MOVIE REVIEW: Pixar's latest story of abstract concepts in love is surprisingly touching.
, Disney and Pixar’s latest creative journey through an anthropomorphized world with abstract concepts as the main characters, has a lot on its mind. It’s all at once a love story, a kind of adventure, a story about intergenerational struggle and trauma, an exploration of the immigrant experience, and a visually compelling exercise.
The movie tells the story of Ember , a second-generation fire person trying to keep her family shop running in Element City. She goes through the motions of her life, working hard to earn her lifelong dream of taking over the shop from her dad, Bernie . Her family’s livelihood is threatened when a leak brings in water that’s supposed to have been shut off to Firetown, where Ember and her family live, and also brings in Wade , a water person and city inspector.
What makes the movie work are the wonderful vocal performances of the cast. Lewis and Athie, especially, are charming and bring depth and tenderness to characters who might otherwise be one-note. Athie shines as Wade, turning what could have been a goofy cornball into an empathetic, endearing, and disarming foil for Ember. Lewis gives Ember her anger and determination, but allows her a vulnerability that gives the character depth.
The animation helps ground the movie, too. Element City is a cute exercise in world building, and the textures and styles at play throughout the movie are a treat to watch. The design of the fire elements is especially compelling – Pixar used machine learning techniques to build moving characters from 2D paintings of fire. However, the most intimate animated moments are the ones that have stuck with me: elemental hands touching and testing something new, for instance.
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