[Movie Review] ‘Elemental’ explores how to live in a world that’s not built for you

Director: Peter Sohn
Writer: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh, with story credits for Peter Sohn
Voice Cast: Leah Lewis (Ember Lumen), Mamoudou Athie (Wade Ripple), Ronnie del Carmen (Bernie Lumen), Shila Ommi (Cinder Lumen), Mason Wertheimer (Clod), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Gale Cumuls), Clara Lin Ding (young Ember), and Reagan To (teenage Ember).

Score: 4.2/5

This world isn’t built for everyone. It isn’t built for people who are larger, it isn’t built for people who are left-handed, it isn’t built for people with disabilities. But such people have to live in this world too, along with all the other people the world was built for. However, exploring what life would be for such people would be controversial, preachy, and a little too on-the-nose.

What Elemental does is to explore such a scenario — using elements. It depicts a fire elemental living in a city built for water elementals, and all the problems and hazards that poses for her. It’s metaphorical, for sure, but it drives home the point more succinctly than any number of articles about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) could.

Elemental is a 3D-animated romantic comedy set in a world inhabited by creatures of the four elements. It sees a family of fire elementals move to a city with they are the minority (and water element people are the majority). But when a creature of fire falls in love with a creature of water, they must overcome archaic mindsets, ancient prejudices, and even their innate natures to be together.

The premise of the film makes it very clear that this is a story about immigrants — after all, it is Ember (Leah Lewis) and her family who migrate to the supposedly cosmopolitan Element City for a better life. The parallels to real life, and real cultures, are undeniable — as are the subtle jibes at our social structure. For all its modernity and ostensible inclusiveness, Element City isn’t built for creatures of fire — it’s built for creatures of water (with its architecture presenting several dangers to the fire people). Fire element immigrants who come to Element City stay in the suburbs, out of the city centre, where the environment is less dangerous (but still not entirely conducive) for them. It reminds us of how little big cities do to welcome new citizens, and how difficult it is to preserve one’s way of life in a place that isn’t hospitable to you.

On a deeper level, the film is more about immigration. It’s about all the demographics who have to live in a world that just isn’t built for them. While this can present a minor inconvenience for some groups, it can be downright lethal for others. Seeing Ember and her family navigate a city built for water, which can literally put her out, is a good reminder of why we work so hard to be inclusive of all communities. Because for some, it can literally be a case of life and death.

As can be expected in a romantic comedy, the film also touches on the importance of emotions. More specifically — that emotions are life. The other key protagonist, Wade (Mamoudou Athie), is… emotional, to say the least. This is in direct contrast to Ember, who is emotional in her own way, but not in as gentle or nurturing a fashion. But as much Ember tries to keep her emotions under wraps, Wade still manages to eke it out of her. And it is her emotions — and Wade’s — that are ultimately what gives them life in the movie.

However, the parallels between Ember’s heritage and real world cultures can be a little uncomfortable at times. At times, you might even forget that this a fictional race. And when it comes to entrenched prejudices and ancestral biases, it becomes all the more hard to sit with. It can be seen as a sort of commentary on certain Asian cultures, but it can detract from the major themes of the movie.

As can be expected, though, the movie touches on Asian parents and expectations (if it isn’t obvious yet, Ember is clearly Asian, or what passes for an elemental version of Asian) — about the sacrifices that Asian immigrants have had to make for their children, the tremendous implicit debt that is owed to said parents. At the same time, it’s also about voicing one’s wants, and making that work in the face of a sacrifice so huge that it seems almost impossible to ever pay back. Although the resolution came a little too easily, it does take into account the struggles that families of immigrants face.

Elemental is far more than just beautiful visuals and nature given life through anthropomorphism (although the visuals are stunning and gorgeous). It’s a story about people, about diversity, about inclusiveness. It’s a parable for understand one’s wants, emotions, and identity. And in the end, Elemental is truly that — a movie about the elemental building blocks of life.

Elemental is available on Disney+.

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This article was written for and first published on Yahoo.

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