WendiMcLendonCovey – Credits Rolling

Welcome to Element City where Earth, Wind, Water and Fire live together in harmony. Well, not really Fire who were always feared by everyone else. That doesn’t bother Ember (Leah Lewis) though. Her whole life has been planned out for her – take over her family’s shop The Fireplace. But everything changes when she meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie). Suddenly her perfect path may not be so perfect anymore.

Let’s start with the outstanding visuals. The different element characters are created in such a unique way. I love the little details, like how Ember’s flames would be constantly moving and how Wade’s body was constantly ebbing and flowing. I wish we’d had more time with Earth and Wind because it would have been cool to see their characteristics too. Similarly the location itself was stunning and so incredibly different than anything I have seen before. It made me want to pack up my bags and go live there too.

The voice cast were good enough boasting big name talents such as Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s mom Brook and Wendi McLendon-Covey as big boss in charge Gale. Joined by Lewis and Athie as our two leads, I wasn’t aware of them previously but thought that they fit in well.

I understand why the turn out for Elemental hasn’t been as great as some other projects in the past. Since the pandemic, Disney and Pixar started putting their films directly on streaming, a move that made these titles more accessible to families. Now that these films are trying to make a comeback on the big screen, I can imagine that people aren’t exactly ready to change what they’ve gotten used to.

As for the subject matter itself, while there may have been some overlapping themes that we have seen before, it was done in a fresh, new way that kept it interesting. The love story was adorable and I really enjoyed the importance of family. There were so many scenes that hit me right in the feels, I had to stop myself from bursting into tears.

Overall, Elemental may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I truly think it’s one of the better films that Pixar has done in awhile. I only wish more people would go out and see for themselves the beauty of this story.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Don’t you just love it when a movie is so unexpected in all the right ways? That is exactly what happened with Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. I don’t actually think I even knew what it was about though that didn’t matter whatsoever because it had a much better impact that way. I was amused, confused and thoroughly entertained the whole way through.

When lifelong friends Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) lose their jobs, they are left wondering what to do with their lives. After much deliberation, they decide to leave behind their small Mideastern town for the first time ever to go to Vista Del Mar for a vacation. Vista Del Mar seems like the perfect place for middle aged people like themselves but nothing can prepare Barb and Star for the adventure that awaits them.

Words cannot describe how hilarious this film was. All the jokes slapped and I was laughing out loud on multiple occasions. I was worried that the humor wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but fortunately I was proven wrong. It all worked.

The casting choices were A+. Kristen Wiig was a standout and was her perfect compliment Annie Mumolo. Their friendship was serious goals and they worked so well off each other. I loved Jamie Dornan in this too – not only is he wonderful to look at, he is actually quite diverse in the roles that he chooses (you’ll understand what I mean by this once you watch). Other well knowns rounded out the cast perfectly: Damon Wayans Jr., Wendi McLendon-Covey, Vanessa Bayer and Rose Abdoo.

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar was the greatest surprise I have had while watching a movie in a long time. I honestly went into it thinking it was going to be a drag and it turned out it was the complete opposite. If you need a pick me up, I recommend checking this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥