‘Elemental’
You know who did a bad job of selling this movie? Everyone! Rather than the latest Pixar adventure, this charming flick is pretty much a straight-up romantic comedy, except with the usual visual flair of the studio. Unfairly maligned on release, the movie focuses on the denizens of Element City, which brings together fire people with water people, air people, and… tree people? Look, it doesn’t make a ton of sense if you spend too much time thinking about it, and there are some wonkier elements (no pun intended) that make sure this is not quite top-tier Pixar. But the central romance between fire person Ember (Leah Lewis) and Wade (Mamoudou Athie) is so charming, it doesn’t matter. Plus, the setting is used to maximum effect to set up several beautifully rendered sequences that are a joy to watch. If you go in expecting you’re typical rom-com meet cute instead of, say, Toy Story, you’re gonna have a good time.