Black & A Half

The Longest Running Comedy Podcast In Seattle. Probably.

Review: Elemental

June 15, 2023 by Silas Lindenstein

Elemental (2023)
PG  ‧ Animation/Comedy  ‧ 1 Hour 42 Minutes

Written by Peter Sohn; John Hoberg; Kat Likkel; Brenda Hsueh

Directed by Petry Sohn

THE CAST

  • Leah Lewis as Ember Lumen, a tough, quick-witted fire element who loves working at her family’s convenience store in Fire Town.
    • Clara Lin Ding voices little kid Ember, while Reagan To voices big kid Ember.[
  • Mamoudou Athie as Wade Ripple, a fun, sappy water element who is making his own choices and works as an inspector living in Element City.
  • Ronnie del Carmen as Bernie Lumen, Ember’s father, Cinder’s husband, and owner of their family’s convenience store in Fire Town.
  • Shila Ommi as Cinder Lumen, Ember’s mother and Bernie’s wife who is prejudiced against non-fire elements, like her husband.
  • Mason Wertheimer as Clod, a young, street-smart earth element and the Lumens’ neighbor who has a crush on Ember.
  • Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gale Cumulus, an air element with a big personality and Wade’s employer.
  • Catherine O’Hara as Brook Ripple, Wade and Alan’s mother and Harold’s sister who is very welcoming to Ember in a luxury apartment building.

THE STORY

(In their own words).n a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.

LOVE IT

The BEST things about the film:

First Rom-Com – I’m pretty sure this would be considered Pixar’s first rom-com film. Sure, there have been love interests in other films, but I think this is the first time such a vast section of the film occupies that idea. 

LIKE IT

What worked about the film:

Story – The tale is basically an analogy for the Asian immigrant experience in America. The “fire” element in the city feels othered and faces hostility around the city, where even parts of the city aren’t built with characteristics hospitable to life. 

The animation – Lovely animation. I liked how they brought everything together into this world while still keeping a harmonious production design. 

LOSE IT 

The WORST things about the film:

Lack of good antagonist – The central conflict seems to be with Ember’s father, but even then, there isn’t lost love between them; they clearly have familial love for each other. It’s more about hiding from a father’s potential disappointment. He’s not really a bad guy, though. I think the film would have been much stronger if they had a bit stronger of an antagonist to fight against. 

Lack of oomph – As fun as it was, I don’t know if this is going to be a memorable tale. Maybe it will grow more on me. I just didn’t walk away super excited by the movie. 

THE COMMENTS

The idea for the film is more significant than the actual film. I could see a whole animated series taking place in Element City. The film doesn’t really take an opportunity to explore very much with the city and instead focuses on the relationship between Ember and Wade. Which is fine. Maybe if they spent more time world-building, I’d be mad they didn’t focus on the relationship. I’m a critic; perhaps I can’t be happy. It feels like a little bit of a waste of this setting. The potential for world-building in this universe is enormous.

THE LESSON

No matter how opposite two people are, they still could be a good match.

Don’t force your dreams onto other people.

IS IT REWATCHABLE?

Yes. 

THE FINAL WORD

Elemental is a pleasant enough film. The film is an analogy for the immigrant experience in America wrapped together with a traditional rom-com. Overall it is a funny and enjoyable Pixar film, just not one that will leave a lasting impression. I’m willing to concede that this might be a movie that will grow on me over time. I’ll show it to my kids so I can buy the merch. Its lack of a significant protagonist is probably good for younger kids where bad guys scare them, but I want my plots like I want my carbs…complex. 

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW

  • Rated: PG
If you like this post, please share it along:

Previous Post


Review: The Flash

Next Post


Review – No Hard Feelings

About Silas Lindenstein

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply




Related Posts

  • Review: Haunted Mansion
  • Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
  • Review: Air
  • Review: Chevalier

About

  • About Black & A Half
  • Become A Black & A Half Patron!
  • Films
    • “Coming Out” – A Short Film
    • G.A. – A Short Comedy
    • The Final Piece – A Short Horror Film

Recent Posts

  • Episode #225: We Are Back
  • Review: Moana 2
  • Review – Joker 2: FOLIE À DUEX
  • Interview With Writer/Director Nicole Riegel
  • Review: Deadpool & Wolverine

Categories

  • 7 Questions
  • Academy Awards
  • Action Films
  • Actor
  • Actors
  • Aftershow
  • Amazon Prime Films
  • Animated Films
  • Apple TV
  • Apps
  • Author
  • Baker
  • Being Woke
  • Best Of
  • Black Life
  • Black Lives Matter
  • Blerds
  • Burlesque
  • Christmas Cookie Challenge
  • Comedian
  • Comedy
  • Comic
  • Comic Book Movies
  • Comic Books
  • Comicon
  • Corona
  • Crime Film
  • Dancer
  • Directors
  • Documentaries
  • Drama
  • ECCC
  • Election Night
  • Emmy Awards
  • Fantasy
  • Film Festivals
  • Film Reviews
  • Film Reviews 2020
  • Film Reviews 2021
  • Film Reviews 2022
  • Film Reviews 2023
  • Film Reviews 2024
  • Filmmaker
  • Films
  • Films of 2021
  • Food Network
  • Foreign Films
  • Game of Thrones
  • Game Show
  • GeekGirlCon
  • Genres
  • ghosts
  • Halloween
  • Hip Hop
  • Horror
  • Horror
  • Hot Topics
  • Hypnotist
  • Improv
  • Interviews
  • Jazz
  • Life Coach
  • Live Events
  • MCU
  • model
  • Movie Reviews
  • Movie Reviews 2020
  • Movie Reviews 2021
  • Movie Reviews 2023
  • Movies
  • musicians
  • Mystery
  • native american
  • Nerd News
  • Netflix
  • Netflix Shows
  • Norwescon
  • Origin Stories
  • Parasite
  • parenting
  • Podcast
  • Politics
  • Post of The Week
  • Producer
  • quarantined
  • Religion
  • Robinhood
  • Romance
  • RomCom
  • Scientist
  • Scientist
  • Scifi
  • Seattle
  • Seattle Mayor
  • Self Help
  • Short Films
  • Shows
  • SIFF
  • Singer
  • Stand Up Specials
  • Star Trek
  • Star Trek Picard
  • Star Wars
  • Stock Market
  • Storyteller
  • Superheroes
  • The Bookend
  • the Mandalorian
  • Theatre
  • Thriller
  • Thrillers
  • Travel
  • TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • tvreviews
  • Uncategorized
  • Video Games
  • Writers
  • You

Copyright © 2025 · Podcast Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in