Turning Red is the latest Disney Pixar feature film that has been wowing fans and though the film has created a slight uproar from some concerned parents over tackling topics related to puberty, the fans of the movie are much louder.
While Turning Red centers around a Chinese-Canadian family and would certainly be relatable to those with similar intersectional identities, it also has several elements that are universally relatable. The amazing and often hilarious cast of characters tell an incredible story full of family, friendship, and funny jokes.
Grandma
Not every family member can be a fun one. Mei-Mei’s grandmother plays a very important role in the story, calling to express that she’s coming over shortly before showing up and leading the charge when it comes to the ritual.
Mei’s grandma is a straight shooter. She doesn’t really have any funny lines, even though her presence and what it brings out in Ming can be funny. She is mostly there as a concerned grandmother, and later a concerned mother, just trying to help her family along and prevent anything bad from happening as a result of the red panda “blessing.”
Tyler
The girls may not have made it to the 4-Town concert if it weren’t for Tyler, and he redeems himself by also being there covered in merchandise, but before any of this happens, he’s just a bully.
Tyler doesn’t really have any jokes that aren’t at Mei’s expense, and even then he’s mostly pointing, laughing, or finding some ways to make things worse. The funniest parts concerning Tyler are the ways that the girls get back at him, like the sign they have outside of their photo-op room that says “No Tylers.” Maybe if there’s ever a sequel, he’d make a funny addition to the gang.
Miriam
Miriam seems to be the closest of Mei’s best friends in her friend group, and it’s clear that she has such genuine love for her. Whenever the girls are joking around, Miriam has funny contributions, but most of her dialogue is earnest and caring.
When Mei’s friends first find her as the panda, it’s Miriam who has one of the best quotes of the film as she reassures her that they love her “panda or no panda,” and it’s even her idea to start singing 4-Town songs to calm Mei down too. It’s not like she is never funny, but her heart outshines her sense of humor in most scenes in the movie. Everyone needs a caring friend like Miriam.
Ming
Ming has some unexpected hilarious moments throughout the film. From her hatred of boy bands to her freak out at the Daisy Mart, she is definitely the type of mom that older fans surely remember being embarrassed by as a 13-year-old.
When she finds out the ticket prices for the concert, she snaps back “Who do they think they are, Celine Dion?” and when her mother calls, she quickly freaks out and asks Jin to say she’s not there. She’s funny both when she’s being a protective mom and when she has her guard down and reveals more of who she is on the inside.
Priya
It’s no surprise that Priya is one of the funniest characters in Turning Red since she’s voiced by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who some fans may recognize as the hilarious Devi in Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever.
Maitreyi has incredible dry joke deliveries, and they are made even funnier when the animators have a deadpan look on Priya’s face. She may even read as cringe humor for any former (or current) Twilight fans who remember being completely obsessed with vampires in middle school. She’s also into witches too and can be seen trying to cast a banishment spell on Tyler.
Jin
The hilariousness of the likable Jin may not be obvious on a first watch-through because he doesn’t have the wittiest lines of dialogue, but there are several nonverbal moments where Jin really gets to shine.
When Ming is calling Mei to have breakfast the morning she first turns into the panda, she swats at Jin’s hand telling him he can’t have sugar. When she looks away, he quickly sneaks a treat. Then later on when Mei is leaving the house, she asks Ming “wouldn’t you rather stay home with dad?” and Jin simply says “Oh” and looks caught off guard. He’s a low-key comedy king.
Abby
Everyone needs a wild Abby in their life. She may have some of the funniest lines in the movie, but something that makes her the funniest is the volume and passion with which she expresses herself, which is all credited to Hyein Park’s voice acting.
Abby will scream about a boy she likes or how much she loves her friends. Her energy level is through the roof and she doesn’t even care. She’s excitable and always ready to shriek and scream so it makes sense that her main friend group is bonded by their boy band obsession. She is likely the loudest fan at the concert. In any other context, this trait makes her hysterical.
Mei Lee
It’s not a given that the main character of a film is going to be the funniest, but in Turning Red, this is certainly the case. Viewers get this from Mei right away in the intro as she struts around town and narrates, feeling so confident and grown at 13.
Viewers spend the most time with Mei and see her from all angles. She’s even really funny when she’s vulnerable, like when she’s drawing things in her notebook and questioning why she can’t stop. Fans of all ages can appreciate Mei’s jokes, but she may be funniest to adult women who remember being similar to Mei at 13.
