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Elemental – Review
Elemental – Budget of $200 million – 1 hour and 42 minutes
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Ember Lumen works for her dad, Bernie, at his convenience store, Fireplace. He creates food from his old country for the citizens of Fire City. And his wife, Cindy, reads customers’ ‘love smoke’ in the back. Bernie hopes to retire and turn the place over to Ember. But only when she is ready. Ember is close, but her frustration with customers overcomes her and causes her to burst into flames. She burns so hot that her blaze becomes purple.
After a long day at work, Ember sees her father’s exhaust smoke and tells him she will close the shop. Bernie says he will do one better. He will sleep in and let Ember handle the red dot sale – their most popular sale of the year. Ember opens the shop in the morning to excited customers. However, it’s too much, and she runs to the basement to explode. Ember turns purple, and the pipes burst. She panics as water fills the basement. Ember uses her heat to weld the metal and tries to figure out how to clear the water. She sees strange movement in the pool as Wade Ripple emerges from the water, holding her family picture. He cries at the beautiful family moment. Ember tells him to leave so she can fix the leak. He continues to sob, pulls out a notepad, and takes notes. Wade is a city health inspector and jots down the violations. Ember pleads with Wade to stop because Bernie built it. Wade writes down that Bernie constructed the shop without the proper permits. Wade runs out of the store and on an Element City Train to report the violations to City Hall. Ember follows him and leaves Fire Town for the first time.
Ember creates a firewall to stop Wade, but he seeps through the cracks and slides past her. He files the paperwork as Ember falls devastated. The glow from Ember and her words sparks compassion in Wade. He tells Ember the violations go to Fern to complete. They could visit Fern and request he doesn’t file. But Ember’s anger gets the best of her, and she sets Fern’s office ablaze when he doesn’t comply. Now she has one week to save the Fireplace. Wade knows a way to help. They can speak to Gale Cumulus, his boss, to halt the Fireplace’s closure.
Wade takes Ember to see the Windbreakers at the Cyclone Stadium. He knows Gale will be there because she is a huge fan, and they’re in the playoffs for the first time. Wade mentions that water came through the pipes in Fire Town. Gale doesn’t understand how this happened because the city shut off water to Fire Town years ago. Wade tells Gale he was looking for the source of a leak but was sucked into the pipe and landed in the Fireplace. Gale says she won’t close the shop if they find the leak and stop it. Ember won’t let Wade do it alone. She must save the Fireplace because it’s her family’s legacy and future. But is it the future she wants, or will chemistry find a new destiny for her?
This movie is an immigrant’s tale. They leave their homeland after a natural or unnatural event. They come to a new world to start a better life but find hardship and exclusion. When Bernie and a pregnant Cinder come to Element City, the immigration agent can’t pronounce their names. So, he makes up new names for them. When people look into their ancestry, they discover their names changed to assimilate into another culture. Bernie and Cinder keep their family history alive with their Blue Flame, food, and language. They pass that tradition and pride to Ember. Ember wants to be a good daughter and follow the path Bernie laid for her to follow. She never considered there could be another way. Then, she meets Wade. Wade has an abundant life but misses his deceased dad. He expresses his emotions and sees the best in others. Ember’s ability to mold the world around her awes Wade. He doesn’t understand why she can’t leave her family’s expectations behind. That difference is the film’s core: an immigrant’s duties versus a citizen’s dreams. This movie has a powerful message for kids and children with astounding imagery if everyone is willing to listen. Also, the opening short film, Carl’s Date, is an instant classic. So, everyone should be on time.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Do I smell something on Ember – Cindy
You slash it. You buy it – Ember
Good daughter – Bernie
I’m not one for tearful goodbyes – Wade
My drip, drip – Brook
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The Flash – Review
The Flash – Budget of $200 – 220 million – 2 hours and 24 minutes
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NOTE: This review will only speak about the movie, not about the lead’s alleged crimes.
Barry goes to the local café to get his regular sandwich, but his favorite sandwich artist isn’t there. Barry tells the new artist he is 3 minutes late for work, but the artist takes his time. Barry gets a call from Alfred while waiting. Batman needs someone to save people from a building collapse while he stops the robbers. Barry warns Alfred that his calorie intake is low, runs into the bathroom, and becomes The Flash. Barry understands that he is the janitor of the Justice League, and Batman consistently makes messes.
After a daring rescue, Barry runs to the coffee shop to get his sandwich and arrives late to work. Barry works in criminal forensics but focuses on his father’s case. His father, Henry, is in prison for killing Barry’s mother, Nora. Barry and Henry maintained Henry’s innocence throughout the years. Barry comes home to find a flash drive from Bruce Wayne with an apology note. Bruce cleaned up the footage of Henry in the store before Nora’s death. However, he never looked at the camera while wearing a baseball cap. Barry gives Henry the disappointing news. Henry tells Barry to move on. During the conversation, Barry runs to their old house and remembers the last time he saw his mom. Nora notices she forgot the canned tomatoes for the spaghetti and asks Henry to get more. He went to the store and returned to hear Nora screaming. Barry ran downstairs after hearing Nora’s cries for help and finds Henry holding Nora with a knife in her abdomen.
Barry’s emotions get the best of him, and he runs faster than ever and inadvertently uses the Speed Force to travel one day in the past. Barry runs to tell Bruce, but Bruce tells Barry to leave time alone. Barry returns home and ponders a way to help Henry. If Nora never forgot the tomatoes, Henry would be home to stop the intruder. Barry invokes the Speed Force and adds the tomatoes to Nora’s cart. Barry starts the Speed Force again to return to his time, but something pushes him out to 2013. Nora is alive, Henry is free, and Barry sees his 18-year-old self in the driveway with laundry. Barry grabs his younger self and tries to explain what happened. Then, Barry realizes it’s September 29th; the day he got his powers.
Barry takes his younger self to their job and puts the younger Barry in a chair behind the chemicals. He warns 2013-Barry that a lightning bolt will combine with the chemicals and shock him. 2013’s Barry panics and attempts to stand. Barry pushes him down, and they both get hit. The younger Barry has powers, but the older Barry loses his. Barry tries to give his younger self a quick tutorial about his newly-acquired gifts, but 2013-Barry is too immature to listen. Barry steps away from 2013-Barry when he sees a world-ending news report. General Zod entered Earth’s atmosphere with demands. He will end the world if he doesn’t get what he wants. Barry remembers this day. He was able to save one child because he didn’t understand his powers, but Superman stopped Zod. 2013-Barry has never heard of Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Cyborg. Barry realizes his actions erased the Metahumans he remembers. Barry must find Batman, reform the Justice League, and save Earth without causing any more damage to the timeline.
This movie is a mix of an origin story and a coming-of-age story. In the previous Justice League films, the newer audience of D.C.E.U. never knew how The Flash obtained his powers. This film gives you a crash course on Barry’s beginnings and motivation. As Barry confronts himself, he sees the childish quirks that alienate him. He becomes incensed with his immaturity and starts to correct his current self. The CGI of Barry meeting his younger self is flawless. And his slow-motion sequences add humor and realism to the wild moments. The larger fight scene, in the end, has a cartoon ascetic viewers come to expect from the D.C.E.U. The plot drags as Barry looks for Batman and 2013’s Kryptonian. Also, it slows down as Batman explains the D.C.E.U.’s version of the timeline plot and unavoidable events. This plot is five years too late, with Miles Morales, Avengers, and Peter Parker having timeline movies. This film is for D.C. fans looking for a matinee movie. Otherwise, wait for streaming on Max (F.T.C. Affiliate Disclaimer).
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I loved you first – Nora
My ego is too big to say thank you – Bruce Wayne
You made me very proud and a lot of mothers very happy – Alfred
Sorry, I’m late – Wonder Woman
Not every problem has a solution – Barry
What it is, is a hot mess – Batman
I got you – Kara
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