After working with Disney Pixar since the turn of the century, animator Peter Sohn made his directorial debut in 2015 with The Good Dinosaur. His follow up in the director’s chair is Elemental, inspired by his own immigrant experience of moving from Korea to New York in the 1970s. The plot follows fire element Ember (Leah Lewis), daughter of Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), who is soon to take over their family business in Element City. On her first day left in charge alone, her fiery temper outburst causes a leak in the basement which leads her to meet water-boy city inspector Wade (Mamadou Athie), and the pair form an unlikely connection.
The story is set up in a slick opening sequence with whistlestop worldbuilding, reflecting a less comprehensive approach than we’re used to with the studio but lays the foundations nicely. We’re introduced into the fast-moving ecosystem, full of vibrant colour and futuristic structures where earth, water, air, and fire people co-exist, though the city isn’t as fire-friendly as it should be.
What follows is essentially an ‘opposites attract’ romantic comedy, which ticks the genre boxes through Pixar’s signature lens of personification. Narratively, this can feel a little safe but the innovative imagination behind the animation work is sublime; packed with visual gags and playful ideas, the aesthetics serve the concept and themes brilliantly.
With a relatively unknown cast, the new voices really elevate the characters and their delivery of dialogue harmonises with the imagery to evoke genuine emotion. There’s a compelling father-daughter relationship between Ember and Bernie as she wrestles with the mixed feelings around carrying on her family’s legacy. This is handled very well alongside the main thread, rounding out the protagonist’s personality. Every aspect of the writing manages to feel intimate as well as having a universality to it which has been key to Disney’s success over the years.
Inventive, funny, and with an important message at its heart, Peter Sohn’s sophomore feature Elemental is exactly what you would expect from a Disney Pixar romcom.
Cinema Perspective 