1/5
Wade and Ember pass through Element City. Photo courtesy of Disney/Pixar
June 10 - Hitting the theaters on Friday , Substance is a big story with amazing visuals. It's not as subtle as Pixar's best, but it's worth it. The elemental city is home to the people of fire, water, earth and air. Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder Lumen (Sheila Omi) move to the Fire City area where they raise their daughter Amber (Leah Lewis). Bernie wants Amber to take over the family store one day.
Clients tend to compensate for Amber's explosive temper. Despite Bernie's efforts to teach her to control her anger, one day Amber's pipes accidentally burst, flooding the store with merman Wade Ripple (Mamudu Atti).
Wade is the city inspector and notices many violations, so Amber follows him to Element City to save the family store. Problems are increasing, and their solution requires the combined forces of all elements.
The base city looks a little more colorful than some of the other hidden gems Pixar has done. The insects from A Bug's Life and the fish from Finding Nemo already coexist in non-anthropomorphic forms.
Sleeping toy towns or monsters in Toy Story by Monsters & Co. They have meaning as a community that can shape these beings. Sure, "Cars" was broader, but "Element City" seems to echo the themes that screenwriters John Hoberg, Kat Likel and Brenda Hsueh and director Peter Son wanted to address.
The story of immigrants creating a community that resembles the home they left behind is clear. Fire City is inspired by India in its design, fonts, music and even the spices served there.
Pixar's film Twist Red used the human society of Chinatown, but its metaphors are accurate.
It is very difficult to break down issues of racism into basic elements. Fire and Water people are divided partly by legitimate fears that one will literally destroy or vaporize the other, but also by irrational superstitions born of these reasons.
Disney took a more organic approach to the aforementioned motifs in the 2016 animated film Zootopia . "A City for Animals" clearly shows how a metropolis has to deal with animals of all sizes and reveals the racism between hunters and hunters.
Body: The city and its people definitely have a distinctly Pixar feel. The characters are magical and can use fire and water powers to interact with the environment. The heavenly people are blown and the earthly ones are flowers.
While the themes of immigration and prejudice are a bit heavy, Elemental takes a more subtle approach with two additional themes. In her adventures, Amber learns that violence can bring people together, but loyalty can make some people turn away.
This is a lesson many adults never learn, but it's true that breaking down has a better chance of convincing someone to help than yelling or asking. Wade teaches Amber by example and by leading.
Another important topic is to be true to the heart. In her adventures, Amber realizes that she wants more than to take over the family business, which is smart and harmful because she doesn't want to be ungrateful to her parents.
Wade and Amber have a Romeo and Juliet relationship, although Wade's family is more charming and supportive. There are practical barriers to them living in each other's worlds, as Amber assumes they can't even touch each other because she's erasing them.
Wade can find compatibility by thinking outside the box. Here's another important lesson: Just because someone can't engage in an activity that others take for granted doesn't mean they won't find other valuable ways to engage.
Disability is a more subtle and fundamental issue. Amber said Element City wasn't built for firefighters, which seems like a solution to the ADA non-compliance problem for people with disabilities. This episode is more subtle than the film's overt themes of immigration and racism.
All this is wrapped up in adventure and in a unique setting with lots of funny elements. The symbols around Element City are full of pain, and the script draws some laughs from Wade's heightened sense of humor and Amber's mercurial personality.
First class entertainment with unique graphics and motivational message. The message may be more subtle but the main thing is in the right place.
Fred Topple, who attended Ithaca College's film school, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. A professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and a member of the Critics' Choice Association since 2023. Read more about jobs in the recreation department.
