Pixar’s newest animated adventure Elemental is finally here in all of its fiery, wet, and green glory. So, as I always do, it’s time to review the newest Disney/Pixar adventure. Does Elemental feel like the original movies with all of their spectacular storylines and memorable characters, or is it just as simple as Pixar’s more recent projects? Well, here’s my thoughts on Elemental. This is a spoiler-free review. No major plot points or anything outside of the trailers and clips will not be shared in this review.
Elemental does a great job connecting you to this expansive and creative world and its unique characters. The main characters and even side characters are all very fun and different in their own interesting ways. It’s fun to watch what the characters do and how they react to everything that happens, especially together. Element City is an incredibly creative setting, home to residents of the four elements: Earth, air, fire, and water. Elemental introduces you to characters of all four of these elements, who are all also very fun characters.
I’m going to be honest, I don’t cry at movies, but I definitely know when Pixar movies are cry-worthy. However, Pixar’s recent lineup of films, including Luca, Turning Red, and Lightyear haven’t reached that typical Pixar fashion of making their audiences sob completely. However, Elemental definitely breaks that streak because while it won’t make you bawl like crazy, it does reach that level of feelings with a touching relationship between Ember and her father, which are moments that come throughout the film. The core of the film is about accepting anyone and loving who you want to love, which is reflected in many ways throughout the movie. Ember and Wade’s relationship is touching and inspiring, making for another great Pixar story. However, the movie’s plot overall is a bit underdone. It feels like Elemental has no central storyline and has a bunch of different things happening: Wade and Ember’s relationship, Ember and her dad’s relationship, and a few others I won’t mention for spoiler purposes. The movie’s core plot feels like Pixar’s recently notorious simple plot covered by a larger narrative, if that makes sense.
After leaving Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, I was in awe over the stunning animation. While Pixar’s animation is nothing like Spider-Verse, it looks as good as any other Disney film to date. The texture on everything, especially the water and fire, is unlike anything I’ve seen in animation before. The characters and their city are dazzling and beautiful. Everything about this movie is detailed and it all looks glorious with lots of charm. The glow and colors of the fire; the bubbly, ripply look of the water; the swift and smooth movement of those made of air; the green, lucious look of nature on the Earth. It all looks spectacular and definitely one of the most beautiful animated films I’ve seen to date.
For me, Elemental wasn’t as great as I was hoping for. As I said on Twitter, it feels like Pixar turned such a great and unique concept into a glorified rom-com. However, unlike all rom-coms, Elemental has wonderfully crafted characters, a touching story, and a beautifully, never-seen-before setting. While not as groundbreaking as I was expecting, Elemental is still a wonderful masterpiece that, like Pixar does best, appeals to everyone while making the adult viewers tear up. A great addition to Pixar’s stellar library, Elemental gets a solid 5/6 on the Ryan Meter. A wonderful concept and vibrant, unique characters in a slightly underdone plot. I definitely recommend this film.
What’s your favorite Pixar movie? Let me know in the comments.
Twitter: @RyansFortress