Many moons ago — as in, a decade ago — I was addicted to the game Fireboy and Watergirl. The co-op computer game was one of the few available on the classroom computers during our (very rare) “free time,” and it was a great way to play with friends and take our minds off of school. That's what I thought Pixar's latest film, Elemental, was based on. But boy was I wrong (and happy that I was).
Elemental review
You see, Elemental is Pixar's first real swing at a rom-com. Sure, Woody and Bo Peep have their moments in the Toy Story films, but it's actually quite surprising to look through their slate and realize they never have done a real rom-com. Elemental is a story of forbidden love, one of the many themes explored throughout the film — however, some are more shallow than others.
Years ago (Elemental is very light on timelines), two fire elements, Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), immigrated from their homeland and settled in Element City. But it wasn't easy to find a place to settle down — they were the black sheep of every community — but eventually, they found a place and Bernie started a convenience store. Over the years, more fire elements began settling in, and their daughter, Ember (Leah Lewis), grew older.
From a very young age, Ember was promised the reins to the store when she was “ready,” which is oftentimes parent's code for when they are no longer with us. Nonetheless, Ember is devoted to proving her worth to her father — in fact, this is her main motivator in life.
That's all thrown by the wayside on one fateful “Red Dot Sale” day — the store's equivalent to Black Friday. Ember, a fire element, lives up to her billing as a hothead and is easily set off by customers. On this “Red Dot Sale” day, she meets a complete oxymoron: Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a sappy water element that can't keep his composure when giving out citations (he's an inspector).
Back to Ember, after bottling up her emotions for too long, she explodes and causes the store's pipes to burst. That's when Wade shows up, writes negative reports, and sends them off to City Hall. This kicks off the adventure of Elemental as Ember and Wade — who technically shouldn't fall in love — begin realizing that there may be more than just the way they were taught growing up.
It's a very sweet dynamic, as the two aren't even sure if they can touch without destroying the other, and that comes down to the voice acting. Lewis' raspy voice suits the fire-based character well, while Athie nails the teddy bear-like qualities of Wade. It's especially refreshing in the case of the latter after having last seen him in Jurassic World: Dominion — a film that sucked any sort of charisma out of everyone involved. Elemental allows Athie to channel something closer to the tenderness of his performance in Unicorn Store.
As a rom-com, Elemental is a success. It's not When Harry Met Sally, but some breadcrumbs of Amélie can be found. The classic French film is far more eccentric than Elemental and in the vein of Wes Anderson's work, but I think the self-discovery that the titular goes through is somewhat similar to Ember's journey — and not just because they both serve food to customers.
And as any Pixar film does, Elemental has a few heady themes in its story. However, it's clear that forbidden love is the most shown on-screen. I guess it's the most accessible and easiest to make into a children's story, but things such as immigration, prejudice, parental pressure, and even classism are all present but not fully explored. It's a delicate balance between being brazen like Turning Red (Pixar's best film since Inside Out) and Luca (a cute, but lightweight film), and sometimes it makes the storyline revolving around this forbidden love feel like the favorite child and no one wants to admit it.
Whether it's a case of Pixar lighting one too many fires to infuse into Elemental's story or just not wanting to go full-force into the exploration of all of them, it does weigh the film down a bit. The filmmakers have a huge sandbox to play in given that Elemental City is filled with all types of species, yet we fixate on the story of Ember and Wade. Even the conflict of water vs. fire hardly goes further than the typical father's disliking of the boyfriend trope. It ultimately makes Elemental feel a bit smaller than it should. Maybe spinoffs or sequels are in the works to explore other pockets of the world, but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity in its story.
But where Elemental may stumble, the animation and score make up for it tenfold. Sure, the film doesn't have the dreamy, painting-like Italian skies of Luca or the vibrancy of Coco, but Elemental is unique in its own way. It features some hyper-realistic shots that had me questioning whether or not they animated over a still image of real life. The textures have life — just look at the inside of Ember's shop or Wade and his water-based family — and go a long way in giving the 27th feature film in Pixar's catalog a unique aesthetic.
Should you watch Elemental?
In a lot of ways, Elemental is quote groundbreaking for Pixar. It's their true first real rom-com, and they mostly nail it. The film isn't without its issues — the pacing and fixation on its two characters and only them come to mind — but the charisma of the lead voice actors carries the romance and story beyond its relatively basic structure. It's not as deep as Inside Out or Turning Red, but it's still a very, very good Pixar film that moves them forward in their storytelling instead of relying on the past (looking at you, Toy Story).
Grade: B
Elemental will be released on June 16.
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