Review of Turning Red (2022) by Mhandy1 — 14 Mar 2022

Woke is not the problem with this movie. The problem is the ending, which I imagine is entirely re-written for the Chinese market, in every measurable way our protagonist has become a worse person.

1. She is no longer a good student.

2. She never deals with the fact she couldn't communicate with her mom.

3. Rather than develop a relationship ala Brave her mom just gives up, "My panda my choice" after all...

4. If a 13-year-old understands the subtext, that 13 year old just heard a mom say - "Have unprotected sex I can't tell you what to do";.

5. Tradition is the enemy, rather than the anchor in the end.

6. Moral defects are largely ignored because anger of any sort isn't allowed to have space. Anger isn't just some terrible emotion, I thought Pixar understood this.

7. The mom never deals with the fact her teenager has significant moral failings, its all swept under the rug.

8. At the end of the movie the audience is encouraged to be their unabashed selves - Temperance and prudence are vices, not virtue.

9. Watch Pinocchio deals with the same themes but teaches the lesson to reject the monster within rather than embrace it.

What is got right: 1. Puberty - it's actually a decent story until Act 3 when the writers seem to realize they were headed down a tried and true path and decided to jump off a cliff.

2. Funny- There are several funny parts.

3. The animation style and call back to Anime movies.

Other notes: This is not a movie for kids under 10.