Muristek
A 13-year-old girl’s emotions take the form of a large red panda in this uplifting tale of menstruation, friendship and embracing change
Thirteen-year-old Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) is just like any other high-achieving dork from a loving, slightly smothering Chinese-Canadian family. Then her hormones kick in. Like many kids at this pivotal moment, her emotions take on a life of their own. What sets Mei Lee apart is the fact that her emotions also take on a form of their own: at moments of extreme excitement (and since Mei Lee is 13, extreme excitement is the default setting), she turns into a large red panda.
Pixar’s latest, and the first feature from Domee Shi (director of the terrific short film Bao, about a sentient dumpling), Turning Red is a fizzing, squealing adolescent explosion of a movie that nails a fundamental truth about growing up. Puberty may be something that pretty much everyone has to endure, but at the time it feels like a uniquely mortifying and personal experience.
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