Elemental Review Roundup

​Nowadays, it's practically unfathomable to picture any Pixar film catching heat leading up to its premiere. And yet, here we are...a few days away from the arrival of Elemental, and the hype/excitement could not be any cooler. All of the film's trailers and marketing didn't exactly move the needle, but THIS IS STILL A PIXAR JOINT! Surely, it can't fail? Let's find out with the review roundup: 

​Continue below for the written version.

SCREEN CRUSH (Matt Singer)
'The stronger element (sorry) of this story is the relationship between Bernie and Ember, and how it underscores the way the expectations of every generation winds up resting heavily on the shoulders of the next. I’m not sure using different elements as a metaphor for the immigrant experience quite works beyond its broadest strokes, but it does at least add some heft to Elemental’s scenes between father and daughter, which do build to an affecting if extremely predictable conclusion. But then how could it not be predictable? Animated movies have been telling these kinds of stories for almost 100 years now. It’s just that unlike so many of Pixar’s movies, the more you scrutinize Elemental, the less you find.'

Read the full review here 

THE WRAP (Ben Croll)
'With story beats and character turns that strain well beyond familiarity, “Elemental” matches formal adventure with storytelling timidity. Here is a new spin on the old formula, livened up by advances in technology and delivered with real artistry. The film is full of complex and volatile parts, all held together in the most elemental of containers.'

Read the full review here

ROGER EBERT (Isaac Feldberg)
'There’s similarly nothing in “Elemental” to recall the wondrous aesthetic imagination of modern Pixar classics like “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E,” with the exception of a rich score by composer Thomas Newman that takes its cues from a potpourri of global musical traditions and presents a more fully formed vision of cross-cultural exchange than the film’s muddled depiction of immigrant communities. Perhaps fittingly for a film that would have more accurately been titled “When Fire Met Water…,” “Elemental” is combustible enough from minute to minute, but it evaporates from memory the second you leave the theater.'

Read the full review here

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (Jordan Mintzer)
'That, and a few charmingly funny sequences — especially a visit that Ember and Wade pay to the latter’s overbearing bougie mom (Catherine O’Hara) — cannot, however, compensate for the film’s major flaw, which is that it feels entirely predictable. Maybe we’ve all seen too many Pixar movies by now, and so if Element were the studio’s first-ever release instead of its umpteenth one, it would seem more surprising, more daring.'

​Read the full review here

VARIETY (Peter Debruge)
'“Elemental” is so elaborate and calls for so much exposition that the briskly paced movie is still trying to shoehorn essential backstory into the film’s final reel. Sohn should have made the plot simpler, not faster. There’s poetry and soul here, but both are watered down by how much the movie seems to be multitasking. With Pixar, sincerity is elemental. The rest risks distracting from what really matters.'

Read the full review here

Dave Lee Down Under (VIDEO REVIEW)

In the end, the film amassed a decent score of 79% from 58 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 

I am not saying that Pixar is officially now a shadow of their former selves but I can't help but notice their latest projects haven't exactly lit the world ablaze (I spoke about this further in my reaction video for their latest film, Elio). However, I can still see there are somethings to like about Elemental, as I am a sucker for the unlikely romance trope, so I am still looking forward to the film when it premiers this Friday. ​

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