Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, Elemental's plot has convenience store employee and fire element Ember Lumen meeting and falling in love with water element Wade Ripple when the latter is summoned by a plumbing accident at the store that's owned by Ember's father, Bernie. Realizing that the two share mutual feelings for each other, they find themselves coming to terms with the realization that opposites do attract. Billed as being a romantic comedy, It can be unequivocally stated that Elemental's plot is one that has its heart in the right place, despite the fact that many of its elements feel familiar to audiences. Although the story beats can appear to be lifted from other similar Pixar-themed films, Elemental takes what's already been used before and reapplies it here in a way that assists the world-building that's being beautifully done by the films creative team. It's not the most innovative or thought-provoking of Pixar films, but when it comes to delivering its poignant message regarding how differences should be celebrated, Elemental works its magic.
As with any Pixar animated films voice ensemble cast, Elemental's delivers fantastic work with everyone giving pure devotion to their roles. Leah Lewis is terrific as the relatable and likable Ember, who clearly adores working at her family's convenience store, but struggles with controlling her explosive temper. Lewis plays her character as being strong and quick-witted with her shown to have different dreams and ambitions than what her father wishes. Mamoudou Athie equally shines as fun and sappy Wade Ripple, whose far more emotional than Ember and cries at almost anything remotely sad. Both Lewis and Althie showcase solid chemistry together with them making for an exceptional romantic duo. Lending them strong voice acting support is Ronnie del Carmen as Ember's father, Bernie, who plans to retire from the families convenience store and allow his daughter to run it, Sheila Ommi as Ember's mother Cinder, who distrusts water elements. Other additional voices include Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wade's employer Gale, Catherine O' Hara as Wade's widowed mother Brook, and Mason Wertheimer as young and street-smart Clod.
In terms of the films visual outlook, director Peter Sohn gives audiences a new kind of animated world that's absorbing with them feeling as if the water shown on screen is coming directly at them (Especially if viewed in 3D). Pixar is always known for pushing the technological boundaries of animated storytelling with here proving to be no exception with the films animation amounting to being remarkable work once again. Elemental's world is shown as being vibrant and colorful with the films visual language speaking to the stories major themes. At 101 minutes, the story never feels slow-paced and moves along steadily allowing enough time for the main characters relationship to grow. The soundtrack proves effective in adding to the films different layers of emotion, while giving off a relaxed feel to it. With bringing the films visual world to the screen, Sohn does a noteworthy job of realizing a breathtaking animated world in which fire, land, water, and air residents all live together.
As with any recent Pixar film, the stories all come with themes that carry a sense of relevance to the world surrounding them. Although strictly a girl-meets-boy romantic comedy, themes regarding immigration and the celebrating of one's differences are at the forefront of the story, as well as fitting into new areas, interracial romance, and the embracing of diversity being at play here and are effectively used. While the story makes admirable attempts to be progressive while combating xenophobia, it's bound by the fact that it relies on generic character and plot tropes, which have been done before in previous films with similar storylines. Whereas the story lacks in originality and innovativeness, it compensates with delivering serviceable characters who prove to be effective enough in conveying the films ultimate message regarding acceptance and love. The characters of Ember and Wade make for an ideal romantic pairing with clever plot twists inserted into their dynamic such as Ember not being able to touch water given that she's made of fire, along with Wade potentially evaporating from being exposed to excessive heat. The bit involving Wade appearing very emotional and crying at the drop of a pen adds a fun touch to the story with both characters ultimately providing it's soul.
As far as Pixar films go, Elemental can't shake the fact that it often feels like a typical formulaic rom-com with the main twist besides being that the main characters are made of elements, therefore putting forth the traditional us versus them scenario that's been done before previously in Zootopia. Regardless of this fault, Elemental knows the story it wants to tell and does so with the full dedication and heart of its cast and crew. It's plot may leave a little to be desired, but the stellar voice performances from its cast, the gorgeous animation, and overall sincerity behind its storytelling is more than enough to make Elemental an endearing experience for audiences if they're willing to overlook the familiarity of its plot. To answer the question of whether Pixar has lost it's touch? They haven't but their newest effort feels slightly undercooked.
Final Verdict: A must see for Disney and Pixar fans.
Images Courtesy Of Disney and Pixar Animation Studios
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