“Elemental” tackles issues with humor

The blockade to the city’s water supply breaks, creating a large wave on its way to destroy Fire Town—a place that obviously shouldn’t be exposed to water. The story’s protagonist speeds after it, desperately trying to warn the poor citizens and save her family’s legacy before it’s too late. 

This is just one of many climactic scenes featured in Pixar’s newest film, “Elemental.” The movie provides a feel-good experience for whoever sees it, with both lighthearted comedy and a meet-cute romance. The film is broad enough to appeal to a wide range of audiences, while still being personal and enjoyable.

Story-wise, the movie tells the story of a fiery woman whose parents immigrated to Elemental City for a better life. Her life intertwines with that of an anxious water guy, and they work together to save her family’s business. Despite being lighthearted and fun, the film still tackles real world issues of discrimination that hits hard especially in America. 

Despite the legitimately heartfelt story, the film dealt with criticisms even before release. It suffered from a lack of good advertisement; the movie was painted so extremely vaguely that it had trouble garnering positive attention. This has shed a light on the evolving animation industry as a whole. Disney and Pixar are so big that their films will always be successful, but with heavy hitters such as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” these long-standing companies will need to step up their game.

The “elemental” aspect of the film results in seemingly endless fire and water puns, but every now and then, something more illuminating comes up: “There’s a word in Fireish. Deshlock. It means embrace the light when it burns because it won’t always last forever.” 

While technically wordplay on fire, the line still leaves a poignant message for viewers.