"Ember" and her ailing grandfather arrive in the big city where everyone is personified as one of the four natural elements. Needless to say, fire is not the most popular but they resolve to open their shop selling all things smoked, toasted, burnt, and red hot! It's an old building, though, and when one day the pipes give birth to the local, watery, buildings inspector "Wade" she discovers that they have no planning permission for their business and that he is going to have to report them. What now ensues is, sadly, a rather unimaginative series of escapades as she must track him down and stop him - and the authorities - from closing down the family's flaming enterprise. The animation is characterful and top notch - and the story certainly had potential, but somehow the thing just becomes a bit of a cheesy romance all too quickly. A lot more fun could have been had demonstrating just how incompatible the four - air, earth, water and fire - can be when mixed together; or - indeed - how symbiotic they can be, but the emphasis and the dialogue focusses just a bit too much on "Ember" and "Wade" and I am afraid that I rather lost interest. It's colourful and vibrant, there is some entertaining action with plenty of pyrotechnics and is worth a watch, but it will look just as good on the television and doesn't live up to the hype, sorry

"Elemental" is an outstanding Pixar movie that utilizes the medium of animation to tell a compelling story. It goes beyond being just a rom-com and instead offers a powerful narrative about people, even though the characters represent elements. Pixar effectively uses various elements to convey a captivating human story that resonates with viewers. The film highlights the idea that despite our differences, we can coexist in a society that often tries to separate us. "Elemental" stands out as one of the most visually colourful movies with excellent music, including a memorable end credits song. While children may not fully grasp the film's deep concepts, it leaves a lasting impact on their lives, and when they revisit it as adults, they will come to understand its profound message.

I'm yet to dislike a Disney/Pixar movie*, <em>'Elemental'</em> is another that is a pass in my books. Admittedly, their more recents works haven't had an exceptional impact on me personally; in seven releases since** the sensational <em>'Coco'</em>, I've only given <em>'Turning Red'</em> more (marginally) than 7/10. Still, I'm yet to give any of their movies less than that rating, so swings and roundabouts and all that. As for this 2023 film, I did enjoy it enough so that's all that really matters. The animation is as impressive as expected, it's pretty cool how the world is brought to life via all those different elements; namely water and fire. Leah Lewis and, particularly, Mamoudou Athie do good work in voice roles, I didn't totally click with their characters as a two but no complaints with the actors. On that note, Ronnie del Carmen is a plus, too. <em>* yes, I even like 'Cars 2'... <b>and what?!</b></em> <em>**yet to see 'Inside Out 2'.</em>