Elemental Movie Review: A Beautiful, But Not Mind-Blowing, Story About Love And Family

Elemental is the latest animated film from Pixar Studios and I loved it! It is a love story between Ember and Wade, set in a world where all of the characters are an element (fire, water, air, and earth). Ember is a fire element and Wade is a water element, and the whole premise of the story is around how elements don’t mix…but also what if they did?

Pixar does it again with its complex and adorable world-building, with Elemental City being an elaborately designed city centered around the four elements. Since water was the first element to settle on the territory, a lot of the city is built around water. For instance, the subway system glides on water and there are large lakes and rivers throughout. Fire was the last element to join the city, and in a way, they get discriminated against because they are viewed as destructive. The city was not designed with fire in mind, which means it’s difficult for fire to move around easily.

I think Pixar does a good job at trying to make the elements ambiguous in terms of race. For instance, with Ember’s family, I see a lot of immigrant values that remind me of Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures, to name a few. Ember feels a lot of pressure to make her parents proud because of the sacrifices that they have made, which is very relatable to children of immigrant parents. And honestly the resolution at the end of the movie felt almost too happy and good to be true. In my experience, the gap in cultural understanding between an immigrant parent and their child can be vast and daunting. And as depressing as it sounds, sometimes you may never see eye to eye on certain topics, especially the older a parent gets.

The movie is also very much centered on Wade and Ember’s romance, which is quite simple. As they get to know each other more, they start to really like each other, but the reality of fire and water being together seems almost impossible. But unless they try to take the next step, there will be no way to prove if its really possible or not. Ultimately, despite insurmountable differences, maybe it’s worth taking that leap of faith to chase after the things that make you happy. The results may surprise you! This is a very positive and Disney-esque moral lesson. I have also noticed that out of all the Pixar films I’ve watched, this one is probably the most romantic, which also feels very Disney.

I think that Elemental is a very sweet story that is worth watching. The world-building is absolutely incredible and every scene is gorgeous. I think the expectations for Pixar are extremely high, and I don’t think this film is one that breaks any molds. But for a great time at the theater (or at home), this is definitely worth it.