #TurningRed have two different cultures— but they both have this strong message of healing and be yourself! pic.twitter.com/CESbVvrpzP
— Lonnie (@kaijuanie) March 11, 2022
2. MING LEE'S RESPONSE TO MEI STARTING HER PERIODS
The way I sobbed when I saw the pads in #TurningRed. Women are so often reduced to smaller versions of themselves, either sexualized or non-existent. To see a film list out different kinds of hygiene products with such normalcy was moving. pic.twitter.com/XYRcnRBDJK
— film poser™️ Josie ?? (@TheJosieMarie) March 11, 2022
People didn't like Pixar addressing a girls transition to womanhood in Turning Red.I 100% understand why some find the topic uncomfortable but there's nothing "inappropriate" or "disgusting" about a woman's period. It's a natural stage of their life. I respect Disney for this. pic.twitter.com/aQ5TGmcoaT
— JOLLY J✨ (@DynamoSuperX) March 13, 2022
Don’t think this is a spoiler, but—idk that I *ever* (as a teen) saw anything depict women’s health and care (mental & physical) with the normalcy #TurningRed does.There’s something revolutionary to that level of transparency about adolescence being HARD. pic.twitter.com/HScLJ6ew0l
— Sam, Esq. ? (@loverlydarling) March 12, 2022
3. MEI'S FRIENDS
Turning red was just as cute as i expected but on a sidenote, I like this character a lot b/c it's kinda rare to see characters who don't emote or characters who speak in a monotone voice without being the 'weird kid' pic.twitter.com/wZru5MpHUj
— Read hoofology ? (@Hoofpeet) March 14, 2022
// #TurningRed spoilersshe has such an evil face I love it ? pic.twitter.com/MJWMlyHeBC
— ?✨ (@sweet_asukal) March 11, 2022
turning red spoilers //GUYS THE GIRLS IKN THE MOVIE ALL HAVE THESE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS AND BY THE END OF IT THEY MADE ONE FOR TYLER AS WELL IM CRYING pic.twitter.com/WcNMja3C5K
— flick/willow ? (@LEMONCRATEZ) March 13, 2022
todays plus size character of the day is abby from turning red! she’s got the cutest little mischievous facial expressions i love her sm pic.twitter.com/Rd2Qhzph3g
— plus size otd ✿ (@plussizeotd) March 12, 2022
abby's gremlin energy is the best thing ever#TurningRed pic.twitter.com/CaVDdajFTF
— triv ? turning red era?! (@iHrtDolores) March 14, 2022
4. THE ANIMATION AND VISUAL EFFECTS
This movie has some of the funniest looking expressions/reactions ever in a Pixar film #TurningRed pic.twitter.com/2baxRyEMOC
— GaryViews (@JohnnyViews) March 11, 2022
the visuals from Turning Red >>>#TurningRed pic.twitter.com/Znw6AKK9rF
— triv ? turning red era?! (@iHrtDolores) March 11, 2022
I haven’t watched the movie yet but a few weeks ago, I was in an animation/filmmaker presentation with the creator/crew of Turning Red and my fav detail they pointed out was how they made Mei lift her paws up when frightened because that’s what real red pandas do? #TurningRed pic.twitter.com/ETODRGJtT1
— ⎊ Spencer ?? @ Home ⎊ (@thatfanged_doe) March 11, 2022
Turning red was genuinely one of the best movies i’ve ever seen in my entire life, the visuals, the animation, the story, it’s AMAZING #TurningRed pic.twitter.com/kvuinlXIhl
— hayden ? (@haydenbabie) March 12, 2022
I finished watching Turning Red, and it’s SO good. The animation and art style is great, the story is beautiful, the characters are wonderful, it’s all so good! I highly recommend it, go and check it out!!! pic.twitter.com/vcpgAncd1G
— josh_the_dreamer (@joshthedreamer2) March 11, 2022
But because of the same reasons it is being widely loved, Turning Red is also receiving a lot of hate from, and you guessed it, conservative folks. The movie is being criticised for being sexual (it is not at all), immoral and unrelatable (lol).
Here are some interesting points being made by netizens on Twitter:
1.
Turning Red currently has a 66% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Dived into the reviews and had a real "don't know what I expected" moment pic.twitter.com/xGgYXik4Ch
— Jonathan (@jonathanmb32) March 12, 2022
2.
I wasn’t planning to watch turning red, but thanks to the ridiculously racist/sexist IMDb ratings, I’ve changed my mind. Thanks a lot, conservative boomers who can relate to talking cars more than a teen girl; I’d watch anything that pisses you off. #turningred #TurningRedMovie pic.twitter.com/L2uV5STWt6
— devilwearsbata (@devilwearsbata_) March 14, 2022
3.
It’s interesting how Disney allowed Turning Red to showcase the developing straight sexuality of a teenager, considering how they stopped Luca from doing the same for homosexual sexuality for teen boys. It showcases how homosexuality is seen as inherently more adult when it’s not
— Jessie Earl (@jessiegender) March 14, 2022
4.
Finally finished the torturous slog that is Turning Red. It is easily one of the worst animated movies I've ever seen. Easily the worst Disney & Pixar movie at once. It's inappropriate, disgusting, immoral, ugly to look at, & chocked full of forced diversity. I hate it. pic.twitter.com/LS5zsXTqkV
— Golden Knight (@G_C_Knight) March 12, 2022
5.
Just finished watching Turning Red. Currently lost for words man, crying real tears bro, this is quite possible, quite literally, sincerely, the worst movie I have ever seen. My eyes are dripping with blood, currently on my way to the emergency room because I hate kids. Thanks.
— Dayna! (@MotherDayna) March 12, 2022
Regardless of what some viewers think, Turning Red has overall been able to generate a positive response all over the world and has been appreciated for all of its themes.