"Elemental": Pixar's Multi-Faceted Masterpiece

"Elemental" is a charming but somewhat limited return to form for Pixar, featuring anthropomorphized elements of our living world in a story that is partially a riff on an immigrant tale. The film excels in animation, but its formulaic approach and similarities to other Pixar films highlight the need for the studio to shake things up creatively. The tentative romance between Ember and Wade is used to bring in commentary on mixed-race relationships, but the social commentary fails to be as complex as it should be. Overall, "Elemental" is a decent original Pixar film, better than most of its late-stage sequels.