Rent Elemental on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh (screenplay by), Peter Sohn and John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and
Brenda Hsueh (story by)
Directed by: Peter Sohn
Starring: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O'Hara
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer
Plot
In a city where fire, water, earth, and air residents live together, Ember befriends Wade who challenges her beliefs about the world.
Verdict
It's a sweet, timely, and culturally relevant story about different cultures that clash before getting to know each other and forming friendships. With Pixar, the animation and story telling are always top notch. It is a bit long, but as a kids' movie it's a great story. You fear other people different from you before you get to know them. This tells an immigration story and the difficulties faced. This has enough depth that children will be entertained by the world and animation while adults can appreciate the metaphor.
Watch It.
Review
Pixar has an incredible track record for story telling and animation quality. Just a few of their latest movies include Luca, Toy Story 4, and Coco. All of them are impressive.
Fire elements Bernie and Cinder immigrate to a new city where the elements of earth, air, fire and water live but don't intermingle. They're trying to make a start in the city but are rejected because they are fire and the other elements are concerned. The allegory the movie makes is clear, but it does a nice job of making the comparison. Animated kids' movies don't often speak to a larger issue, but Pixar's movie usually have that added depth and this does a great job of it. This is commentary on race and culture. The movie establishes that all elements don't mix and the city is built for certain types.
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| Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie play Ember, Wade |
Ember (Leah Lewis) is the child of these immigrants, now grown up and helping run the shop her parents started in the fire community. She has a tough time dealing with unruly customers, and her inability to control her emotions starts the plot of the movie when she meets the city inspector, water element Wade (Mamoudou Athie). Ember's family shop is on the verge of being shut down as Wade notes it's deficient in numerous areas.
Ember teams up with Wade to find a mysterious leak in the city, hoping she can convince Wade not to close down the shop. They begin to like each other despite their elemental differences. Wade's laid back demeanor causes her consider her overreactions. Ember is hesitant as she know her father wouldn't approve, yet she's surprised with how openly Wade's family embraces her. Wade is a complication, forcing Ember to decide between him and her dedication to her family and the shop.
It's easy to see where this is going and the movie drags that out a bit too long. I was shocked at the ending initially, but realized what was going on. While it's a bit manipulative, it's a nice way to have both an emotional impact and a happy ending.
It's a solid movie, but Pixar has created so many stunning movies that this is overshadowed. It is a great concept that's executed very well. It ranks higher than many movies, but for Pixar it's status quo.
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