After reading some of the horrible reviews of the movie Turning Red found on Disney+, I decided to watch this movie today with my ten-year-old daughter. I was quite concerned because I had already let her watch it the day it hit Disney+. However, I also trust my children to make wise decisions about what they watch and do.

About Turning Red Movie

Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang) is a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter – an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda.

—Disney/Pixar

My Turning Red Movie Review

I decided a long time ago to not keep my kids from watching R-rated movies or listening to songs that some would consider “hood music.” The way I look at it, I can shield them and they aren’t ready for what they may encounter or I can have them see it while I’m here to answer any questions or discuss situations with them. I have always openly discussed hard topics with my kids because I want them to know that they CAN and should talk to me.

The Turning Red movie was nowhere close to the horror stories I was reading online. People were trying to say that this girl was drawing sexual pictures and having her first orgasm. Tell me how a girl drawing MERMAIDS is drawing sexual parts!??! Explain to me how her holding a pencil in one hand and a notebook in the other is having an orgasm??

We have become a society that wants to READ way too much into things if that is what people are stating is happening in the scene where the girl shows her excitement over realizing she has a crush on someone that she knows in real life? Have adults forgotten what it’s like to have your first REAL crush on someone in REAL life?? Have you forgotten the excitement, the fear, the mixed emotions, and everything else that happens?

As far as the Chinese culture aspect of it… I have no clue if that was true to their culture or not, but regardless it was a FICTIONAL story! Even if the cultural aspect of it was true, even though I consider myself to be a Christian that doesn’t mean I don’t want my kids to hear about or even LEARN about other cultures. While I may want my kids to grow up and believe in God and trust in him, that doesn’t mean I HAVE the RIGHT to expect or demand they do it. I have the obligation to lead them to him, I have the obligation to teach them about him, but my kids HAVE the FREE WILL to decide for themselves the kind of relationship they are going to have with him.

Quite frankly, I have learned a lot by learning from other cultures. Just because I may not believe in them, doesn’t mean that their ways, can’t enhance my life in some form or fashion.

This was a cute movie and was clearly quite fictional! My daughter didn’t take a single bit of it to heart. Nor did she feel like it was teaching her to be disrespectful or be lusting after some guy. Yes, the child in this movie was spreading her wings and vocal about her thoughts. But let’s get real here… do you NOT remember expressing yourself as a teenager? Do you not remember what it was like to finally feel like you were becoming an adult?

I’ve always told my kids that once they reach 13 I WANT them to think like an adult. I WANT them to start ACTING like one. Yes, there have been times where they have been disrespectful… but here’s a news flash, I’ve shown them when they were being disrespectful and for the most part, they have corrected their actions.

My oldest son taught me a LOT. Raising him through the teen years was HARD, but if I’m being honest, I made it harder on myself than I had to because I didn’t listen to him enough. While we both admit it did put a strain on our relationship, we do also have a “special bond” because we know each other REALLY well because we said things to each other we wouldn’t dare say to anyone else. Now when we are together, we do laugh about the battles we had.

Thanks to the battles we endured, I feel my two youngest kids are going to drastically benefit from it. My youngest son and I are doing rather well SOOOO FAR on his teenage journey. I’d like to think we will continue to do so because we do have open communication.

I believe that’s part of what this movie is trying to tell parents and teens alike. Teenagers have the right to find themselves. Yet, they should feel comfortable enough to lean on their family and friends during those years. This movie gives an elaborate example of a girl finding herself and how it became helpful for her to lean on her family and friends.

I feel the Turing Red Movie is getting a negative rap for no good reason. I swear people are finding a reason to criticize anything and making up some seriously odd conclusions from nothing. This time I have to say, I don’t see these horrific stories people are drumming up about this movie. But I will say, it is probably helping to get the movie’s views up because I sure did quickly check it out. I analyzed it the whole time I was watching it.

Talk to me in the comments:

What is your opinion of the Turning Red movie? Do you agree with the negative reviews?

(I welcome ALL opinions even they differ from my own, but I will not allow ANYONE to be criticized for having an opinion.)

We appreciate every share we get because it helps this blog grow! Thank you in advance.