Pixar has built an entire brand on purified emotions. So when those ingredients are lacking, it’s painfully obvious.
When the first, noticeably tepid reviews of Elemental flowed out of the Cannes Film Festival in May, Pixar couldn’t help but blame its audience’s own lofty expectations. “We seem to be critiqued not only based on other movies but on our own stuff,” studio head Pete Docter told Variety at the time. On the one hand, he was employing the sort of mandated PR talk that positions “fans” against “critics” and perceives everything remotely critical as a personal attack. On the other hand, he has a point.
Pixar’s Existential Crisis
After nearly three decades of forcing audiences to choke on their own sobs, Pixar now faces a conundrum: if one of their films fails to trigger an existential crisis, it can feel like a betrayal. It’s a curse of the studio’s own making. They’ve built an entire brand on purified emotions, so when those ingredients are lacking, it is painfully obvious. Elemental, their 27th movie, is gentle and humane but never raw or vulnerable.
A Complex Allegory
Elemental is based on a semi-philosophical thought exercise: what if the fire, water, earth, and air elements were all sentient beings? And what if two opposites – fire and water – fell in love? While Pixar’s high-concept films usually draw out the simplistic from the elaborate, Elemental overcomplicates itself. It’s a straightforward romcom that also tackles culture clashes, systemic racism in city infrastructures, and the expectations of immigrant parents on their children.
The Journey of Fire and Water
In Elemental, a fire couple named Bernie and Cindy Lumen land in Element City, facing hostility due to their fiery nature. They run a store and raise their daughter, Ember, who inherits their temperament. When a water person named Wade Ripple unexpectedly enters their lives, sparks fly, leading to a series of events that challenge their relationships and identities.
Mixed Beauty and Frustrating Attempts
Elemental has moments of real beauty, such as an underwater sequence that captures the exploratory nature of first love. The voice work, particularly Mamoudou Athie’s performance, is stellar. However, the film frustratingly attempts to encompass the immigrant experience in America, with mishmashed cultural influences that feel impersonal and non-specific.
Final Verdict
While Elemental has its merits, it overcomplicates its allegory and fails to elicit the emotional impact that Pixar is known for. Despite its gentle and humane nature, the film lacks the raw vulnerability that audiences have come to expect from the studio. Nonetheless, it’s still worth a watch for the stunning visuals and standout voice performances.
