Yahoo Movies Everything we know about Pixar's Elemental
The animated rom-com is available to stream on Disney+ now
Elemental, the latest animated adventure from Pixar, has arrived on Disney+.
The family blockbuster tells the story of two elements, water and fire, who form an unlikely connection despite not being able to touch each other.
To mark its streaming release, here's everything you need to know about Elemental.
How can I watch Elemental?
Elemental is available to stream on Disney+ now, along with a behind-the-scenes documentary, Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental.
The streaming service, which costs £7.99 per month, hosts all of Pixar's back catalogue, including the Toy Story franchise, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and Up.
The animated hit is also out on all major digital platforms, including Prime Video and Apple TV.
Who is in the Elemental voice cast?
Pixar's latest film is a high-concept romantic comedy and coming-of-age story set in Element City, where beings made of earth, fire, air and water all live together.
Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) is a temperamental fire element who helps her parents Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi) run their shop.
Read more: Elemental easter eggs explained
She has a chance encounter with Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), a soppy water element who who works as a city inspector. Although they're unable to touch each other, an unlikely romance blossoms between them, taking Ember out of her comfort zone.
Eagle-eyed Pixar fans will have seen Wade before. He made a very brief cameo in last year's Toy Story spin-off, Lightyear, as the mascot for a drink brand called Wade Water.
Home Alone and Schitt's Creek star Catherine O'Hara plays Wade's mum Brook, while Kai Ava Hauser lends their voice to Wade's sibling Lake, who has made headline as Pixar's first non-binary character.
The Elemental cast also includes Wendi McLendon-Covey, who plays Wade's air-element boss Gale, and comedian Joe Pera, who plays city bureaucrat Fern. Child star Mason Wertheimer portrays Clod, a street-smart earth element.
What are the reviews like?
Elemental earned a five-minute standing ovation after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on 27 May.
It currently has a 74% score on reviews aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its humour and animation style but criticising the "over-complicated" plot and script.
Read some of the verdicts below.
Yahoo Movies: Pixar film is not a firecracker but its heart is in the right place (3-min read)
The Guardian: Fire and water fall in love in multicoloured, unworldly Pixar fable (3-min read)
The Independent: Pixar’s culture clash allegory overcomplicates itself (3-min read)
Evening Standard: Pixar closes the festival with a hotly anticipated damp squib (3-min read)
The Telegraph: A sweet, moving, slightly awkward Pixar romance (3-min read)
Is there a trailer for Elemental?
Pixar released a 90-second teaser for Elemental last November, introducing viewers to the magical world of Element City and its residents.
The full-length trailer landed in March, showcasing each element in more detail.
Is Elemental based on a true story?
The animated offering was directed by Pixar veteran Peter Sohn, who previously headed up 2015 release The Good Dinosaur.
Despite its unusual concept, Elemental draws heavily from Sohn's own life. Its themes of identity and belonging were inspired by his upbringing as the son of Korean immigrants in New York. Much like Ember, his parents ran a shop in the city.
Meanwhile, Wade and Ember's love story has parallels with the "culture clash" Sohn experienced when he met his wife.
He told PA: "The idea of the elements is so diverse, and that totally connected to my upbringing in the city that I grew up in. But it was also connected to my parents, who were immigrants from another place.
"But then, this idea of fire and water totally connected to marrying someone that wasn't Korean – I'm Korean and my wife is half-Italian, and it caused a lot of issues with my family. So that all started layering in."
Pixar's Elemental is available to stream on Disney+ now.
