Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Writers: Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti

Synopsis: On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.

At first glance, rom-coms appear to have a lack of depth, and can either be a huge hit or miss. Often, they succumb to clichés and contrived drama, easily avoidable conflicts. However, occasionally, they manage to transcend these shortcomings and offer something truly unique and profound. Typically, their plots are straightforward, their tone light-hearted, and they make for enjoyable and effortless viewing. The new raunchy rom-com, No Hard Feelings, starring Jennifer Lawrence, falls into the category of an easy and mindless first watch. While the initial jokes are amusing, the film gradually loses its charm when subjected to deeper contemplation. The overall tone lacks consistency, the characters and conflicts feel forced and artificial, and the general plot veers uncomfortably close to being predatory.

Maddie (Lawrence) works as an Uber driver and a bartender, struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living skyrockets due to her hometown’s newfound status as a summer vacation spot for the ultra-wealthy. Desperate for a car after hers is repossessed, she decides to respond to a Craigslist ad from two helicopter parents who are seeking someone to help their son come out of his shell. The premise seems unnecessarily convoluted, and it’s never made clear why exactly she can’t make ends meet. The film attempts to address themes like gentrification and wealth, but it fails to provide substantial commentary on these topics. Instead, it relies on contrived and overly complicated plot developments solely for the sake of advancing the storyline, a pattern that persists throughout the film.

Following their initial encounter, Maddie and Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) couldn’t be more different from each other. Maddie embraces her true self without apologies but is surprisingly afraid of commitment, even refusing to leave her hometown due to fear. Percy, on the other hand, is painfully awkward, barely venturing outside his room after a traumatic bullying incident in high school. He becomes deeply attached to anyone he connects with, including Maddie. These character types may seem familiar, and if you’ve read the plot synopsis, you can probably anticipate where the film is heading as you become acquainted with the characters and their situation. While the comedy provides solid support, the predictability of numerous plot points diminishes its uniqueness over time.

The film heavily relies on the initial contrast between its two main characters to generate upfront comedy. With Maddie, an experienced and assertive individual, attempting to seduce the shy and socially awkward Percy, there are plenty of humorous moments as they interact and get to know each other. However, this dynamic often goes a step too far, with Maddie becoming overly aggressive in her pursuit of Percy. While he may find her attractive, it’s clear that he is uncomfortable with her advances. This undermines the film’s purpose of helping Percy integrate into society, as Maddie seems oblivious to the social cues he is giving. It gives the impression that only through sex can one feel comfortable and confident enough to make friends and expand their social circle.

Additionally, the decision to create a 13-year age difference between the characters further compounds the issue. Jennifer Lawrence, known for portraying characters older than her actual age (such as playing a 35-year-old single mom in Joy at the age of 25), does not appear “old” at her current age of 32. The ad that Maddie responds to specifically requests someone in their early to mid-20s, and she answers it at the age of 32. It’s puzzling why the film couldn’t have asked for someone in their early 20s and made Lawrence’s character closer to her mid-20s. This adjustment would significantly reduce the predatory undertones of the age gap and enhance the humor of the “old” jokes throughout the film, knowing that her character is actually quite young.

The true saving grace of this film, despite its numerous flaws, lies in the undeniable chemistry between Lawrence and Feldman. Their dedication to comedy shines through, keeping the movie afloat. As they develop a deeper connection throughout the story, it becomes genuinely heartwarming to witness. Despite the predictable nature of their individual character arcs, it remains captivating to explore the reasons behind their current personas and see how they mutually facilitate personal growth. It is truly rewarding to witness the positive impact they have on each other’s lives.

No Hard Feelings is a perfect option for a mindless and enjoyable date night or a feel-good movie experience. Whether you choose to see it in the theater or wait for its release on streaming platforms, it can be just as effective as a cozy home viewing with snacks and a blanket, offering an easy escape from reality. However, beyond the strong performances by Lawrence and Feldman, the film falls short and might leave audiences slightly disappointed when it comes to any further depth or thought-provoking elements.

Grade: C+

Director: Sam Hargrave
Writers: Joe Russo
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Olga Kurylenko

Synopsis: After barely surviving his grievous wounds from his mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take on their next mission.

I didn’t care for the first Extraction. Apart from a sleekly constructed oner that occurred near the film’s beginning, the movie re-treads a dull (and problematic) white savior story shot with the racist piss-yellow filter that I thought Hollywood didn’t use anymore. However, the movie was a COVID-19 hit for Netflix, and a sequel was almost immediately greenlit. I was convinced it would be the same old stuff when Extraction 2 opened with yet another scene with Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) in Bangladesh, with that yellow filter plastered all over the frame. 

But that doesn’t last long, with Rake being rushed to a hospital in Austria and forced to retire after the first film’s events. Rake’s retirement also doesn’t last long, as he is visited by an unnamed man (Idris Elba) who tells him that his ex-wife’s (Olga Kurylenko) sister (Tinatin Dalakishvili) is imprisoned in a Georgian prison cell. Rake arrives with Nik (Golshifteh Farahani) and Yaz (Adam Bessa) to help out, and…it’s not that simple of an extraction. Ketevan’s (Dalakishvili) husband (Tornike Bziava) is waiting for Rake to arrive, whilst her son, Sandro (Andro Japardize), communicates with his uncle (Tornike Gogrichiani), who leads a ruthless criminal organization. 

This leads into the film’s first action sequence, which is an unbroken one-take that goes from the prison walls to the prison courtyard, then leads into an insane car chase in the woods with bikers trying to blow up Rake and Nik’s cars, which then finishes on a moving train, with Rake trying to fight off a helicopter with a minigun, while Nik tries to keep the train going but has to face off with enemies of her own. At some point, Rake’s fist catches fire, and he starts punching dudes left and right with it until it extinguishes itself as he punches more people. Yes, some will criticize that it’s not a truly “unbroken” cut and that the digital cuts are quite obvious. However, when the craft is so strong, from its masterful camerawork, which logically follows each respective character and switches to multiple perspectives throughout the scenes naturally, and its staggering stuntwork, there’s no shortage of moments where you’re likely to slap your seat in utter excitement, having witnessed an action sequence for the ages. 

In that twenty-one-minute scene, there’s so much your brain can’t process that you will immediately suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride. Hargrave and cinematographer Greg Baldi pull no punches in crafting a mind-melting, maximalist action setpiece that will surely be in your top five of the year. It’s not an issue that the digital cuts are obvious since it’s likely impossible to craft a setpiece like this in one continuous take. Hargrave understands this and knows the audience understands it too. But he doesn’t care — he makes you believe the impossible is possible and crafts four terrific action scenes in one. 

The thrills continue with a sequence inside a cramped apartment room. And while it isn’t as sleek as the film’s main attraction, it has its fair share of moments in which Rake creatively uses the environment around him to defeat a slew of infinite (yet amazingly disposable) villains. Hemsworth is in top form as Rake and will perhaps be remembered as a bigger action star in films of the Extraction franchise than in his tenure as Thor in the MCU. He is a fully-fledged action star, giving his own spin to the “Sad Action Hero canon.” He gives a far deeper performance here than in the original, particularly in scenes where he recalls the last time he saw his late son and with his ex-wife, wonderfully portrayed by Olga Kurylenko. 

However, the show-stealer of Extraction 2 is Golshifteh Farahani, whose arc greatly expands from the first and is a major part of the action. Granted, she was heavily involved in the first film’s climax. However, in Extraction 2, she outshines Hemsworth on several occasions, particularly during specific moments in the film’s core action sequences, from the engine car fight to the rooftop shootout and culminating in a John Woo-esque gun duel between Nik and Zurab in a chapel. Farahani is a bonafide action star and is one of the very best parts of the movie. 
If Extraction 2 had a compelling plot, it likely would be as good as John Wick: Chapter 4. But the film ultimately fails at crafting a compelling antagonist that isn’t riddled with stereotypes and clichés,  just like Sandro’s arc has been done one too many times before not to feel predictable. However, one will seemingly forget its flaws and think they’re minor nitpicks since the audience has clicked on Extraction 2 to see Hemsworth kicking ass in more ways than one. In that regard, the movie delivers and is one of the year’s best and most inventive action pictures. It’s a damn shame that Netflix didn’t release it in every cinema possible, but here’s hoping the third one gets the IMAX treatment. I’ll be there on day one.

Grade: A

Director: Brooklyn Sudano and Roger Ross Williams
Stars: Michael McKean, Barbra Streisand, Brooklyn Sudano

Synopsis: Follows the life of iconic singer Donna Summer.

These days, it’s easy to forget that there was a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable to take disco music seriously. It was seen as a vulgar, trashy genre that lacked depth and sophistication. Even pioneers of the genre, such as Giorgio Moroder and Wally Holmes, were dismissed as coke-snorting party animals who indulged in mindless pleasure. The divas who served as the public face of the genre had an even more difficult time gaining respect from audiophiles and critics. Over the years, efforts have been made to rehabilitate the reputation of the genre but there is still a lingering sense, in some circles, that it was a frivolous fad that should be left in the past. 

No one seems more primed for a critical re-evaluation than Donna Summer, who was one of the most commercially successful recording artists of the 1970s. In addition to delighting audiences with her brassy stage persona, Summer recorded some of the most innovative songs of the 1970s. “I Feel Love” and “Love to Love You Baby” signaled the fact that the Moog synthesizer could be employed to create a futuristic, otherworldly soundscape that made club-goers want to get up and dance. She also became a prominent gay icon, who projected an air of breezy sexuality that stood in stark contrast to the brand of prim conservatism that had been typically associated with pop singers. She managed to personify a very specific time in American history and her large body of work has served as a major influence on modern dance music. 

For the most part, Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023) serves to elevate Summer’s position in the canon of American popular music. This approach serves the documentary’s subject well, as it manages to set itself apart from the likes of Miss Americana (2020) and Angèle (2021). Those were intimate exposés that devoted a considerable amount of their running times to exploring the personal lives of their subjects. This documentary has an unusually strong sociopolitical dimension that regularly comes to the fore. There are times when it even begins to feel like an editorial on the mistreatment of women of color in an industry that is largely dominated by white men. I say this as a compliment, as it has become increasingly difficult to find family-approved bio-docs that are willing to expand their scope beyond the personal. Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano endeavor to move beyond the conventions associated with this genre in order to produce something that feels more politically charged. It’s this unique perspective that provides this documentary with its backbone and prevents it from drifting into bathos. 

Longtime fans will also be given the opportunity to pore over recently unearthed archival footage and in-depth analysis of some of the deeper cuts from Summer’s discography. It’s nice to hear them play the biggest hits, but it really does count for something when they begin to consider the later stages of her career. Like so many stars who created an iconic stage persona, Summer was forced to reinvent herself in the years following the disco boom. The backlash to the genre’s success was swift and she struggled to avoid being seen as a passé cultural commodity in the early 1980s. This documentary provides us with a window into how the music industry handles these ups and downs and details Summer’s conflicted response to the changes that swept through the disco scene during this period. We get to view her as a canny businesswoman who knows how to play all the right angles for maximum effect. This is a quality that we associate with many pop stars but this documentary is unusually candid in its treatment of this issue. 
If you’re already a dedicated fan of Summer, you’ll walk away from this documentary feeling satisfied. It covers ground that hasn’t been trodden over in the countless biographies that have been written about her and avoids making too many generalizations about her career. More surprisingly, this is a documentary that still presents a certain appeal for those who are not all that familiar with her work. Everybody is interested in the inner workings of an industry that works very hard to project a shadowy, mysterious aura and Love to Love You, Donna Summer gives you a peek behind the curtain. This is more than just a promotional puff piece and for that we can all be glad.

Grade: B

Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks

Synopsis: The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

The “filmmaker vs. author” debate has always been one of the most snobbish, elitist discussions in the world of cinema. Personally, I avoid at all costs using the second term, simply because it’s more often used as an attempt to belittle other directors than to boost those who supposedly deserve that label. That said, Wes Anderson possesses what all filmmakers desire – or should desire – to achieve: an unquestionably unique style that any cinephile can recognize through a single frame. Whether people appreciate the writer-director or not, no year goes by where one of his movies isn’t one of the most anticipated. Well then, here comes Asteroid City…

Wes Anderson makes it difficult for viewers to be surprised. The qualities and flaws of his films, especially on the technical side, are practically the same, movie after movie. The filmmaker usually works with the same people in the various technical departments, and Asteroid City is no exception to this rule, with Adam Stockhausen (production designer), Robert Yeoman (cinematographer), and Alexander Desplat (composer) being the most common colleagues throughout his career. His way of telling stories through deadpan dialogue and humor – a deliberate display of neutral or null emotion – remains an essential feature of his narratives.

Starting precisely with this last aspect, Wes Anderson is, by far, the filmmaker who best manages to transform the ridiculous, absurd, and surreal into something more accessible to the general audience. Even if a film is purposely devoid of emotion, it’s not always easy to feel captivated by the narrative or the characters, much less create an emotional connection with them. In the case of Asteroid City and many of the filmmaker’s other movies, the loaded cast with dozens of A-listers and its appealing visual aesthetic help grab viewers’ attention.

On the other side of the coin, the narrative randomness and the lack of a more cohesive, coherent main plot, in addition to the rarely emotive scenes, contribute to the estrangement of the audience. However, perhaps due to a simpler and more direct premise, as well as more impressive performances, Asteroid City offers a lighter, more enjoyable viewing than The French Dispatch, also due to deadpan being better executed and performed, especially in the area of comedy. The rapid-fire, extremely complex dialogues and monologues – tons of words in a few seconds – are truly mesmerizing and demonstrate the pure talent of some actors – Jeffrey Wright is exceptional in this regard.

Utilizing Bryan Cranston as an excellent narrator, the screenplay of Asteroid City contains a story within a story. Edward Norton plays a screenwriter preparing his next play, and viewers follow his process throughout the film with occasional interruptions and transitions, but the main plot is the actual representation of that same play on the big screen. Wes Anderson even divides his movie into acts and respective scenes, explicitly displaying this information with title cards, helping viewers to navigate the several storylines.

Deep down, the “primary narrative” is nothing more than a mere connecting device between the diverse mini-stories that take place in certain parts of the city with a particular group of characters. Some have more screen time than others, but there’s not exactly a typical pair of protagonists. The closest to this “status” would be Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson. The actors mostly share the spotlight, with the former having another role on the “real” side, along with Norton.

Regarding the performances, my personal standout has to be Maya Hawke. The young actress plays a teacher responsible for her class’s field trip to Asteroid City, having greater expressive and emotional freedom, as well as some of the funniest sequences in the entire film – Rupert Friend also has merit here. Steve Carell exudes all his charisma as a motel manager. All the others are expectedly phenomenal, understanding the director’s intentions perfectly by delivering stoic performances, even if some are just cameos with a single line or a scene.

As expected, not all groups of characters have an interesting narrative. Viewers will feel more intrigued by some mini-stories than others, but everyone partially suffers from the lack of something more thematic. Asteroid City is indeed quite random, and despite much of this being the filmmaker’s purpose, there are times when it seems that it’s the audience that has to make an effort to enjoy the movie rather than the latter winning over the viewers. The only exception would be the tragic past of a grieving family, but it’s extremely difficult to address a topic as sensitive and inherently emotional as the death of a loved one when it’s not “allowed” to display any kind of sentimental expression or conversation.

Technically, there are no doubts surrounding the inevitable nominations for production design and cinematography, with editing, costume design, and make-up also being worthy of awards. It’s genuinely fascinating to observe the stunningly built sets, the lovely color palette, and the exquisite camera panning right-to-left and up-and-down. Still, it’s Desplat’s score that took me by surprise. Asteroid City benefits immensely from the composer’s background music, which fits like a glove into the city’s astronomic, desert environment, adding a nice layer of fun on top of the deadpan humor.

For fans of Wes Anderson, Asteroid City doesn’t disappoint, offering exactly what was expected from it. For viewers who don’t exactly appreciate the filmmaker’s style, I don’t think this film will convert you. Personally, it’s nowhere near the level of The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it’s a considerable improvement over The French Dispatch.

Grade: B-

Director: John Slattery
Writers: Paul Bernbaum
Stars: Jon Hamm, Louisa Krause, Tina Fey

Synopsis: Police Chief Sanders investigates the bizarre murders of two women with the same name and unravels a web of small-town lies. He meets and quickly falls for Rita, a nosy neighbor who is eager to help solve the mystery.

Films like Maggie Moore(s) rely on style over substance and, hopefully, a story and dialogue reminiscent of a great Elmore Leonard noir. Directed by Mad Men’s alum John Slattery, his second feature film behind the camera since God’s Pocket is a throwback to those ’90s crime films which the website CrimeReads called “The Leonardssance.” A movie that has an ear for snappy dialogue, how people really talk (mostly), quirky characters, satisfying crimes, and a killer villain. If only Slattery and the script by Paul Bernbaum left the listless romance at the deli counter.

The story follows a local police chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm), who oversees the service and protection of the residents of a small, desert New Mexico town. It’s a quiet town where most adult characters seem to be searching for happiness in their mundane lives. That includes the police chief, who lost his wife recently to cancer and takes a night class to explore the power of creative writing, being fodder for divorced single women in the area. However, his job is about to get a lot more interesting, as not one but two women turn up dead, both with the same name.

Those are Maggie Moore, the only two women with that moniker. Bernbaum’s script is clever, playing with the timeline in the first act. One of the women (Louisa Krause) is the bitterly unhappy wife of Jay (Micah Stock), who is floundering in debt, trying to keep his sandwich shop open and pay for his wife’s psychiatry bills. To help make ends meet, he violates his franchise agreement by buying expired deli meats and cheeses at a discount from Tommy T (Derek Brasco) in exchange for being his mule for illegal packages. Jay soon discovers that the packages include filthy pictures of underage girls and Tommy is a known sex offender. Jay’s wife finds the envelope and plans on using it to take everything he owns.

Jay and Maggie’s neighbor is Rita (Tina Fey), the nosy type who watches them from her window, doesn’t have any friends, and is still dealing with the breakup of an abusive boyfriend. She is the last to see Maggie alive and soon develops a friendship with Sanders during the investigation. This pleases Sanders’s partner, Deputy Reddy, who thinks his boss needs to stop looking for an emotional connection and find a physical one. Together, they investigate links to the two cases in a desert full of lies, contract killers, and lonely souls to solve the mystery tailor-made for Keith Morrison.

You may find Maggie Moore(s) a tough initial watch, as the thought of a queasy mix of talking about a pedophile and pictures of rotting lunch meat makes for a revolting introduction. However, as the story progresses, the fascinating plot begins to top itself as the timeline takes shape, and the killers keep doubling down at the risk of exposure in covering up their actions. Part of the fun is watching Jay, played by Stock, continue to unravel. Stock has a natural talent for juggling subtle comedic levity and anxiety-filled tension, a mix of painfully funny and awkward moments unique to actor, writer, and director Jim Cummings.

What Slattery does so well is to maintain a seamless tone, even when the story shifts to Hamm and Fey’s characters developing a rapport. While the other character relationships have quick, quippy dialogue, andyou may feel the script could use a little more restraint, I couldn’t help but think that Rita and Jacob needed a little more quirk and heat in their interactions or even a dark secret or two. Their relationship feels like it was expanded beyond its limits to give the stars more screen time. That being said, there are some entertaining performances, particularly one of my favorites, the scene-stealing Mary Holland (The Package, Happiest Seasons), who plays the other Maggie, and Happy Anderson (Bird Box), a deaf contract killer who brings deft comic timing to a stoic role.

Maggie Moore(s) is based on actual events, though the scheme plays like Jerry Lundegaard’s harebrained plan, made famous in Fargo (and portrayed by William H. Macy). While Slattery’s film could never be confused with the Coen brothers’ black comedy masterpiece, Maggie Moore(s) is a darkly comic, Elmore Leonard-inspired tale. While the subplot of Hamm’s pursuit for happiness becomes too heavy-handed for my tastes by the end of the third act, the overall story is a quick shot of true crime adrenaline that becomes addictive by the film’s end.

Grade: B

Director: Peter Sohn
Writers: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh
Stars: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen

Synopsis: Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together.

Pixar is one of the few studios with sky-high expectations with every animated film release. Every single effort has the potential to become a classic, which happens when your first film is Toy Story. A studio with the guts to avoid sequels during its first ten releases has some magic from Pixar’s initial run. Their latest, Elemental, the studio’s label of stunning animation, a visual marvel, along with a heart-swelling story, a beautifully captivating Thomas Newman score, and a script that has a surprisingly hard time developing a sense of humor.

Elemental follows the story of the vast and vibrant cultures of Element City, where members of the fire, water, land, and air communities live together, but not exactly in harmony, but tend to interact with their own kind. That’s because some elements don’t mix. For instance, water can douse fire, and fire can boil water. The film’s main character, Ember (Leah Lewis), resides in Firetown. Ember is being trained by her father, Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen), and her mother, Cinder (Shila Ommi), to take over the family business, a convenience store called The Fireplace, a local market known for its Richard Montañez-like flamin’ hot firewood nuggets, eternal blue flame from the old country, and her mother’s tarot card readings.

Ember has all the makings to be successful in taking over the family business if it wasn’t for her blazing hot temper that burns purple. After dealing with a resident who felt “buy one get one free” sparklers met the “just want the free one” condition, she screamed in the basement, causing the water pipes to burst (which is strange since the water was shut off from Firetown years ago). That brings in rushing water and a city inspector, an emotional water being named Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), who was sucked into the pipes and must report the numerous violations he comes across. To avoid all the fines that could put the Fireplace out of business, Wade’s boss, a stormy cloud named Gale (Wendi McLendon-Covey), enlists them to find the water source and fix the issue to save her family business.

Elemental is directed by Peter Sohn, his follow-up to Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur. Sohn is working with a screenplay from John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh, a team whose resumes are writing for Melissa & Joey and Truth Be Told. Elemental’s most significant issue is that the movie is void of humor, with the jokes being only amusing at best. However, what Elemental does have going for it is a deeply thematic and rich story about first-generation immigrants, vulnerable populations, and the overall level of acceptance. The story of the Lumens is told through a lens of the first-generation immigrant family experience, touching on issues of assimilation, economics, prejudice, and freedom of choice, the latter being particularly relevant for the second generation, who are the main reason for migrating in the first place to bring them a better life. There’s a wonderful sense of community in Elemental, with the Fireplace as a community center where residents can gather.

The entire film is a gigantic metaphor for the division we live in. Sohn and his writing identify themes of socioeconomic issues that come with division and members of disadvantaged communities. You’ll see how the Lumens and the residents of Firetown are examples of concentrated poverty. When the Lumens arrive in Element City, their names are changed during their admission, similar to stories you would hear at Ellis Island. Bernie and Cinder are guided to the poorest part of town because that’s all they can afford, and “their kind” are considered a danger to an area different from theirs. (The issues of prejudice are shown with people’s concerns about “fire” burning down their homes, but you can see this being an inspiration for “blockbusting” and keeping property values high). Elemental’s subtle candy-coated storytelling of these themes makes the animated film brave and profound. You’ll even watch The Ripples, clearly the wealthy and influential residents of the area, as one of Wade’s older relatives has a “well-meaning” racial microaggression comment about how Ember “speaks so well.”

While some won’t pick up on those subtle nuances, what many mainstream fans will love is the superb marriage of the film’s jaw-dropping animation and the soul-stirring romance between Ember and Wally. The characters’ vibrancy is constantly fluid and in motion, which is meticulous, with the remnants of smoke, smut, and droplets left behind. At the same time, you’ll also notice the speed of Ember’s frames or the morphing of Wally’s body changing depending on their emotions and moods. The colors and textures can be breathtaking, mainly when Ember and Wade express romantic feelings. (For example, the film’s best moment is when they can touch without putting either character in danger). Still, the film’s storytelling, along with Elemental’s vibrant and marvelous visuals as a whole, is a very good, animated romance but fails when it panders to the audience’s expectations of including broad comedy. Some of the best bits, like Wally as a child getting stuck in a sponge, are cute but rarely induce any out loud laughter. Elemental hits the right notes with the love story and familial moments – I will say the script comes dangerously close with Wally “whitesplaining” to Ember why she should go against cultural expectations – Sohn’s overall experience is positive, as he tells a familiar story with subtle social commentary.

Grade: B+