Though it might not reach the same heights set by some of Pixar’s most acclaimed work, Elemental is still a sweet and beautifully animated rom-com that hits most, if not all, of the right notes, tells a touching story, and thoughtfully explores several different themes.
Overall Score: 9/10
Image: Pixar / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
If I had to pick the one film that I’ve been looking forward to most this year, my answer would undoubtedly have to be Elemental. Why? Well, first, it’s a new Pixar movie. And second, it’s a new rom-com. Those are two of my favorite things, and since Elemental is essentially a combination of both, naturally, I’ve found that I’ve been very excited about it.
Rather unfortunately, however, it was screened early at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and was met with a first wave of mixed to negative reviews. Of course, I didn’t let that dampen my overall excitement for the film — as I’ve learned from experience that critics can’t always be trusted when they say something isn’t good — but I also told myself not to go in expecting a masterpiece. After all, not every Pixar movie can be as phenomenal or acclaimed as WALL-E or Up.
But now, after having seen it, I’m happy to report and can say with absolute certainty that Elemental is actually pretty good. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it exceeded my expectations and blew me away in more ways than one. So without further ado, let’s get straight into the review.
First of all, when it comes to animation, Elemental is yet another big win for Pixar. Everything from its character designs to its background imagery is beautifully animated and filled with vibrant colors and various textures. Furthermore, the film pushes beyond the conventional boundaries of Pixar’s animation style and delivers what may be the studio’s most ambitious and challenging project yet. By this, I mean that every on-screen element behaves in the exact same way their real-life counterparts do — just like how the fire characters wave and flicker or how the water characters bend light.
Second, as a rom-com, Elemental works exceptionally well. Sure, it’s a bit straightforward and doesn’t exactly do anything we haven’t seen before, but so what? Being simple arguably works in its favor. Plus, it does an excellent job of pulling from and utilizing various tried-and-true rom-com tropes. Also, its two leads, Ember and Wade, are very likable and have genuine and terrific chemistry with one another. Most of my favorite scenes directly involve the pair (which really shouldn’t be all that surprising), and, in general, I think their budding romantic relationship is well-developed and given more than enough room and time to grow.
Additionally, the voice acting here is absolutely top-notch. Quite astonishingly, each actor has been perfectly cast, so much so that their voices entirely match the designs of the respective characters they play. But while everyone certainly brings their A game, the real standouts are leads Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie. Lewis is delightful as Ember and deftly balances her cleverness, sense of loyalty, and hotheadedness. Athie, meanwhile, is wonderfully over the top, yet sincere as Wade, and does an excellent job of portraying his compassion for others and his proneness to getting emotional. Also, Lewis and Athie play very well off of one another, which adds to the believability of their characters’ romance and ultimately strengthens the film.
Another good thing about Elemental is that it features several relevant and relatable themes. It deals with family, parental expectations, building connections with others, and the importance of being true to oneself. But it also explores a few heavier things like the immigrant experience, inequality, and xenophobia. And sure, I get that it may not dive into its themes as thoroughly as some of Pixar’s other movies do with theirs, but I’d argue that it still does enough as it effectively gets its points and messages across.
And last but not least, Elemental features yet another fantastic score from veteran composer Thomas Newman. As he did with his contribution to Pixar’s WALL-E, Newman once again delivers beautiful music — with some particularly outstanding tracks being “Across the Ocean,” “Bubble Date,” “Mineral Lake,” and “Vivisteria” — that perfectly complements each scene and helps convey the film and its characters’ different ideas, thoughts, and emotions. And on a somewhat related note, though I’m typically not a huge fan of modern pop songs, I’ll admit that Lauv’s "Steal the Show" is pretty catchy and that it matches the feel-good vibe of the movie quite well.
All right, look, I’ll admit that Elemental isn’t the absolute best film that Pixar’s ever made, but regardless, I still think it squarely ranks as one of the studio’s better recent offerings. It’s a solid rom-com that’s beautifully animated, has plenty of things to say, and is simply cute, fun, and highly entertaining. I recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of this specific genre, and if you like Pixar, make sure to go and see it as soon as possible.
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