Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Elemental review says it’s a classic tale of drippy guy meets hot girl, romance sparks, is doused, then rekindled. But the flame is not sustained.

When you head to the theater to see Pixar’s new Elemental, the first treat you get after the adverts and trailers wrap is the Pixar short called Carl’s Date, with Carl and Doug the dog from the enchanting Up preparing for an unlikely event. It is one of the sweetest shorts ever, and is brimming with promise for the feature that follows.

Alas, with Elemental, Pixar doesn’t quite deliver on Carl and Doug’s promise—but it does close, and the visuals are ravishing.

It’s very high concept for a children’s film, and I’m not quite sure kids will connect with it. The story takes place in “Element City,” where creatures made of fire, water, air and earth live together with a specific social hierarchy that seems to dictate their status—air and water on top, fire and earth on lower levels.

If it sounds complicated, it is. Do most children even understand elements? Do most adults? Will you be able to explain them to your kids when the movie is over?

I suppose everyone will know a little bit more about the elements after watching Elemental, so there’s that. And if children don’t understand the the first generation immigrant metaphor,  they will certainly understand the interracial (or inter elemental) romance aspects of it. Can fire and water truly mix and match?

The talented team at Pixar, under the direction of Peter Sohn, have created a world that is visually stunning and all kinds of fun, with crazy vehicles, creative sports, and clever ethnic/elemental-specific foods, customs and character traits. Maybe that’s enough for the kids.

But the plot points are not particularly relatable for children or adults. Fiery Ember (Leah Lewis) and Watery Wade (Mamoudou Athie) first meet when Wade, a government bureaucrat, is issuing tickets for building violations in Ember’s parents’ store, which she one day hopes to take over. Ember spends a good deal of the movie trying to get those violations rescinded by the powers that be at city hall. Not exactly compelling stuff.

It left me with plenty of time to ruminate on inane details like why Ember’s dad, a flame guy, wears pants and no shirt, while Wade, a water guy, wears a shirt and no pants. Who makes the sartorial rules in Element City?

Suffice it to say I was not emotionally invested enough to cry at any point in Elemental, as I have been at so many Pixar movies, especially Wall-E, The Incredibles, Up and all the Toy Stories. And I didn’t see any tears from the children around me at the preview screening I attended.

Still, Elemental is fine entertainment for the little ones, and is sure to spark their imaginations. Perhaps that’s enough.

Rated PG

1 Hour 43 Minutes

If this Elemental review sparks a flame of desire to see it, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Elemental review says it’s a classic tale of drippy guy meets hot girl, romance sparks, is doused, then rekindled. But the flame is not sustained.