There are commonalities that come to mind at the mention of middle school: trying to get good grades, mixing it up with your best friends, and obsessing over dreamy boy bands. Disney Pixar’s Meilin Lee, the lead character of Turning Red, is well-acquainted with these, but there is one thing that sets her out from the rest: she has the unwanted ability to transform into a giant red panda when she experiences strong emotion. In Pixar’s 25th and most recent original film, the spunky 13-year-old magically mutates due to her ancestors' mystical connections with red pandas. Turning Red gives a unique look into the world of awkward adolescence, and though turning “a gross, red monster” might not be something everyone can relate to, the film still provided enough amusement to keep audiences engaged. Along the way, Mei — who, by the way, will not hesitate to do a spontaneous cartwheel if she feels so moved — learns valuable lessons about family, friends, and growing up.
This isn’t the first time a Disney – or any animated – cartoon has seen a human character turning into an animal. The common trope has often been used to build drama, educate an individual or just for the sake of zany antics meant to entertain children and families. Whether a character changes into an animal, or just deals with the regular pre-teen shenanigans, here are 8 movies like Turning Red to watch next.
8 The Emperor's New Groove
An underrated Disney film, The Emperor’s New Groove sees a spoiled teenage emperor who gets his just desserts when a potion turns him into a llama. Kuzco, the main character voiced by David Spade, joins forces with John Goodman’s Pacha on a journey to return to his palace and bring him back to his human form. Their feud turns into friendship and Pacha’s humility rubs off on the emperor teaching him a lesson or two about kindness.
7 Brother Bear
In 2003, Disney released Brother Bear wherein its lead character Kenai gets turned into — you guessed it — a bear. After his brother sacrifices himself to save his younger siblings, Kenai furiously locates the ferocious critter that caused his death. Once killing it, a magical spirit transforms him, allowing him to see the world through the animal’s eyes. Like many classic Disney cartoons, the movie features dark concepts, all the while still being family-friendly.
6 The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog made a cultural impact being the first Disney movie with a Black lead and princess. The movie follows the hardworking aspiring chef, Tiana, who puckers up to a prince who’d been turned into a frog, and contradicting the famous fairy tale, she is the one who gets transformed — also into a frog. As two slimy green creatures, the duo must find a way to break the spell and get back to their human form, making other animal friends en route.
5 Brave
The lead character of Brave and first Pixar princess, Merida, isn’t the one who turned into an animal in this 2012 feature. After being sick of conforming to her mother’s arbitrary ways, Merida seeks help from a mysterious witch who gives her an enchanted cake, and once her mom eats it, she is turned into a giant black bear. Brave is a moving film about mother-daughter relationships, coming-of-age, and sticking to your values and beliefs no matter what everyone else.
4 Inside Out
No one turns into an animal in Pixar’s Inside Out, but it still revolves around a pre-teen in her adventures growing up. Inside Out tells of Riley, an 11-year-old who relocates to a new state, leaving behind her friends, hobbies and everything she knows. With the visual metaphor of five emotions living in her head, Riley deals with struggles to adjust to her new life, which is made even harder after losing one of her most important feelings: Joy.
3 Spies in Disguise
The only non-Disney candidate, Spies in Disguise was produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox, in its last film before closing. The movie stars Tom Holland and Will Smith as Walter and Lance, the genius teenager and the successful spy, respecitively, the latter of whom is turned into a pigeon. Even as a bird, Lance still obtains his spy ability, but still must undergo the task of crime fighting as a winged animal.
2 Encanto
Every member of the Madrigal family is given a magical gift, except for one: Mirabel. Encanto details the life of the close-knit family whose enchanting history affects their current lives. Once Mirabel learns the magic of Encanto is troubled, she decides it’s up to her to save her family’s powers. Featuring top-charting songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto explores family love and generational trauma against a backdrop of vibrant animation and lovable characters.
1 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (2021)
Once again, there’s no animal transformation in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but the film is an incredible tale of middle school life for kids. After a successful children’s book series and four live-action films, Disney+ took the original story of Greg Heffley and computer animated it for a new motion picture. The one-hour length film is essentially a cartoon retelling of the first 2010 movie with Greg, the imaginative middle schooler sharing his eventful life, accompanied by his best friend Rowley.