Definitely not a bad movie by any means. Most of the characters (especially Mei's friends and father) are very likeable. Several very funny jokes are scattered throughout. There's even some very tender and heartwarming moments.

However, with the story's more mature subject matter and themes feel incoherent as the story goes on. I was ready to be impressed with the setup in the first act. An allegory about becoming a woman (and all that it entails) was an ambitious thing to tackle, and was fairly well executed in the first act.

Frankly, I wish the film hadn't blatantly spelled out the symbolism with periods/hormones. Mei is 13, starts getting super hormonal and interested in boys, and then turns into a red panda when she gets super emotional. She calls herself gross, feels massively confused about her feelings, wants to hide from her peers, lashes out at the people around her, etc. I think the young women watching will understand without Mei's mother waving menstrual pads around.

Not so subtle, but a good premise. The red panda is certainly meant to represent far more about puberty than menstrual cycles such as rebellion, individual identity, heightened emotional sensitivity, family drama, etc. At first it makes perfect sense, and I would think it'd feel relatable. The panda is loud, destructive, and completely interferes with our main character's life, and is impossible to explain to anyone outside her family and close knit group of friends.

But then the movie takes a weird turn in the second act when Mei goes public with the panda, and somehow no complications happen as a result outside of her tyrant of a mother. Questionable messaging when the panda that represents female puberty suddenly makes her the most popular person in school. Even more questionable when her falling grades and neglect of things she showed genuine passion for at the beginning of the movie are framed as personal growth.

My biggest gripe with this one is Mei's mother. I get that helicopter parenting is something that people can relate to, but Mei's mother is thoroughly insufferable throughout the entire film. Her mother regularly does things that would quite reasonably send any thirteen year old girl into a fit of rage, and yet Mei is totally compliant until the very end. Mei's mother certainly deserves some comeuppance for publicly humiliating her daughter and instigating fights with random teenagers several times throughout the movie.

Then there's the third act, where Mei's family tries to "cure" her panda through the blood moon ritual (again, not so subtle with the symbolism). You'd think that if the panda represents something as inevitable as puberty, it'd be irreversible and something Mei would have to learn to accept. But instead her family can make it go away somehow?

The characters, dialogue, and several of the emotional moments are top notch, A+ Pixar material. I probably laughed harder and more consistently when watching this movie than any other Disney movie, which certainly says something about the humor. But I just thought it would be something more.

Characters: A- Humor: A Story: B- Visuals: B+ Themes/Symbolism: C Emotional Weight: B.

There's a reason this movie is a PG and not a U! Everyone having a little turn because a 13 year old girl is given some maxi pads and has crushes on boys - it's not woke, it's reality.

And if you have a problem with characters wearing turbans/hijabs, then I really think you need to look deep inside yourself!

This movie doesn't feel like a Disney/Pixar because it's cringey and has anime elements - but it's still fun, and my 10 and 8 year old boys had no problem at all with seeing sanitary protection because guess what, they see it in our bathroom every day!

This movie does not glorify disobeying parents. It shows how overbearing parents often cause the same problems they had as a child because their parents were overbearing. A cycle, if you will. Of course this movie will make you cringe, feel awkward, and maybe experience second hand embarrassment! It's about teenagers understanding who they are! I often remember growing up, reading fan fiction, awkwardly expressing my interests, and hiding some things from my parents.

Disobeying parents is part of growing up. Yes, the child may get punished, but typically both the parent and child learn something from a "hairy" situation.

When you boil it down, the concept is very similar to Mulan going against her father's will to do something she thought was right. This is exactly what Mei does! She keeps the panda. It's a part of her she enjoys, even if it is against the matriarch of her family's ideals.

This movie is very sweet, and was very relatable. I loved the diversity of Toronto being displayed. However, I think Disney and Pixar have a very big problem always turning BIPOC into animals instead of letting them simply be BIPOC characters. Examples: Brother Bear, Princess & the Frog, Emperor's New Groove, and Soul. Give us BIPOC characters that stay human!