The Radical Child

Thought this would be a good film to rewatch on Canada Day since it takes place in Toronto back in 2002. Anyway, Meilin Lee is a model middle schooler, Chinese Canadian, who one night has a fitful sleep and awakens to an adorable yet inconvenient family curse where, whenever she shows strong emotions, she “poofs” into a giant red panda, and seeks ways to find acceptance among society and her family. I found this film totally relatable since in my scholastic life, and even today, I’m always the odd one out, regardless of whether I wear a “mask” or not, within and without my family and society in general, and I was an embodiment of chaos at Mei’s age when still in school. Easily my favorite Pixar film, and has shades of Godzilla, King Kong, and the Incredible Hulk.