Movie Review: Elemental

 Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.

For many years, as I always said, I always enjoying Pixar’s contents from shorts to movies since Toy Story. But by the time we’re going to 2020s something isn’t right that its probably no longer the same what it used to, but while I still love Pixar to this day, but I questions the direction they’re getting from Disney, or maybe some have a bad luck, such as the case for the latter of one of the most respectful actor and filmmaker named Peter Sohn. Im not saying he’s that bad, but he has respect and loves of film-making and even his voice acting, such as the case for his second film he ever directed.

“Elemental” is a 2023 animated romantic comedy-drama film that written (for story)/directed by Peter Sohn, produced by Denise Ream, and co-written by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh.

Following his direction of Pixar’s fist flop “The Good Dinosaur”, Peter Sohn came up the idea of an unlikely relation between fire and water in the world with full of elements. Plus, it wasn’t just a relationship of fire and water, but its also based on Sohn’s relationship of his family after his release of The Good Dinosaur, especially in his fond memory relation of his passed parents, since he’s originally Korean, since his late parents are born in South Korea, but he’s currently as American citizen since his birth in The Bronx of New York City. Which it may sounds relatable, but kinda odd if we have a relationship between two elements in the world of Earth, Fire, Water and Air.

So, with all that said, can relationship with two kinds of elements will make a good fitting romance, or should we stay in same elements than merging together?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

While the idea of this movie may looks impressively promising what to give us, but… If only the plot and writing could’ve been promising.

The movie begins with the fire family, Bernie and Cinder Lumen, leaving their Fireland to becoming the new immigrants of Element City to building up their family convenience store called “Fireplace” with their blue fire represents their important heritage to bring more population of fire people in Element City in small district. Fast forward to couple years later, we introduce Ember, who’s going to be a new generation her family business store when Bernie has gotten aged to retire, despite she has a temper problem if its too much, she’ll burst in a flame of rage from overwhelming from customers and maybe her family. But it wouldn’t be after her temper of fire bursting bellow the store, she accidentally leaking pipes where she unintentionally meet Wade Ripple, one of the water people, that not only they unexpected to have a relationship between of two different kind, but also tell about the warning case of leaking problem that could ruining fire district, even if she wants to like to be in her family business, its up to Ember to figuring out what to do for her double like of family business and unlikely working with Wade for leak problem, along with unusual chemistry together.

Yeah, while I appreciated the idea to bring us to the world of elements, which maybe this could sounds like about Fire family help to build up the population of the business with Ember exploring the city. But sadly, its not the case for the writing, instead, the movie’s writing is completely cluttered and bland, which, while we have a small substance to exploration of Element City, but the main focus is the chemistry of Ember and Wade for not just a romance, but also work together when it comes to potential issue like leak problem and how to connect with other kinds, leaving the plot direction completely disjointed what we focusing on. This is like if you mixing up with Zootopia for its unique city of different kinds with some social commentary element and Lady and the Tramp of romantic part, but with unusual chemistry how despite they’re different, but they can be both bonding together in a difficulty way, except its bland and poorly written for its direction.

As for the humor in the movie, its rather.. Bellow at best. Sure, I did have some chuckling moments for some visual gags, but its just the writing jokes are all about cheap puns, like come on, that pun jokes could work in early 2010’s, NOT 202-freakin’-3…!

While I like the idea of this movie, some heart and maybe some humor, but its just the writing is bland for poor direction for worthless plot focus and an average romantic comedy story that it kinda feels like its been done before in Disney.

The Animation

I think it safe to say the focus of the budget is the unique animation and a fascinating world of Elements, which il give a credit what they give us with their budget of $200M.

For starter, the setting in the Element City looks impressive, colorful and has a unique skyline design, it looks beautifully cool in vibrant way. And I guess its not hard to see why this city is meant to be similar to New York. Along with a nice looking Fire District, since like I said, its Fire people early arrival to Element City, they gotta start from the bottom before going bigger and promisingly better. Some apartments have a fitting a creative interior designs like Wade Ripple’s apartment home that acts like a family home with swimming pool, or even Cyclone Stadium which is like the air version of Basketball, even if it kinda looks like they borrowed from Quidditch from Harry Potter, but with air element.

As for the designs, they’re pretty simple, but in a unique and challenging way, mainly due to the tricky effects they pulled in order do in a realistic way, cause we all know doing realistic natural effect is a new level of challenging, even for Disney and Pixar.

For Fire People, they have a fire fading quality look that its almost like a painting to life that it looks, the fire people’s effect looks pretty challenging from the fire body to even using firepower like using hand’s flamethrower or even Ember’s fire bursting of rage based on changing color of reaching boiling point. Speaking of changing color, I also love one scene where Ember changes her fire color appearance from stepping on crystal, it looks fun and, again, colorful how she likes to show off with a tricky fire effect from the crystals.

For Water People they have no secret to have a humanoid form of water like the obvious some squash and stretch, but also from bubbling from the inside or one time, shapeshifting in aquatic way for the amount of water they consumed. Of course, the designs to have a fluid and curvy look are nicely fit for their watery look style, especially if they can also doing a cartoony crying, which while I find it funny, but could be a bit over exaggerating.

However, while I like the effects of Fire and Water, but I wish they could do more with Earth and Air. But in fairness, they also have a nice design, though could be not as original. Sure, the Earth People are basically people made out of ground of hairs are made out of grass or plants, while the noses are pretty much a small rock. For Air, its just walking cloud, that’s pretty much it, but like water, they do maybe do have a shapeshifting ability from its cloudy appearance, but like Ember, if they get made, their clouds could going darker with thunders.

Despite some the line humors are not very good because of those cheap puns, but il give credit that I always like seeing those visual gags, this movie is one of them to have a humorous execution with visual gags that I like, like when Wade doing Fire food’s taste test that he screamed out of bubble after tasting it, its creatively funny for the reaction. I wonder if Wade ever tasted a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos if Fireplace also selling them, just saying.

The presentation of its animation is quite possibly one of the most vibrant, colorful, creative and fun work they’ve ever pulled, even if its pretty challenging to do the effects of the humors and even characters.

The Characters

Speaking of the latter, You think the characters would be good for the most part based on writing problem? Well, yes and no.

Lets start off with Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis), the main daughter of the Lumen family from Fireland, which she’s meant to be the new generation of her Family Business, but its nothing but ill prepared due to her fiery temper problem that made her parents concern in order to keep her calm, even though at the same time, having a chemistry with Wade. I find her be a fun character, cause, similar to say, Spider-Man, its not easy to live in double life of either been in family business or going in a relationship, even if the parents don’t wanna brought in like Wade. Even though she’s meant to be “likable”, but I’d say its 50/50 from the writing, but il give a credit for fun performance from Leah herself.

Next up, we have Wade Ripple (voiced by Mamoudou Athie), a water fella who’s less strict of his free choice in Element City, despite he also works as inspector in City Hall. As I know, he’s an obvious humor character for his fun free water person with his Ripple Family unlike the Lumens Family for their strict life. Though I find him passable, since his humor is fun for his visual gags, but he’s more like helping her to live in peace to showing Element City, but what’s forgetting to mentioning is the leakage problem, which again, completely broken up the direction. Despite the writing problem, Mamoudou is also did a fun work of his role, including one point, he’s based on his performance for his ability to cry. Huh, interesting.

Lastly, there’s the Lumens Family, Bernie (voiced by Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder (voiced by Shila Ommi), these guys are more caring about both family business and Ember herself, latter of which that, again, she’s meant to taking Bernie’s torch from his older age for retirement. Whereas Bernie being a strict father and owner of his convenience store for keeping Ember to be present of business and… FAMILY, while Cinder is similar to Bernie, but more like a watcher to her and sorta act like a fortune teller for loving relationship.

As for the rest, I really wish the other elements like Earth and Air could also be focus, but pretty much focusing on Ember and Wade. There’s Gale Cumulus (voiced by Wendi McLendon-Covey) who’s Wade’s employer for forgettable plot convenient about leakage for saving Ember’s Family business, Clod (voiced by young Mason Wertheimer) who’s the Earth kid like hanging out, but pretty much a waste of space, Ripple family are fun-free luxurious family for being welcomed and respectful and Fern Grouchwood (voiced by Joe Pera) is an overgrown Earth bureaucrat,

The characters are very minimal for say the least, which again, the only focus are Ember and Wade, but its just that I wish if they could give us some promising new characters to give, despite the problem of its writing.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, Elemental is the film that it looks promising at first (despite some aren’t interested before its release), but I just wish it could’ve been better.

Granted, the visual looks pretty damn good for its creativity, colorful look of its setting and design, I like the idea of the world populated with the people of elements, and the casting are fun to hear.

Despite that I love the film’s idea, but it felt completely flat from the writing that it’s more focuses on romantic story based on Peter Sohn’s life (which il give a credit what he’s trying), but it completely broken down for the lack of direction for forgetting to acknowledging about leakage problem to near lackluster of social commentary unlike Zootopia has. Leaving the direction of this movie being broken down mess from its writing what it could’ve been.

Again, I had a high hope that its gonna be good, but what they gave us is an average film with a disappointing writing. But its not the worst Pixar film ever in my defense of this movie. But this is the film that maybe you can watch it once, but im sure you’ll easily like it, but for me, I wanted to liking it, but fell flat from the writing.

For my rating, im sorry to say, im gonna giving it a 6/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.