NEW YORK (OSV News) – Thanks to its rich blend of ethnicities, the United States has long been referred to as a melting pot. In the animated romantic comedy “Elemental” (Disney), director Peter Sohn substitutes for that metaphor a fable featuring embodiments of the four elements, using the dynamics of their imaginary world to explore the immigrant experience.
The film’s primary setting, Element City, is the New York of this milieu. Although ostensibly a meeting place for all, the metropolis is nonetheless divided into distinct neighborhoods in one of which, Firetown, dwells Ember Lumen (voice of Leah Lewis).
The 20-something daughter of migrants from far-off Fireland, Ember is not one to suffer fools gladly or indulge the sometimes annoying customers of her parents’ corner shop. In fact, Ember has a literally explosive temper that constantly gets her into trouble.
As a result, her loving dad Bernie (voice of Ronnie del Carmen) — who sees Ember as his heir — keeps delaying the day when he’ll retire and turn the operation over to her. But Bernie is ailing and Ember knows that continuing to work is not his best option.
Ember’s difficulties only increase when she falls for water youth Wade Ripple (voice of Mamoudou Athie). He’s not only an outsider to her world but a government inspector whose negative report on the family store could shut the establishment down — thus ruining Bernie’s dream of success.
Add to this personal dilemma a leak in the city’s plumbing system that threatens to flood Firetown and things reach a crisis point. As Ember and Wade try to establish a relationship while scrambling to avert disaster, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh’s script explores familiar Hollywood themes of tolerance and individual self-fulfillment.
With gender issues currently to the fore, it’s perhaps no accident that Ember is a thoroughly forceful character while Wade is pliant and anxious to please. In fact, their story is initially unengaging due to the fact that this is taken to extremes so that she registers as petulant while he – although rich in empathy for others – projects a lachrymose, wimpy demeanor.
As the movie progresses, it develops that all H2O types are much given to weeping and this becomes a running joke. The recurring gag is part of the overall spot-on humor that eventually rescues the proceedings and enhances viewer interest in this kindly intended, mostly family friendly production.
While the screenplay steers clear of anything really off-color, however, it does include material that could be confusing for impressionable youngsters. Thus Bernie and his clan maintain a sacred blue flame in a large brazier in their home and go to great lengths to prevent it from ever being extinguished.
We’re shown that Bernie transported the fire in a lantern while journeying to his new homeland. So teens and their elders may see it as a symbol of the need to preserve one’s cultural heritage rather than as anything specifically religious.
Still, it’s a motif requiring a certain level of maturity. Together with a few other moments that might jar on the nerves of those accompanied by small fry, it indicates that “Elemental” is appropriate for a wide but not universal audience.
The film contains nonscriptural beliefs and practices, characters in peril, fleeting mature word play and a very vague sexual reference. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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