Elemental
Elemental
In the movie, we follow the adventures of Ember and Wade, two distinct characters in a unique urban setting inhabited by individuals aligned with the elements of fire, water, earth, and air. Ember, with her passionate disposition, and Wade, who embodies ease and adaptability, embark on a path of discovery, uncovering the surprising similarities they share.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
Wet Side Story
Elemental is a really cute romantic comedy and immigrant story. Ember’s family immigrates from Fire Island to Element City, for a chance at a new life. Though Element City has the promise of a cultural melting pot, Ember’s family finds they have a hard time mixing with the other cultures. Upon arrival ember’s parents are even given new names Bernie and Cinder because their given names are too hard for locals to pronounce. Bernie in particular has a certain disdain for “water guys,” because of some events of his past. Bernie is dedicated to pursing his dream of passing his store down to Ember so that she can have a successful future. But when Ember puts the business in grave danger with a little help from Wade Ripple, (water guy and building inspector), she’s forced to work with Wade try to save her business. Wade, despite all his wet privilege, has an incredibly caring heart and ignites a spark inside Ember that she never fully realized was there.
While it is a cute romance, I really found the immigrant story and the Bernie-Ember story to be the most moving. Bernie’s desire to keep a piece of their cultural flame burning, and not assimilate into their new world is a compelling story. It also makes him somewhat blind to his daughter’s true wants. Probably helps that I watched this with my daughter, too. We both had a great time and shared some tears.