Pixar movies have seldom suffered from a lack of ambition, but that’s still the defining characteristic of “Elemental,” which mixes a tender opposite-side-of-matter romance with an immigrant story. While younger kids might not spark to the depth of that, adding to the commercial hurdles, the mixture should thaw all but the most hardened hearts.
The closest kin in the Pixar filmography would be “WALL-E,” which also combined an improbable love story with a deeper theme (in that case, the threat of climate change). It’s notable, too, that “Elemental” is being released with a short culled from the gilded era of Pixar animation, “Carl’s Date,” marking the late Ed Asner’s final vocal performance in his “Up” role, here in a tear-inducing new chapter that he shares with his ever-loyal pooch Dug.
More recently, Pixar has exhibited a hit-miss track record, with creative standouts like “Soul” and “Turning Red” sent directly to streaming due to the pandemic, and “Onward,” “Luca” and “Lightyear” falling short of lofty creative expectations.
However “Elemental” performs at the box office, it marks a solid addition to the library, creating an elaborate world consisting of characters representing the four elements (air, fire, water and earth) living in proximity, though not exactly together, in and around a dazzling society known as Element City.
The movie tells the story of Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis), the daughter of immigrant parents who left Fire Land to come to the city, seeking a better life. Her father (Ronnie Del Carmen) yearns to pass his store to her, though Ember’s occasional fits of temper – beyond wreaking havoc on the merchandise – suggest she might not be fully on board with the idea despite her determination to be a “good daughter.”
The fire folk don’t have much use for their neighbors, particularly water, which makes it especially awkward when one of them, Wade (“Archive 81’s” Mamoudou Athie), gushes into Ember’s life. A city inspector, he finds safety issues with the store, but he’s soon trying to help Ember salvage the family business while clearly falling for her.
Directed by Peter Sohn (who dedicates the film to his immigrant parents), “Elemental” isn’t subtle about its central metaphor, which creates not just cultural and class impediments to Ember and Wade being together but physical ones as well. “Elements don’t mix,” Ember is told, which only makes the growing bond between them more endearing.
Like the romance, some of the comedy will likely float over the heads of smaller fry, from Wade taking Ember to a movie (“Tide and Prejudice”) to novelty shirts (“Kiss Me, I’m Firish”) to one of his relatives lauding her for being articulate, prompting her to note that she should be fluent in a language she’s spoken her whole life.
Still, “Elemental” also surrounds its simple-looking characters with extraordinary production design and playful visual flourishes – like sports fans literally doing the wave – and deftly builds toward a crisis that will compel Ember to decide what’s really important to her.
Pixar set the bar so high for itself in that dizzying stretch of early hits that a rougher patch was perhaps inevitable, and the .500 batting average of its last half-dozen movies have brought the company back down to Earth.
“Elemental” doesn’t quite join the studio’s hallowed top tier, but it does yield moments of magic and beauty – reflecting both the immigrant experience as well as the power of love – worthy of that legacy. Because watching fire and water come together, as portrayed here, it’s hard not to come away feeling a little bit misty.
“Elemental” premieres June 16 in US theaters. It’s rated PG.