Review by CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
“Elemental” is an animated story that takes place in a city where Water, Air, Earth and Fire all live. The Fire-landers appear to be the most recent immigrants, living in their own section of the city. For reasons of their flammability, they are often not welcome in enclosed public spaces.
The film opens with an immigrant couple from Fireland who arrive and go through immigration. Their language, “Fire-ish”, is not understood, so an agent writes their names as Burnie and Cinder. They start looking to rent a house but are repeatedly turned away. They find a wreck of a place for sale and buy it. On the bottom floor, Burnie opens a store for the “Fire-ish” neighbors.
Cinder soon gives birth to a daughter they name Ember. Over time, Ember grows up, helping her dad around the store. Burnie hopes that one day Ember will take over for him, and Ember really wants to please her father. There’s just one problem—Ember’s temper. When she’s frustrated, Ember can burn shop merchandise.
Enter a guy named Wade Ripple, from the “Water-ish” people. Though he and Ember meet under difficult circumstances, we soon see that Wade is very kind. He finds our Ember intriguing; the two of them begin to see gifts in each other during perilous situations.
Can fire and water mix? The relationship between Ember and Wade will test what is possible. She meets his family, who all seem to go with the flow. Ember’s parents aren’t so sure they see the spark between them. Of course, they are concerned; Wade could extinguish Ember, and she could evaporate him! Happily, by the end of the film we see more social mixing—Air people with Earth people, for example, forming a friendship through their shared love of the local, “Air-ish” sports team, the Wind Breakers. (Yes, the team’s popular cheer is “Break wind!”)
Disney Pixar has a great track record in animated films. The scripts are tight, the plots engage an audience of all ages, and the animation is fantastic. Elemental is no exception. This film was entertaining for the two of us adults, but perhaps not for the noisy four-year old behind us.
Elemental is “Rated PG for some peril, thematic elements and brief language.” The best part of the film was seeing the creative ways that the elements use their essences. This may be a bit too clever for young children; can they understand why Wade and Ember are afraid to touch? For us adults, and older kids as well, watching the elements interact in new and clever ways surprised and delighted us. Our vote? If you like animated movies check out “Elemental”.
SALA Event Center is running Elemental on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., through June 29. Have you been to SALA yet? Since they reopened Reel Deal, they have been running a new, first-run film every week or two. Check it out or reserve tickets on their website: https://sala.losalamos.com. Go to the Tickets page to see the calendar for this month, or find it inserted in the Thursday free print edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
FYI: You can buy pizza by the slice at the door, as well as popcorn, candy, theater snacks and drinks.