When 13-year-old Mei experiences a sudden burst of emotion, not only does the blush rise to her cheeks, but her whole person morphs into a big scarlet monster. To each his pubescent shocks. In this case, the “curse” that has recently afflicted Mei was transmitted to her by her mother, who herself received it from hers, and so on, up to their Chinese ancestor, who once asked the gods to turn her into a red panda in order to protect his people. Except that in the Toronto of 2002, place and time where the action takes place, the thing is more embarrassing than useful. Really ?
This is the question that the young heroine ofRed alert (Turning Red) as the date approaches for a ritual that is supposed to send the red panda’s spirit back into the ether.
Directed by Domee Shi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Julia Cho, this new production from Pixar-Disney Studios offers much of the same message as the charming Luke, in which the protagonist had the choice of assuming himself as a sea creature or blending in with humans. In both works, the “difference” of the characters can be read as a catch-all metaphor ranging from homosexuality to transidentity passing, as is the case for Mei, to the celebration of her cultural heritage, even if it means stand out.
The idea of the inner monster that manifests itself at the most inopportune moments also lends itself perfectly to a learning story against the backdrop of an ungrateful age. The need to free oneself from one’s parents is a central theme here. Because under the guise of being the model student that Ming, her mother, pushes her to be (the father willingly steps aside), Mei suppresses her creativity and her whimsical outbursts.
However, under said cover, the pressure increases. And so it is that after her overprotective mother (unintentionally, and hilariously) humiliates her in front of the whole school, Mei wakes up one morning transformed into a giant red panda, much to her dismay.
On mother-daughter dynamics, Chinese-Canadian director Domee Shi won the Oscar for Best Animated Short with Baowhich also featured an overprotective mother character.
gift or curse
Either way, Mei quickly discovers that she can regain her human aspect once she regains her composure. A state that is favored by the presence of her faithful friends, who, unlike Mei’s mother, do not see in the red panda a defect to be hidden, but a gift to be highlighted – solidarity and ” girlpower are intrinsic components of the frame.
In this chapter, Red alert breaks a glass ceiling, in that it is Pixar’s first feature film directed solo by a woman: it was about time.
Failing to always be consistent with its own internal logic (the mother should absolutely not be surprised by the turn of events), Red alert multiplies the adventures alternately tender and comical. The plot goes where it’s expected to go, but several surprises and discoveries arise along the way.
What’s more, Domee Shi’s cultural heritage greatly enriches her film, to which she infuses contagious energy and appreciable visual inventiveness.