Skeeter’s Account

I have to say that the trailers for Elemental looked really cute and fun, and for the most part the movie honored that. I was excited to see it, but I never made the mistake of expecting this movie to be the blockbuster of the century. It’s a decent movie, and nothing more. It’s not the best, but it doesn’t deserve the hate it’s facing nor the lack of attention in the box office. (SPOILERS) To start with the positives, the visuals are amazing! The world building is so unique, and some of Pixar’s best. There is so much attention to details, like how the light reflects off of the water characters. Ember and Wade, the lead characters, are incredibly strong and compliment each other perfectly. I enjoyed seeing their chemistry. I enjoyed the goofy moments, like the relationship between Wade and his family as well as with Clod and Gale. Plus, the relationship between Ember and her father was so touching and one of the movie’s highlights. I love an animated romance, and Ember and Wade were so cute for what they were given. To move onto the negatives… the plot, to put it bluntly, was sparse. The side plot with the dam was uninspired and left unresolved. Overall, this movie could have taken much more risks, and because of this hackneyed premise, the areas of the movie that could have stood out ultimately fell flat. I feel like not enough screen time was given to Ember and Wade, and the situations that made them be forced together in the first place made their interactions feel… not genuine (however this problem went away as the movie progressed, specifically when Wade asked Ember on a date with him for the first time). As well as the subpar subplot, too much time was spent focusing on Ember’s emotions and desires, while Wade’s were ultimately shelved. We never hear who his dad was, we never see any of his childhood (except for the sponge story, which is cute but ultimately insignificant), and we never really get to hear HIS side of the story. Also, the whole interaction between Ember and Wade at Bernie’s retirement party felt out of character, especially when Ember said she didn’t love Wade (although I get WHY, they could have built up to this moment more and in the context of the movie it felt forced). In fact, many key moments of conflict and resolution in this movie felt forced to progress the story, like Wade coming back at the end after supposedly having evaporated…? I can tell this part was meant to give Bernie a reason to finally trust Wade (as he seemingly sacrificed himself to save Ember) but overall this moment felt strange and if a little time to give context and an explanation was given, it would have made more sense. Despite these criticisms, I’d recommend the movie because despite everything, it had a sincerity to it that I found very endearing. I understand and relate to Ember’s troubles, and the characters overall are very strong and likable. I loved the moment in the film where Ember and Wade touched for the first time, and it was refreshing to have an old-fashioned Romeo and Juliet love story again (although I might just be a romantic). It was well written for what it was, and is an enjoyable adventure for both children and adults.