Elemental
Movie, 2023, Originals, Set in Element City
Elemental is #27 of 31 in release order and #12 of 31 in chronological order in the Pixar.
The story
In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.
Elemental recap
Fire elements Bernie and Cinder Lumen immigrate to Element City, where the water, earth and air elements live, and open a shop, the Fireplace. Their daughter Ember grows up to run it, though her temper keeps flaring at customers. During one outburst she bursts a pipe in the basement, and Wade Ripple, a sensitive city inspector made of water, gets swept in and writes up the shop, which would close it. Ember follows him to City Hall and convinces his boss, Gale, to drop the tickets if they find the source of leaks threatening Firetown. Ember and Wade fall in love, though fire and water cannot touch, and Ember realises she wants to be a glassmaker rather than take over the shop. They discover a broken floodgate is to blame.
Elemental ending explained
Bernie retires and hands Ember the shop, but she pulls away from Wade. The floodgate gives way and floods the Fireplace, and Wade evaporates protecting Ember. Ember brings him back by making the family cry with memories, and Wade re-forms. Ember tells her parents she wants to leave the shop; they accept Wade and her choice, and she leaves for a glassmaking internship, bowing to her father as he once bowed to his.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Elemental
Elemental is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.0/10, Rotten Tomatoes 100%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Lightyear, before Inside Out 2.
- Chronological order: after Turning Red, before Elio.
What to watch before Elemental
In release order, 11 Pixar essentials come before Elemental (2023), from A Bug's Life (1998) to Turning Red (2022).
Cast
- Leah Lewis as Ember (voice)
- Mamoudou Athie as Wade (voice)
- Ronnie del Carmen as Bernie (voice)
- Shila Ommi as Cinder (voice)
- Wendi McLendon-Covey as Gale (voice)
- Catherine O'Hara as Brook (voice)
- Mason Wertheimer as Clod (voice)
- Ronobir Lahiri as Harold (voice)
- Wilma Bonet as Flarrietta (voice)
- Joe Pera as Fern (voice)
- Matthew Yang King as Alan / Lutz / Earth Pruner (voice)
- Clara Lin Ding as Little Kid Ember (voice)
Directed by Peter Sohn.