“Elemental” is a fictional film released by Disney and Pixar, directed by Peter Sohn, with a screenplay by John Hoberh, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh. The film is set in a New York-style metropolis where different social classes are represented by natural elements—earth, fire, water, and air. However, the film struggles to effectively use this central metaphor, and its world-building is messy and unwieldy, leading to a conventional story that fails to meet the high standards set by Pixar’s earlier works.
The story revolves around Ember Lumen, a hot-tempered second-generation immigrant who works in her father’s bodega shop. She possesses special abilities related to fire and struggles with whether to inherit the family business or explore other paths. When a city inspector named Wade enters the picture, investigating a leak that threatens Firetown, Ember teams up with him to save her father’s shop and ultimately forms an interracial romantic relationship with him.
Despite the promising use of color, form, and movement in the animation, the film fails to break new ground and relies on familiar Pixar storytelling clichés. The characters are visually interesting, but the overall storytelling lacks the imaginative and wondrous qualities seen in some of Pixar’s most beloved films like “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E.” The film’s exploration of immigrant communities and racial allegory is muddled and doesn’t resonate as effectively as intended.
Overall, “Elemental” struggles to recapture the original magic of Pixar’s best works and falls short of the studio’s past standards of excellence. The film received mixed reviews and didn’t leave a lasting impression on audiences.