Turning Red (Pixar)

I never understood this common criticism of Luca. It's a movie for children. Inside Out and Soul (another of those children's movies where the protagonist is a middle-aged pianist) are existentialist and clearly aimed at adults, hence their lack of appeal compared to the merchandising behemoths of Frozen and Cars. There's nothing 'slight' about aiming your movie at the appropriate audience.

Especially so when you consider that Sing 2 is the first film to crack 100m at the box office during the pandemic. Kids films have in fact performed remarkably strongly at the box throughout the pandemic, so it seems an odd decision to leave that money on the table. I can only assume that the Disney marketers have decided that content driving subs to Disney Plus provides a better long term return. That or it's garbage. There's something about the 'bean mouth' Cal Arts asthetic that has infected Pixar lately that makes me want stuff like this to fail, it's horrible, horrible animation. I just got done watching Arcane and was amazed at what putting a bit of effort into animated features can still achieve. Leave that cheaply animated, asthetically ugly Stephen Universe kack to the Cartoon Network.

I was never gone on A Bug's Life or the Cars sequels. Toy Story 4 was not needed but didn't screw up a perfect trilogy (It's still redundant but worth it for Keanu Reeves).

Encanto and Luca were pleasant. But this looks very funny. I'm well looking forward to this. And God, look at that fur animation.

The 'Cal Arts' asthetic has become pretty common in cartoons these days, you can see and example of it's 'bean mouth' below, notice how every gob is a simple kidney bean shape, just as every face is largely made up of the same collection of very basic and easy to reproduce shapes?

Now take a look at the character design for Turning Red in the trailer image:

The whole Cal Arts asthetic is just a simplistic style intended for low budget animation that won't tax unskilled animators.

The California Institute of the Arts (which that particular style of animation is associated), was founded by Walt Disney to train animators, among it's first graduating class you had the likes of John Lasseter, Tim Burton and Brad Bird. How far the mighty have fallen.

If you are a top tier animation studio maybe don't employ a symplistic style designed for cheaply and quickly produced animation to be churned out by animators that can barely draw.

Perhaps I worded that poorly, I mean't the grand institution founded by Disney to train the next generation animators (many of it's first graduates were visionaries that I listed) but which now churns out Tumblr artists, that said, I don't think anybody is clamboring for Alice in Wonderland 3 or Tomorrowland 2 that's for sure.

As conorhal pointed out above he wasn’t referring to to those guys or their careers as “fallen”

So let us not put words in his mouth

I was not aware that Brad Bird’s live action directed suffered as a result Tomorrowland (other directors have made terrible movies and just carried on) - I thought he just went to work on Incredibles 2

Nothing wrong with taking that point in another direction - I just wanted it clear to anyone ready that that was not what conorhal was talking about. I didn’t mean you couldn’t make a new point from it ;)

anyway are you sure it killed his live action directing? I just thought he wanted to spend time getting Incredibles 2 right

You DARE besmirch the man who gave us The Iron Giant???!!! 😀 Nah, I know what you mean. He got a bit of a kicking after Tomorrowland. I actually thought Tomorrowland wasn't bad. It was a bit muddled and the tone had some add shifts (Probably down to the differences between Bird and David Lindlehof's styles). Its optimism is a little heavy-handed but in general it's a pleasant, if forgettable film.

As for the animation-style? I suppose some of that could also come down to the sub-genre. Yes, the character design is reminiscent of "Luca" (Almost Chibi anime style) but look at the storylines: These are more about growing up/coming out - Certainly Turning Red seems to be all about Puberty (I thought that was a funny mic drop at the end of "Inside-out" looking at all the teenager buttons and dials etc.).

The character models for Encanto were much more complex as the characters, in general, were older. I know the adults in Luca and this seem to conform to the same style but that would because they don't want the shift to be so jarring.

I would like to see what Pixar would do with something more "Grown Up". I'm not talking about sex and violence but a more adult storyline. Think of Waltz with Bashir or The Breadwinner

What's really depressing is that no matter how stale Pixar's offerings become, they're still a shoo-in for best animated Oscar despite stellar work from lesser known (to the Academy) studios. Yes, I'm still pissed off that Wolf Walkers didn't win.

For crying out loud, "Boss Baby" was nominated over "Your Name"..... BOSS BABY!!!

Didn't think I'd like that trailer from the art style of the YouTube snapshot but that looks very funny (Love the deadpan delivery). Must check this out.

Watched it yesterday and was really impressed. First Pixar movie I've seen since maybe Monsters University and was really impressed by how much things have come on visually. Feels like in the past couple of years as 3D techinqies have matured that amrican studios are really begnning to flex artistically with the medium brought on by how advanced lighting and materials have come on.

Not depth of message or ideology, depth of storytelling, I'm talking about the film itself and not the message the film wants to get across as the takeaway. I agree with this message and it's a very positive message, but as a film the story was barebone and shallow.

I think its a confused movie. Its message seems to be pitched at a older child. The style and story of the movie seems very much pitched at a younger child. Its pop culture references are very asian but its not set in asia. I think they were trying to appeal to everyone and I think this goes against it. TBH the trailer is like a trailer for a different film. Looked great. But I stopped watching about a third of the way in. I was wondering what the kids who I assume its pitched at thought of it, and only the youngest child I asked liked it.

The issue I have its pitched too young stylistically, story. While its analogies target is older kids, pre teens. if you say its a nostalgia piece fair enough. But I think its too childish to have much appeal to an older audience. If you consider what 9~13 watch even in age ratings they are usually a lot more sophisticated than this.

From what I've read, and I could be wrong I got the impression the director said its aimed specifically at a eastern female demographic. Perhaps their kids are watching more childish content older, or more mature content younger. In which case I'm not meant to get it.

It certainly has that Asian boy band/ anime thing going on.

Be interested in how it does commercially. I don't think anyone's going openly criticize it upfront for fear of a backlash.

I must say, I enjoyed that. I thought it was very cute and funny. I liked the style. As others have said, similar character design in ways to Luca. But I think this is a definite choice. Sort of their tween growing-pains genre, if you will. I don't think it's any general shift in their overall Pixar-style.

I enjoyed the anime influences (especially the kawaii reactions) and I'm glad to see these styles crossing in both directions while still maintaining their own style (One can look at Mamoru Hosoda's "Belle" to see the slightly more Western animation when in the online universe which then switches to very typical contemporary anime style when in the real world).

I actually don't think it suffered from a 3rd Act problem. The mother may have been a bit underwritten/weak but then, from an Asian/American, Asian/Canadian POV this may be absolutely a well-loved clichè (I'm thinking of one of my favourite comedy shows: The Royale Family. Trying to explain to an American colleague how funny a mundane conversation about not having kit-kats with a cup of tea can be).

So, tldr: I thought this was fun and cute. Is it Toy Story 2 or 3? No. But I think it's their best work in years. (I was a bit underwhelmed by Luca and Soul and Onward TBH).

But that damn song is an earworm

I really enjoyed Turning Red. The film starts of lighthearted and funny but slowly dives into the discomforts of being a teen that's going through puberty, any young teenager or anyone who has been through the teenage stage would definitely find this film relatable and nostalgic.