Pixar released its newest animated movie “Turning Red” for the Disney+ platform on March 11.

In the film, Mei Lee is a smart, intelligent and fun-loving young adult who is conflicted with doing what she wants and staying within the will of her strict mother. Lee has to worry about school, boys and getting her mom’s permission to go to the big concert coming to Toronto. Also, Lee worries about others seeing her when she experiences a lot of emotion.

Lee’s emotions manifest and turn her into a giant, red fluffy panda. However, Lee also has four awesome best friends to help her on this journey of becoming her own person.

The setting of this movie is in Toronto, Canada, which is a new setting for Pixar. There is also a big emphasis on Lee’s Asian heritage and culture. “Turning Red” is not only full of Asian culture but of other diverse characters as well. Each of Lee’s four best friends has a different skin tone. I believe this is essential for the viewing audience to see characters on screen who they can see themselves in.

Going into teenage years can be a daunting task for a young girl, and this movie really touches on this point. The title speaks for itself for what happens to a girl during puberty, and Pixar does not shy away from the taboo topic of menstrual cycles.

Furthermore, this new addition to Disney+ has an important message for parents. Parents’ high expectations are harmful and can negatively affect their relationship with their child. Lee and her mother had a tense relationship. Her mother did not see it that way because of all her expectations for who her daughter should be were met. Lee was not happy, and she often compromised to keep her mother pleased.

For recommendation purposes, “Turning Red” is a good a lesson for younger girls to watch with their mothers. However, for entertainment purposes, the plot has already been done before and was lackluster compared to the messages in the movie. Overall, it is a good moral lesson with a cute character as the protagonist.

Rating: 7/10