It was a mistake to demote Turning Red to a primarily Disney Plus movie. That could have been an exhibitor's delight. Fortunately, neither that nor Lightyear's subsequent failure didn't scare away Elemental from theaters. But the latter film's underwhelming opening weekend isn't comforting. I think the advertising made it look like every romantic comedy ever. I also think it's a lot better than that summation.
What we have is a world where everyone is either made of Fire, Water, Earth or Air. The "Firish" couple Bernie and Cinder Lumen (Ronnie del Carmen and Shila Omni) are among the first emigrees to Element City's Firetown community. They set up the Fireplace, a bodega that Bernie aims to bestow their daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) once he retires. Ember's literally explosive temper makes it difficult for her to handle large crowds. One such outburst breaks a pipe and out comes literal water inspector Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie).
Ember tries to stop him from getting the Fireplace shut down for its faulty plumbing. Fortunately, Wade is a sentimental goof who lets her plead her case to his superior, Gale Cumulus (Wendi McLendon-Covey). She gives them a tight deadline to fix the issue. The two soon fall for each other despite their elemental differences. Wade's family is cool with it, but Ember's parents need convincing. They have a bigger problem as a busted dam threatens to extinguish Firetown.
The only time Elemental's "every romantic comedy ever" template irked me was the second-act fallout. Let me set the scene. Ember and Wade share a romantic moment in the flooded exhibit of the splendorous Vivisteria tree. They find out that they can mix, after all. Suddenly, Ember decides it can't work at all. Her "it can never be" speeches irked me because they were fundamentally standard. What gives?
What makes it better than "every romantic comedy ever" is the cast. Ember's insecurities are quite understandable, whether it's with struggling to uphold her father's expectations or dealing with unbearably stupid customers. Wade's sentimental personality makes him far more endearing than unbearable. They're quite likable as a couple and you'll feel it during the actionized climax. Gale's hidden depths beyond hardnosed bureaucrat are delightful. She makes the aforementioned Vivisteria trip possible with a handy air bubble. Wade's family is as likable as he is. Bernie and Cinder maybe strict, but they are not unreasonable folks. The only character I was ambivalent about was Clod, an earth element boy who crushes on Ember. But overall, there's rarely a dull moment with this likable cast.
It also helps that this is one splendorous romantic comedy. The sprawling metropolis of Element City and the character designs (especially the watercolory Firish ones) are appealing. Ember's glassmaking skills are so alluring that it almost makes me want to try it. You'll marvel as Ember and Wade watch the Vivisteria bloom around them during their trip. The accompanying soundtrack is among the best of Thomas Newman's marvelous score. We also get a few good Elemental gags, including a literal wave at a game of "Air Ball." The Air Ball game itself is fun to watch, too.
Elemental's advertising maybe underwhelming, but the film isn't. It's so fun watching this elemental cast interact, barring a few moments, that its 109 minutes flew by pretty quickly. I thought it was longer when I went in. It begins with the short Carl's Date, which follow's Up's Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner, in a posthumous role) preparing for his first date in years with Dug the Dog (Bob Peterson) as his wingman. Their chemistry was just as fun and endearing as the feature's main couple. See what I mean when you see it soon.
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