To this day, I attest that one of the strongest slates for a studio to ever release was that from Pixar throughout the 2000s. Kicking off with current CCO Pete Docter’s first directorial foray with Monsters, Inc. and concluding with his second feature Up, everything in between seemed to knock it out of the park (Cars notwithstanding, though I’d argue the film remains very solid and enjoyable). However, in the intervening years, Pixar’s slate has become spottier with weaker installments like Cars 2, Finding Dory, and The Good Dinosaur. While they’ve had the periodic hit, it seems as if the Pixar touch has begun to fade, though doing them no favors is their increasingly stiff competition, the least of which includes the rightfully acclaimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse. Their latest installment marks the second outing of The Good Dinosaur director, Peter Sohn (who deserves all the plaudits for just his work as the voice of Lightyear’s Sox alone) with Elemental, largely promoted as a headier concept that once again furthers their “What if X had feelings?” formula (though in fairness, they arguably haven’t delved into said formula since 2019’s Toy Story 4). Can this film set your heart ablaze or should you dampen your expectations?
The film takes on a mishmash of different story beats, first following the family of Ember (Leah Lewis), a fire element, that immigrated to the industrious Element City for better opportunities compared to those in their previous Firish home. (Cue a frame focusing on a “Kiss Me, I’m Firish” t-shirt.) The hot-blooded Ember is expected to take over her father’s convenience store in the near future, but not before learning to control her temper and not literally set the store ablaze. Things take a turn when she meets city inspector Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a sensitive, often blubbering water person. After Ember appeals to him to not shut down her father’s store, a connection between them sparks, despite Ember’s family’s hatred for water elements, and we follow the two lovebirds to see if different elements can in fact mix with one another (preferably without putting one out or boiling the other).
The film is a strange amalgamation of some of the more creative choices Pixar has made in the last few years while also clinging to some incredibly familiar story beats. Often referred to as a rom-com, the film follows a low-key path in regards to the action of the story. There is very little overall, as we mostly spend time following these characters going about their regular lives, which mostly mirror those of the regular humans Pixar normally doesn’t create stories around. You can’t truly call Ember’s family’s story an allegory as it plays the tale of an immigrant family’s quest for a new life incredibly straight. The same can be said for her love story with Wade; we follow two opposite personalities that don’t mesh on the outset, only for a will-they-or-won’t-they plot to unravel as we watch them go on dates, meet each other’s families, have that pivotal moment when one decides “they’re too different and this can never work,” and most of the expected tropes along the way. The packaging is innovative, but the present inside is no real surprise. This doesn’t make the story bad, just not particularly hard-hitting. The closest it does comes in the form of Ember’s speech about the weight of expectations put upon her by her family. It is motionally resonated, relatable, and outweighs the cliches it portrays. (Wow, a rhyme!)
So what creativity does the film ultimately exude? Well, all the praise in the world for the animation, as expected. Earth and wind leave a little more to be desired (and look surprisingly similar; maybe the animators had something for large noses?), but the fire and water elements are stunning. While the flickering may be a bit much for some, the texture and glow of the fire elements, especially Ember, is captivating, and the water elements have a pleasant flow to them, if you will. Element City itself can mesmerize…when we actually get to see parts of it outside Fire Town, which is well-designed in itself, but we spend a bit too much there compared to the rest of the city. I can also appreciate some of the allegorical jokes that did land and successfully tied together the differences in elements and, well, different people. A line Wade delivers about “watering down” fire’s incredibly hot food, to the fury of Ember’s father Bernie, can hit home while also staying true to the characteristics of the elements.
However, the cleverness of these jokes are few and far between. A running gag that overstays its welcome lies in a young earth boy named Clod, a mini casanova intent on wooing Ember, showing off his armpit…flowers. Not only does this happen at least two more times, but we receive no further development of this character, or even of any other earth people. Same for the wind, as while the story between Ember and Wade has some sweet, if a bit tempered, moments, the development of the world surrounding them and even half of the inhabitants, feels half-baked. Even aspects regarding our two leads feel a bit tell-not-show at times. Ember displays a skill that is later remarked upon as a unique talent that, while fun to watch, came across as a typical aspect of daily life for the fire people. Even just a previous demonstration of this skill at the same level would’ve given significance to this later remark, but it lacks the punch this scene would have otherwise had. This also would have enriched her character further beyond the hot-tempered loyal daughter who wants to please her parents who gave up everything for her. While not a bad archetype, it just needed a little more umph to propel her into becoming a classic Pixar character as memorable as a Joy or Buzz. Wade doesn’t fare much better, lacking any notable flaws beyond sobbing at the drop of a hat (which seems to be tied more to his family than necessarily all water people, which leaves the trait to fall a bit flat). While these don’t necessarily make the film bad, the operative word is certainly “underwhelming.”
Elemental had all the makings of a clever, inventive concept that could rival the imagination found in the likes of Inside Out or Zootopia. It certainly does in regards to the animation and its performances, particularly Lewis and Athie. Unfortunately, the film ultimately overlies on the tropes of familiar stories that aren’t elevated by the movie’s stronger elements, pun intended. Strangely, there’s a case to be made that the film, feeling incomplete in some of its ideas, would have fared better shorter and simpler or longer and more developed. While you may go in hoping for something groundbreaking, amongst the greater parts of the Pixar and Disney catalogs, this film may just end up lost in the wind.
Be sure to check out our video review with Monty and Nicki here!
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