Movie Review and GIVEAWAY: Elemental on digital {ends 8/24}
I saw Elemental at the theater back in mid-June, in 3D, and really loved it—I gave it 4/5 stars in my Instagram reel review. It's a Pixar movie, which are usually a hit with me, and the plot was really unique. There was also an Up short at the beginning of the film which was a treat, because the actor who voiced Carl (Ed Asner) recently passed away, and I didn't think there would be any more Up shorts; it sounds like the short will also be on the physical versions of the movie.
Elemental is now out on digital to buy, and it will be on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD starting September 26. FOUR of my readers will win a digital code for the movie, too—see below for details.
About the movie:
Welcome to Element City, where the fiery Ember Lumen and the go-with-the-flow Wade Ripple are about to discover what happens when fire meets water in Pixar Animation Studios’ dazzling and imaginative Elemental, which debuts on all major digital platforms (Apple TV, Prime Video, Vudu, etc.) August 15 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD September 26.
Described as “stunning” (Joey Magidson, Awards Radar), “beautiful and immersive” (Belen Edwards, Mashable), Elemental is and Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes™ with “Pixar’s signature blend of vibrant revolutionary animation and imagination” (Luke Harfield, Awards Watch). Fans can be the first to watch at home by adding the film to their Pixar movie collection, and access bonus content including exclusive deleted scenes, featurettes, an audio commentary, and the widely popular all-new short, “Carl’s Date.”
Film synopsis:
Elemental is an original feature film set in Element City, where residents of Fire, Water, Earth and Air live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. Directed by Peter Sohn (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Partly Cloudy” short), and produced by Denise Ream (“The Good Dinosaur,” “Cars 2”), Elemental features a screenplay by John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh, and stars the voices of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie as Ember and Wade.
Bonus features:
Short Film
Carl’s Date – Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner Bob Peterson and produced by Kim Collins, this all-new short, “Carl’s Date,” finds Carl reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with a lady friend —but admittedly with no idea how dating works these days. Ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl’s pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends — if you’re a dog. “Carl’s Date” opened in theaters in front of Disney and Pixar’s Elemental.
Featurettes
- Ember and Wade – Take a deeper look at the development of main characters Ember and Wade, from early designs to final effects, and learn how the complex work of the technical and character teams brought these characters to life.
- Next Stop: Element City – Explore how Element City is built to accommodate its different inhabitants. Director Peter Sohn and crew members share insights about the evolution of the designed world, as well as some of the research that inspired its unique look.
- Paths to Pixar: The Immigrant Experience – Hear from first-generation filmmakers on the Elemental crew as they share their journeys to Pixar. Discover how Elemental’s real-world themes of sacrifice and identity, amongst many others, reflect or diverge from their own lived experiences.
Deleted scenes
Director Peter Sohn introduces five scenes that are storyboarded, set to music, timed, and voiced, but are not included in the final version of Elemental:
- Intro Ember – An alternate opening in which our hero Ember helps a newly immigrated Fire family navigate through, and acclimate to, Element City. Scene introduced by director Peter Sohn.
- Mom Rejects Wade – Ember’s traditional parents learn that she’s enamored with watery Wade…and it doesn’t go well. Scene introduced by story supervisor Jason Katz.
- Dante Challenge – In an attempt to keep Ember apart from Wade, Bernie tasks her with finding a place to live for newcomer Dante, who Wade finds himself rather enamored with. Scene introduced by story artist Nira Liu.
- Brook Dinner – Ember joins Wade for dinner at his home, in this abandoned storyline in which Wade’s mother, Brook, is revealed to be the villain diverting water into Firetown. Scene introduced by story artist Anna Benedict.
Beach Proposal – Sharing a tender moment on the beach, Ember and Wade propose marriage to each other. Scene introduced by story artists Yung-Han Chang and Le Tang.
Audio commentary
Elemental Filmmaker Commentary – Join director Peter Sohn, supe tech Sanjay Bakshi, supervising animator Mike Venturini, and directing animator Gwendelyn Enderoglu as they provide insight into the making of this remarkable animated feature while you watch it.
GIVEAWAY:
Four of my lucky readers will each win a digital code to redeem for their copy of Elemental! The codes can be redeemed on MoviesAnywhere.com.
Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Thursday, August 24th, and winners will be contacted the next day via email.
U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.
Good luck!
Digital copy of Elemental
