Just watched Elemental last night. The marketing really was the reason it bombed. The trailers made it look like a forbidden love story, but it was actually about the struggles of immigrant families and 2nd generation immigrants’ pressures of living up to their parents’ dreams.
It lacked the wide age range appeal other Pixar movies manage to pull off. I didn’t like the fundamental elements as a metaphor for race/culture either, it’s sort of racist to imply people of different backgrounds are so fundamentally different like that, although it did serve as a strong visual for the story. It would have been more accurate if the characters were projecting fundamental differences on to the same element, like different phases of water or something. That was the only real thing I thought was actually wrong with it, otherwise it just lacked the magic that other Pixar movies have.
We don’t really read the reviews for anything. We pirate everything cause fuck corporations. Our kids never saw anything about elemental but the cover. They love it.
I’d put it in the ran-out-of-other-things-to-watch category. It’s not bad, but not the best either. It had pacing issues, inconsistencies with how their world works, and some plot holes, but the animation was great and there were some genuinely funny lines.
Just watched Elemental last night. The marketing really was the reason it bombed. The trailers made it look like a forbidden love story, but it was actually about the struggles of immigrant families and 2nd generation immigrants’ pressures of living up to their parents’ dreams.
Yeah they really dropped the ball there. I wasn’t interested at all by the trailer. It looked like their least inventive yet.
It lacked the wide age range appeal other Pixar movies manage to pull off. I didn’t like the fundamental elements as a metaphor for race/culture either, it’s sort of racist to imply people of different backgrounds are so fundamentally different like that, although it did serve as a strong visual for the story. It would have been more accurate if the characters were projecting fundamental differences on to the same element, like different phases of water or something. That was the only real thing I thought was actually wrong with it, otherwise it just lacked the magic that other Pixar movies have.
We don’t really read the reviews for anything. We pirate everything cause fuck corporations. Our kids never saw anything about elemental but the cover. They love it.
Is it worth watching, though?
If you enjoy animation, yes. It’s not the top tier of Pixar but it’s not near the bottom either. I was pleasantly surprised.
How would you explain this movie to someone who thought they were a car?
I don’t think it’s playing at the drive in
* Sad vroom, stalling noises *
I’d put it in the ran-out-of-other-things-to-watch category. It’s not bad, but not the best either. It had pacing issues, inconsistencies with how their world works, and some plot holes, but the animation was great and there were some genuinely funny lines.
Damn, that sounds cool. As a third culture kid, these stories hit just right.