Elemental Review: A Magical World, A Mediocre Story

"Elemental," Pixar's newest movie, doesn't reach the studio's creative heights. That's because its story is, at heart, pretty pat. However, it does have great world-building. There's something magical about the universe director Peter Sohn and writers John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh have come up with — so magical, in fact, that it carries a lot of the film. Though its story is fairly standard rom-com stuff, the absorbing environment makes "Elemental" a worthwhile watch.

Though "Elemental" centers around fire element Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) and water element Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), it starts before Ember is even born. Her parents travel by boat to Element City, where fire elements are scarce. At the immigration processing center, the person they check in with doesn't speak their language. Everyone in the "nice" parts of town refuses to rent to them. But Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder Lumen (Shila Ommi) are determined, and come to call the part of the city that eventually becomes Fire Town home. They have Ember and manage to run a successful business, despite the challenges they face. Ember is carefully trained to take over from them someday.

But that day hasn't come yet because Ember keeps getting angry at the customers. On one occasion, when Bernie leaves Ember in charge, she manages to get so mad she makes the pipes burst. With the water comes Wade, a water element who also happens to be a building inspector. Ember initially follows Wade because she wants to get the tickets he wrote for the store back. From there, Wade and Ember engage in a will-they-won't-they dance of courtship which becomes a can-they-or-can't-they. It's a fairly predictable story, but it has flashes of creativity that make it that much more enjoyable.

The best thing about "Elemental" is its worldbuilding: Element City is a blast to explore. From the port where Bernie and Cinder's ship docks to Wade's family's high-class apartment to the store where Ember and her family work, everything is well thought-out and vibrantly executed (not to mention packed with dozens of fun Easter eggs). While we spend most of the movie's runtime in Fire Town and Bernie's store, which is stuffed with fire-ready merchandise, the Ripples' sleek, sophisticated, and entirely water-based home makes a serious impression, as does the plant-covered office of an earth element. 

Element City is so sumptuous, you'll wish we could see even more of it. But its appeal isn't solely in its beauty, though the visuals are splendid — it's in its thoughtfulness. Every environment is clearly the result of creative people thinking deeply about what a place full of fire, water, earth, or air beings would actually look like. This is evident in the squat nature of Fire City, the water elements' tall buildings, and the breezy stadium where all city denizens take in a basketball-like game played by air elements. Even the clothes each element wears are specific and special. The filmmakers also draw on actual science to ensure these scenes make sense, which makes the film more interesting and fun. While I wonder how fully little kids will grasp these details, it makes the movie that much more engrossing for adults.

While the worldbuilding of "Elemental" is exciting, the story is less so. That's not to say it's bad, but it is a lot more predictable than many of Pixar's other movies. "Toy Story" sees Buzz and Woody end up at a sadistic neighbor's house, where Buzz has a breakdown. "Monsters Inc." has Mike and Sully learn that laughter is more powerful than scream. In "Inside Out," Joy realizes in order for Riley to live a full life, Sadness must have equal time. "Elemental" sees Ember and Wade fall in love ... and that's about it. While that's nothing to be ashamed of, it's not nearly as interesting as the plotlines of those other movies. Granted, "Elemental" is also about immigrants finding a new home and dealing with bigotry. Unfortunately, that subplot is underplayed in favor of the love story.

Still, there are flashes of brilliance here. The scene in which Wade takes Ember to see her favorite flower, which she was banned from seeing as a child because of her fiery nature, is a feast for the eyes. It's also inventive and fun, as viewing the flower necessitates a tricky operation involving air bubbles and flooded tunnels. The moment in which Ember powers a hot air balloon with her own flames is also delightful, acting as both a showcase for Element City and effective establishment of a fire person's capabilities.

Taken together, these things make an otherwise so-so story more compelling. The voice actors help too. Lewis and Athie are great as Ember and Wade; Lewis is especially fantastic at capturing Ember's inner conflict over Wade and her chosen vocation. The rest of the cast is great too, with each individual bringing commitment and creativity to their part. 

All in all, "Elemental" isn't the pinnacle of Pixar, but it isn't at the bottom of the barrel either. It tells an affecting story about immigration, what it means to love someone you didn't expect to, and the parental struggle to love a daughter's choices as much as one loves the daughter herself. And it's made better by spectacular worldbuilding and creative choices. As a result, it's a story worth seeing.

"Elemental" arrives in theaters on Friday, June 16.