Pixar's Turning Red makes its debut on Disney+ this week, but reviews for the upcoming film have started to arrive. While not officially Certified Fresh yet, it looks like Turning Red is well on its way to becoming Pixar's next critically acclaimed hit. With 61 reviews counted as of this writing, the film currently stands at a 92%.
The coming-of-age story about a thirteen-year-old who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited is being praised for how it handles its timely themes and emotional topics while maintaining that classic Pixar comedy and charm. And, of course, the animation remains top notch.
Here's what some of the critics are saying about Pixar's Turning Red so far:
Time Out - 4/5
Canadian-Chinese animator Domee Shis boldest move is tackling female puberty in such a candid, empathetic way.
Polygon - No Score
With a bright visual style and specific, evocative storytelling, Turning Red is an incredibly special addition to the Pixar canon, and one of its best films.
MovieWeb - 4/5
Turning Red takes a transformational moment for girls into a hilarious and brilliantly creative exploration of adolescence. The film uses a family's greatest secret as an ingenious allegory for reaching puberty. Pixar continues to be groundbreaking.
IndieWire - A-
Turning Red unspools a fresh, funny, and family-centric new mythology destined to become iconic.
The Mary Sue - 5/5
The entire movie is another Pixar punch to the gut in a way that I think younger audiences will really relate to and older audiences will just cry over.
Entertainment Weekly - B+
In the tricky world of tween-dom, it captures something sweetly universal: Growing up is messy, no matter how you bear it.
Variety - No Score
Irresistibly cute and thoroughly unashamed of its own silliness, “Turning Red” may be second-tier Pixar, but the emotions run every bit as deep as in the studio’s best.
Turning Red marks the feature film directorial debut for Domee Shi, who had previously directed the Academy Award-winning short Bao. The film follows Mei Lee, a confident yet dorky 13-year-old struggling to stay between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. It sounds like Pixar has successfully managed to address the sometimes awkward and uncomfortable subject of adolescence and, specifically, puberty, and the result is another charming and heartwarming story.
Turning Red is slated to make its debut on Disney+ on March 11 in the United States. Although it was originally supposed to release in theaters, Disney opted to send the film to its streaming service as a result of the pandemic. Even though the Omicron surge has seemingly subsided, Disney made the decision back when cases were still rising. Not everyone at Pixar was reportedly happy with the decision. In any case, Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. will be able to watch the movie for free as it will come with no additional premium access fee.