Pixar is getting back to what it does best, storytelling with beautiful animation and several messages. The animation team worked overtime making the main characters representing the elements stand out, showing vibrantly how Fire glows and Water flows. Using these elements as the main characters, this film presents serious issues on a variety of current topics ripped from the news. Not on a par with UP or Wall-E, it’s still an entertaining, colorful film, that’s fun for the whole family.
It’s about the unlikely friendship of fire and water who don’t mix. They’re not supposed to get along coming from different parts of Element City. But the film tackles more than that. It’s about how opposites can attract, immigration, diversity, racism, inclusion, and, of course, climate. Director Peter Sohn has said some of what you see in this film was inspired by such classic live action films as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Moonstruck, and the popular French film, Amélie. You’ll see why in this film.
Credit to the animatiors for creating main characters that really show who they are. Fire is hot shot spark Ember (Voiced by Leah Lewis -TV’s Nancy Drew). Her family owns a store that carries items from their homeland, a vaguely Middle Eastern country. Ember’s father wants to turn the store over to her when he feels she’s ready. But it’s not her dream. When Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) shows up as the Element City Inspector to investigate a water leak, he wants to shut them down. Ember flares up, hot tempered as she is. She follows him to fight for her family and keep the store going, even though she dreams of creating her original art some day.
Wade is kind of a “go-with-the-flow” guy from the richer side of town. Ember tracks him to City Hall. There she encounters the bureaucracy in another colorful character, Brook Ripple (Catherine O’Hara). O’Hara is over-the-top citing the city codes that are being violated. She goes by the book and nothing will sway her. Ripple is also a sports fanatic and the scene of her at the stadium is one of the funnier segments. And yes, you’ll see, the iconic mass arena cheer come to life as only the Water fans can do. Wendi McLendon-Covey adds comedy as Gale, the voice of the wind which you see whip around town.
Wade is compassionate and wants to try to help Ember. They strike up a friendship even though they fear water could put out the fire and fire could make water boil and evaporate which would be lethal to Wade. They dare not touch. They’re also not supposed to interact being from different sides of town, cultures and social status. Director Sohn effectively uses this as a euphemism for race.
Through colorful animation the screen glows in many of the scenes with fire. Even Ember’s cute little nose flickers like a flame, and how those flames explode when she’s mad or scared. But the animation team that worked with water deserves kudos for showing how water moves when it floods and flows. It’s so realistic, as if it was shot with a real camera. The scenes where Wade glides and slides across the water are fun. Plus seeing Ember survive inside a big bubble in a pool is very imaginative.
This film covers a lot of territory. Some are likening this film to Inside, Out. This is certainly different. It’s the story of a young woman trying to navigate her relationships with all of the elements in her world. But mostly, a love story of opposites, successfully portraying how we all might benefit from non-traditional relationships. It’s Elemental.
Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios. 1 hour 43 minutes PG
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