Disney and Pixar’s most recent animated film achieved blockbuster success in theaters and is now set to captivate viewers at home with the release of Elemental: Ultimate Collector’s Steelbook Limited Edition on ultra-high definition disc (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 103 minutes, $39.99).
The story finds fire elements Bernie and Cinder Lumen (Ronnie Del Carmen and Shila Omni) leaving their homeland and arriving straight off the boat to the port metropolis Element City to hopefully build a new life for their soon-to-arrive child Ember (Leah Lewis).
Now mingling in a foreign land with xenophobic citizens represented as air, water and earth, they find difficulties adapting until residing in a borough of other fire brethren and opening a store of ethnic delicacies called the Fireplace.
After unintentionally causing a water pipe to burst in the basement of the store, the couple’s daughter, who has a strong and unpredictable personality, receives a visit from Wade Ripple, a clumsy and emotional city inspector. Wade proceeds to document the store’s numerous violations.
The violations are sufficient to shut down the store, but Ember and her new friend Wade strike a deal with his lively supervisor Gale Cumulus (played by Wendi McLendon-Covey). If they can successfully fix a significant leak in the city’s plumbing, Gale will overlook the problems.
Can they endure the challenges of meeting their partner’s family in the least dramatic side stories of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” in animated history? And, will their friendship evolve into a romantic relationship?
The audience is primarily presented with a not-so-subtle Disney-fied exploration of the intricacies of immigration in a large urban area, incorporating familiar themes such as the importance of family, friendship, acceptance, inclusivity, and collaboration across generations to overcome life’s obstacles.
“Elemental” does not carry the emotional strength of other classics such as “Soul,” “Up” and “Inside Out,” and falls a bit short on action and laughs, but it won’t disappoint the pre-tween crowd and some of the adults on family movie night.
4K in action: Whatever Pixar was lacking in the averagely inspiring narrative, its computer-wielding artisans more than make up for in the stellar and magical animation.
The UHD presentation showcases a world filled with vibrant colors and realistic textures, as frequently witnessed by the characters who have control over the elements.
Ember serves as a remarkable illustration when considering the revival of fire inhabitants.
Viewers watch constantly undulating tendrils of red and orange flames composing the body and defining facial expressions with her ability to transform into a wall of flames, the ability to change color as her emotions flare and tricks such as turning fine particles of sand to glass.
Ember brings joy to onlookers as she walks through a city park, transforming her color by treading on minerals that display vibrant shades of neon green, red, yellow, blue, and purple.
Even more impressive, another moment shows her melting shattered glass in a lively vase filled with pink and orange. However, the most significant moment occurs when Ember finally has the opportunity to observe the enigmatic and incredibly vibrant Vivisteria flower, creating a truly psychedelic experience as she gracefully floats inside a bubble of water.
The water humanoids are equally remarkable. They possess a translucent, reflective, and gelatinous appearance with a faint bluish hue, and have the ability to disperse within their liquid environment.
They give off steam when touched by fire folks, or release boiling bubbles in the torso if fire gets near, and are able to create a real lifelike wave during a sporting event.
Wade showcases impressive visual illusions, such as creating a rainbow by dispersing a mist of himself in the sky of a park. He also amazes by consuming a burning ember and producing a water bubble that transforms into a screaming mouth, expressing his dissatisfaction.
The air individuals depicted as fluffy clouds resembling cotton candy, are truly remarkable. They have the ability to float and soar high up in the sky. Similarly, the earth beings have a unique appearance with their brown-and-tan spiky textures and are frequently observed with plants sprouting from their heads.
In general, the vibrant shades of blue, green, pink, and purple burst onto the screen in various scenes. This includes the breathtaking nighttime view of Element City’s skyline, the diverse colors found in the plants and animals of the city park, and the dynamic events taking place in Cyclone Stadium.
Best extras: Before watching the film, owners of the two-disc set should pop in the Blu-ray and play a preshow short that was actually seen in theaters.
Pixar brings back well-known characters from the movie “Up” in the short film “Carl’s Date,” which lasts approximately eight minutes. The film showcases the grumpy old widower, voiced by actor Ed Asner in his final role, as he prepares for a date with an elderly lady friend. He receives assistance from his dog Dug.
Upon finishing the 4K disc movie, viewers will promptly switch to the Blu-ray version to enjoy an optional commentary track. This track includes director Peter Sohn, visual effects supervisor Sanjay Bakshi, supervising animator Mike Venturini, and directing animator Gwendelyn Enderoglu.
Mr. Sohn clarifies that the project, which originated from his Korean family’s immigration to America, took a total of seven years to materialize.
The group then centers their attention on the themes of the story, the different areas within Element City, and the artistic and technological obstacles faced during the animation process.
They are often specific to exploiting the natural reaction of the elements’ composition such as of fire responding to wind or using cooking oil to unleash a wall of flame or allowing a bulbous burning Bernie to wear an overtly textured shawl.
The commentary serves as a highly informative addition and reveals the thoughts of talented artisans, showcasing how their artistic freedom at Pixar has led to innovative and detailed visual creations.
Complementing the commentary are a pair of featurettes (roughly 21 minutes total) covering the creation of Wade and Ember and virtually building Element City, as well as a collection of deleted scenes introduced by the animators (20 minutes of narrated sketches).
The discs can be found in the steelbook limited edition, which is exclusively available at Best Buy and has a somewhat memorable quality.
The front cover’s metallic illustration displays the torso and above of Wade and Ember almost touching hands in front of a backdrop of Element City complete with a rainbow in a very cotton candy-colored palette.
The back of the case only offers a symbol of a flame surrounding a water drop with a shaded blur background.
The interior spread once again features Wade and Ember within an orange-and-dark blue backdrop standing together in a hot air balloon (fueled by Ember) with the nighttime city beneath them.
