In a city where Water, Earth, Wind & Fire residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: How much they actually have in common. A film by Peter Sohn, featuring the voices of Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Catherine O’Hara.

A fire elemental couple journeys to Element City, the only place where all four elements—earth, wind, water, and fire—learn to coexist in harmony. The reasons for their departure from their Fire Land are not yet known, but it is later revealed that a colossal storm destroyed their home, forcing them to abandon their land and start a new life in Element City. (Although their relatives and most of the fire elemental population remain on the Fire Land.)

The fire elemental couple, whose real names are difficult to pronounce, are simply known as Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) and his pregnant wife Cinder (Shila Ommi). They soon discover that the other elementals in Element City do not welcome their kind. They are turned away from every place they try to rent, as the landlords fear that they will burn their buildings down. However, the couple eventually manages to buy an abandoned building and transform it into a grocery store.

Many years have passed (probably more than two decades), and Bernie is now an elderly man nearing retirement. He would like his daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) to take over the family shop, but he is concerned about her temper. Ember’s outbursts have driven away customers, and she does not know how to control them.

One day, Ember unleashes a fiery explosion in the basement, causing the unused water pipes to break. To her surprise, a water elemental named Wade (Mamoudou Athie) emerges from the pipe. He appears to be lost, as he explains that he was inspecting a leak in the city’s canal when he was accidentally sucked into it.

Things take a turn for the worse when Wade discovers that Bernie built the shop without the necessary city permits. As a city inspector, it is his duty to report the wrongdoing to his superior, which could result in the shop being shut down permanently.

Ember is determined to prevent her father’s dream from being destroyed (she also does not want her father to know that she is to blame), so she tries to stop him. However, it is too late. Wade has already submitted his report, and the shop is now under investigation.

Several moments later, after the screaming, yelling, chasing, and burning, Ember finally meets Wade’s windy boss Gael (Wendi McLendon-Covey), who agrees that if Ember can find the source of the city water leak and fix it, the issue with her father’s shop will be resolved.

Basically it is a classic story of an immigrant family who embarks on a journey in hopes of building a brighter future. The father has been working tirelessly, but he also unknowingly places a great deal of pressure on his daughter by repeatedly reminding her of the immense sacrifices he made to provide for the family and build his legacy. This makes her feel indebted to him and obligated to fulfill his expectations.

The next plot development is a cliché romantic comedy between two unlikely characters, you can guess it: Fire and Water! First she hates him, then they fall in love. How fascinating. (It is revealed later that Wade’s family is very wealthy.)

My favorite scene is the one at the stadium, where Wade enthusiastically attempts to cheer up a dejected player. Then more people join in and they create a continuous wave (literally). The wave travels around the stadium, lifting the spirits of everyone there.

The visuals are nothing short of spectacular, every elemental moves naturally and beautifully in every scene with vibrant colors lush textures.

Unfortunately, the story is too simplistic in comparison to its top-notch production values. It is not unique or heartfelt enough to be memorable. People will remember the technical marvel of the animation, but they will likely forget the plot as soon as the end credits begin to roll.

ELEMENTAL premiered at Festival de Cannes on 27 May 2023. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 16 June.