Elemental

The latest animated film from Disney and Pixar, Elemental, is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, a tale of star-crossed lovers who must contest with disgruntled families and societal norms if they want to be together. Directed by Peter Sohn, who is known for 2015’s The Good Dinosaur, the film is visually stunning as an animated piece. It touches on themes of xenophobia, forbidden love and social exclusion.

Set in a world where anthropomorphic elements of nature, namely wind, water, fire and earth, reside in a city together, the film starts off with our main character, Ember, voiced by Leah Lewis. She is a young girl who lives in the fire part of town with her family. Her family has faced xenophobia in the world and have largely moved to a segregated area where they can be together with people like them. She runs a shop with her father, Bernie. Her mother Cinder gives out fortune readings in a room in the back of the shop.

When Bernie becomes sick, Ember must take care of him and the store as well. One day, after becoming overwhelmed with customers, she loses her temper and her fiery outburst breaks the pipes in the basement, allowing water to flood the store. Traveling through the water is Wade Ripple, voiced by Mamoudou Athie, an inspector who deems that Ember’s store is in violation of numerous codes. This sparks a journey for Ember to get her store back, as she eventually enlists a sympathetic Wade to assist her in this task. Along the way, she and Wade realize they have a deeper connection, but fire and water are never supposed to mix.

The movie tells the story of a forbidden love, and it does so with impressive visual flair and an adorable soundtrack. The budget for the film was $200 million, and the animation for the elements is impressive. The wisps of flame on the fire elements are always in motion, just like fire is in real life. The oranges and reds are vibrant and beautiful. Wade and his fellow water compatriots are totally amorphous. They can fit themselves into any space they can fill, and the blue hues and rippling movements make them a captivating thing to see. In fact, all models in the film have an aesthetic appeal that shows the time and care that went into creating them.

Courtesy Pixar Films

The original song for the film, “Steal the Show,” performed by Lauv, is infectious and sweet and gives the film a sonic edge that will stay with the viewer after they leave the theater. I took my three-year-old son to see the film, and the song was one of his favorite parts. My son had never been to the movies, so he was naturally excited. We had watched the trailer, and he was pumped up to meet “fire girl” and “water guy.” When I asked for his opinion of the film, he said, “Fire girl was sad because her store broke.”

When we spoke about how both main characters were both sad, largely because they couldn’t be together, I realized the film communicated emotions that could be understood and sympathized with by people of all ages. That feeling of not belonging or wanting something you can’t have seemed to be universal, regardless of age. Filmmaker Peter Sohn did a skillful job here. His specific vision for the design and execution of the animated feature will allow the film to become another successful entry in the Disney/Pixar oeuvre.

Courtesy Pixar Films

Primarily, the film is about love. Ember’s physical differences with Wade don’t prevent her from falling in love with him and vice-versa. While Ember’s own parents have been discriminated against, they too refuse to let Wade date their daughter on the same grounds. Eventually, they realize he is a good fit for her, and that love can conquer the traditional laws of our physical universe.

This is an incredibly timely story, though forbidden love has been a popular subject for stories throughout recorded history. The social implications have always had real-life parallels as well, but they really do ring true in this film. It is nice to see a cute animated film that isn’t afraid to comment on the perils and challenges of our modern world.

Under Sohn’s direction, and with impressively executed imagery, Elemental is definitely a film worth seeing this summer. Whether taking your own child to see it, or just trying to enjoy it as an adult, the film offers reassurance that, even in our divided times, we can still come together. It also tells us that love is the only way to overcome the differences we find in one another.

ELEMENTAL is now playing in theaters.