CinemaBlend's review of Pixar's first feature-length film directed by an Asian woman was pulled offline after being called “sexist” and “racist” by members of the press.
After a controversial review for the animated film published by CinemaBlend, the cast of "Turning Red" spoke out in support of the new Pixar film and its universality. The review was pulled offline after members of the press called it "sexist," "racist" and more. CinemaBlend managing director Sean O'Connell wrote the review and said the film's appeal was limited because it is set in Toronto's Asian community.
"I recognized the humor in the film, but none of it was attached to. Especially with 'Turning Red' rooted in Toronto's Asian community, the film legitimately feels that it is about [director] Domi Shea's friends and immediate family members." Made for family members," O'Connell wrote in a later pulled review. "Which is fine - but also a tad limited in its scope."
O'Connell doubled down on his opinion of the film in a deleted tweet, along with his review. The post read: "Some Pixar movies are made for universal audiences. There is no 'Turning Red'. The target audience for this feels too specific and too narrow. If you're into it, this could very well work for you. I'm not into. It was tiring. ,
"Turning Red" is directed by Domi Xi, who won an Oscar for animated short film with his Pixar offering "Bao". The film tells the story of Millin "Mei" Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old girl who turns herself into a giant red panda after ever being overcome with emotion.
When asked by CBC whether the story of "Turning Red" would limit its appeal as suggested in the review, voice actor Chiang replied, "Not at all. It's an age-old film, everyone is going through this change. passes… I think different people from different cultures are going to go through this in different ways, but at the end of the day, the core mess and change is something everyone can relate to.”
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the breakout star of Netflix's comedy series "Never Have I Ever", who voiced Mei's friend in the film, also called the film's story "universal" in response to the drawn reviews. "[Many people] will be able to relate to Melin's story, whether or not you're a young Chinese girl from Canada," the actor said.
Domi Shea also disagreed with the review, telling CBC, "[The film] is a love letter to that time in our lives. It's a love letter to puberty. It's a love letter to Toronto."
CinemaBlend announced on Tuesday that the review has been removed from its website. CinemaBlend editor-in-chief Mac Roden issued the following statement: “We failed to properly edit this review, and it should never have been upvoted. We have unpublished it and handed it over to someone else. We've also added new levels of editorial oversight. Thanks to everyone who spoke."
O'Connell also issued the following apology on Twitter: "I am truly sorry for my 'Turning Red' review. Thank you to everyone who criticized, no matter how harsh. Didn't engage nearly enough with me, nor did I explain my point well. Your feedback is really appreciated for me."
Despite pulling reviews, backlash against O'Connell and CinemaBlend continued. As Entertainment Weekly's digital editor Yolanda Machado retorted on Twitter, "This [review] was written by your Managing Director, not a junior writer. As an editor, there is no editing that would have eradicated racism. What are you doing to make sure he is held accountable and this doesn't happen again?"
'Turning Red' will debut on Disney Plus on March 11.