Elemental
2023
***
Director: Peter Sohn
Cast: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Catherine O’Hara, Mason Wertheimer, Matt Yang King, Clara Lin Ding, Wilma Bonet
Fire, water, earth, and air residents coexist in the bustling Element City. Ember, a tough and hot-tempered fire girl, was raised to stay with her own kind, but then she meets a water boy named Wade. Like Cars and Inside Out, this is another high-concept Pixar animation, this time with anthropomorphised classical elements. Whether the logic of this world holds up is debatable, but ultimately it serves as a metaphor for racism and intolerance. The film is entertaining but disposable. Its humour is mostly aimed at children, but it does include some touching moments about overcoming prejudice and meeting expectations.
