Elemental

Given this is my third review of the weekend, I won't spend a whole lot of time discussing the current state of Pixar (short story: their "downfall" is overblown, they're more like a normal studio now, with peaks and valleys). 

Instead, I'll do my best to highlight Elemental as a time where I left the theater perplexed. Not because the film was confusing or bad, but because all I'd seen from critics were middling, bored reviews, suggesting a Pixar film that lacked imagination, humor, and heart. 

It's truly one of those moments in my time of doing this where I looked to my wife as we left the theater and asked, "Were they watching the same movie?"

No, Elemental is not a Pixar classic like Up, Toy Story 1-3, Inside Out, or Soul (for a handful of examples) but other reviews would suggest it's of similar quality and lasting power as Monsters University, some of the Cars sequels, or Onward. I can definitively say Elemental is what I'd call "really good" Pixar...reminding me the most of Coco, not in tone or themes, but in terms of placement of quality in the overall Pixar catalog.

Elemental is packed to the brim with fun...ahem...elements and aspects of its world where Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire are living in a City together. In usual Pixar fashion, many details are fun, interesting, and very smart, making for a world that feels unique and lived in. We're introduced to Ember (Fire) who is aiming to take over her dad's shop once he retires...that is until she meets Wade (Water) and they find they have a connection to one another. Elemental is a Pixar romance film so mileage will vary if that's not what you're looking for and I imagine kids will find this too "lovey dovey". There are things I wish it did better overall - the romance feels rushed and can be a bit rollercoaster-esque at times, more "push the envelope" jokes would have been welcome, and some of the commentary on society felt phoned in - but as a complete package, Elemental won me over, and my wife, and seemingly my whole theater.

It's a technical masterpiece, with visuals that continuously wowed me, not to mention all the colors that come with all of these elements and the voice work - especially from our main stars Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie - are perfect. The whole thing moves at a brisk pace and the romance, despite my gripe about its speed, really works and there's strangely some...um...hot chemistry between our two leads. The jokes are not rip roaringly funny, but many of them landed with chuckles in our theater and there's a lovely original score (with echoes of Soul TBH) that wrap it all in a package. It could definitely be described as cute, though I really think this is an inventive, gorgeous, fairly funny rom-com that feels like something unique from Pixar. I very much enjoyed it, much more than I would have guessed from middling reviews. 

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10