Disney has a special way to cater for kids and trigger adults watching the movies.
In Pixar movies, the villain has always been something within inside of the characters.
Something that bother from the inside, something they don’t know what it is, but it’s there.
Making waves and pushing it forward to make a change. Is always about wanting to proof your self worth and your ability of taking care of yourself, and figuring out the need of people in your life.
All the Pixar movies work with the same premises and Turning Red is not different. Move over Abuela Toxica, I’m utterly obsessed with the red panda now.
The main character Mei Mei is asian/canadian and she lives in Toronto with her family,but the coolest thing about the movie is that it’s based in 2002. The movie creator and director found the inspiration in herself living in the same time and age as Mei Mei, in Toronto.
The family struggles.
Of course, I don’t have any place to relate with the Asian culture,I have a different type of family struggle and expectations, but I do relate with Mei’s behavior of trying to be the perfect daughter and not disappoint her mom. Between not disappoint your mom and breakout to be yourself is the hardest thing of growing up.
We all have a Red Panda inside of us.
Some control it very well, other just make it part of their personalities. Who doesn’t have a friend that is always angry and aggravated by something? I have a few.
The Red Panda in Turning Red means learning how to control your emotions and the how to deal with all those changes and emotions your body is going through.
I was a very shy teenager, mostly in my own world, writing my stories in a notebook, hoping someday I would break out of that shell and wake up beautiful some day.
I manifested my future in those stories.
Life wrecked me in so many ways, I had to put my writing dreams on the side. Again, why do we bottle up our dreams and put it in a shelf, instead of working towards with what makes us truly happy?
Some people can get out of it, others find a job as a bank clerk and forget about what they wanted and who they were when they were younger.
This is putting The Red Panda inside of a charm and forget it ever existed, or suppress it. Thats what happened with Mei’s mom Ming, in the movie.
The Red panda in her was consider too dangerous and had to be put away for good, inside of the amulet. Once the charm breaks the panda is out and Mei is in big trouble.
The Early 2000’s. If you live that era, you know it means.
Mei’s character portrayed how was to be a teenager really well in the early 2000’s. The boy bands, the Tamagochi, the stickers on the bag, the boy drama, the friendship with other girls.
The movie soundtrack is catchy, because boy bands were catchy in 2002. The movie is a mix of nostalgia for us and evaluation of what we become and what happened to the red panda. Is it still here?
What Awakes the Red Panda?
The Red Panda is awaken in me when something I created a lot of expectation on, goes wrong. I’m a very creative and imaginative person, a dreamer, some would call. It’s all my fault when things goes awry because I fantasized beyond the reality limits. Like when I draw something beautiful in my head, and the drawing comes out chaotic. I’m not good at drawing, but I’m good in my mind.
Other situation that awakens the red panda, is the immigration subject. You want to see me going full on panda, dare to tell me immigrants are here to take American jobs and the social security money.
Or that a refugee is here making 3k a month on the Americans hard earned money. Believe me, I heard that from a family member, while seating in my couch, at my house. I’m fuming just writing about it. Anyway, let’s go back to the movie.
Friendship, boyband obsession, family embarrassing you right and left. The movie has everything and if you haven’t watch it, go for it. Songs are so catchy that a 36 years old me singing at work.
You’re never not on my mind, oh my, oh my I’m never not by your side, your side, your side
I’m never gon’ let you cry, oh, cry, don’t cry
I’ll never not be your ride, or die, alright
The original songs are from Finneas and Billie Eilish, and I couldn’t expect anything better.
I remember when the Backstreet Boy were everything to me and I went to the concert in Rio, with some of my friends, at the age of 15. My mom didn’t destroy the stadium, like Ming, but she was very worried about me being alone with friends on a school day, at a concert. In the biggest soccer stadium in Brazil.
Some similarities with Encanto are noticeable.
Like the way Meilin wants her mom’s approval and how she wants her wishes as a teenager to be respected. The biggest difference is her mom is aware of her transformation and unlikely Abuela, she doesn’t blame Mei for what is happening. Maybe Abuela needs to put her red Panda on a charm and let it go.
The movie is a must see and another one of the Pixar’s great creation. I love that we are seeing so much diversity in Pixar/Disney movies lately. No more wacked out princess doing everything for love. Yes Ariel, losing your voice for legs to get the guy its not worth it. Dumb wench.
If you haven’t seen the movie, watch it. I watched a couple of times and I can’t wait to be a hit overnight like Encanto.
Let me know in the comments if you watch it and how could you relate to the movie and the characters!
