And although some note that “To nie wypanda” does not meet the high level of animation masterpieces such as “Toy Story” or “Monsters and Co.”, 95 percent. Reviewers whose opinions are posted on Rotten Tomatoes (and there are 152 of them) are positive.
“It’s not a hit” in cinemas. The 13-year-old turns into a red panda
The main character of “To nie wypanda” is Meilin (for Mei’s friends) – a hit and ambitious 13-year-old girl. On the one hand, a nerdy schoolgirl and an exemplary daughter. On the other hand, she is crazy about the boy band 4 * Town, an adolescent girl who does not fully accept how much and how quickly she changes.
One day, the so far obligatory, supportive mother of Mei, for unknown reasons, begins to turn into an excited red panda at the most unsuitable moments. It may be fluffy and cute, but at the same time it reflects the most sensitive and disorderly side of the personality of a young Canadian with Chinese roots. From that moment on, a gulf begins to form between her and her mother. Suddenly, the girl faces a challenge she did not expect – she has to somehow reconcile two parts of her nature: an obedient daughter and a troubled teenager.
“Basically the red panda is a lovely metaphor for a very unpleasant puberty phenomenon,” explains animation director and co-writer in one person, Domee Shi. In 2018, she won an Oscar for the short animated film “Bao”, in which the heroine tried to cope with the empty nest syndrome. Now he is reaching for a completely different period in his life. Says:
I wanted to get to the bottom of the conflicts tearing a teenager over how to reconcile being a good daughter with accepting my own disordered personality.
She’s like the Hulk, only prettier
– The relationship between mother and daughter is never black and white. At the beginning of the film, Mei sincerely adores her, but she is being influenced by various forces – for everyone her age. It is a time of great changes, says Shi. And as it happens in animation – ingenious creators manage to present these changes in an unexpected, impossible to hide and surreal way: when emotions take over, Mei unexpectedly turns into a giant red panda. – One moment everything is perfectly fine, and the next the heroine becomes tall, predatory and full of emotions over which she cannot control. He becomes a giant red panda, and the only way to return to human form is to take a few deep breaths, calm down, and regain control of yourself. Mei is like the Hulk, only prettier – explains the director.
The director admits that the script is somewhat inspired by her life. – We are talking about the period around the age of 13, when a person constantly feels awkward, because everything around him is undergoing changes – he explains.
Billie Eilish wrote songs for a fictional boy band
A boy band turned out to be a key element in the story about the maturing of a 13-year-old girl at the beginning of the 21st century. “We needed something that would be Mei’s obsession and that her mother wouldn’t like,” says the director. – Boys bands were for many girls of this age the first step towards the world of boys. Their members have always been very nice, manicured, gentle and loving. They attracted the attention of all the girls. Besides, I thought it would be fun to create an animated boy band.
The hits of the first ever Pixar boy band were composed by Billie Eilish and Finneas. – When we started talking about them, great fame and numerous awards were still ahead of them. But we knew they had their finger on the pulse, Collins recalls. The songs sung by the members of the boy band, as well as by their enthusiastic fans, were created especially for the film.
Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (“Black Panther”, “Mandalorian”), winner of Grammy, Oscar and Emmy awards, is responsible for the music for “To nie wypanda”.
The animation “To nie wypanda” can be watched in cinemas from March 11.
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Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
