For as long as movies have been produced, it’s clear that they can be hits or misses, especially in this day and age where the audience can always interpret things differently than they are meant to be. Disney’s new animated film “Turning Red” has sparked many controversial reviews about this coming-of-age tale that explores puberty and parental issues.

“Turning Red” is about a young girl named Mai Lee who is figuring out the way of life: puberty, cultural expectations, and the abnormality of turning into a giant red panda when her emotions get out of control.

Many reviews have been very positive since many like how open and honest it is about being a pre-teen. However, on the other hand, many others, especially parents, feel this movie is too mature for many young kids. Many parents also feel that discussing periods, sexuality, young love, and rebellion against parents set a bad example and is something that shouldn’t be taught at such a young age.

Understanding both sides is important, but on the contrary, it’s clear that the director’s main purpose wasn’t to send a bad message, if anything, it was her way of bringing families together to connect with their children about the different changes one goes through as they enter the teen world.

A writer from “Variety” news outlet, Zack Sharf, shares that voice actor Rosalie Chiang, of the character “Mai Lee” in the movie states, “This is a coming of age film, everyone goes through this change… I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to.”

Despite the controversial reviews, the movie overall validates the different aspects and phases teens go through.