If you’re thinking of taking your kids to see Elemental, and looking for a spoiler-free parent review, don’t worry, I’ve got you. And details to help you decide if Elemental is scary for kids you might want to bring. 

Elemental is Pixar’s latest movie. It’s a brand-new, original story that takes place in Element City, where Earth, Wind, Fire and Water all live together. At first glance it might remind you of Inside Out, or even Osmosis Jones, but after watching it definitely has more of a Zootopia vibe with a more romance and emotions. 

The story revolves around Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis), a tough and quick-witted young woman with a fiery personality. She meets Wade (voiced by Mamoudou Athie), a laid-back and fun-loving guy who goes with the flow. Their friendship starts challenging Ember’s beliefs about the world they live in. In a press conference with the cast Mamoudou Athie (voice of Wade) said you can always count on Pixar for the heart. “Go see the movie and you’ll get what you’re looking for.”

If the cute new movie by Pixar that tugs at the heartstrings isn’t enough of a reason to go and see it, remember that Pixar’s new short film called “Carl’s Date” premieres before the movie. And it’s a fun one. That and the fact that Elemental isn’t a sequel or remake was a reason enough for me to want to see this one, and support Disney continuing to make new original content. Personally I liked this more than Lightyear, and Luca, if comparing to some of the more recent Pixar movies. If you haven’t chance to see them all yet, I have a great checklist of all the Pixar movies in order.

What parents need to know about ‘Elemental’

Parents need to know that Elemental is the newest Disney Pixar movie. If you haven’t seen them all, you can download our list of all the Pixar movies here. This is also Pixar’s first romantic comedy. The colorful story is enchanting and captures the essence of an immigrant journey with a sprinkle of romance. The movie includes some animated violence such as bursts of fire when Ember loses her temper, rushing water and a flood causing a lot of damage. Several romantic moments between the main characters including one brief kiss. Language includes some insults such as “jerk” “stupid” and “crazy” as well as almost swear-words like “lazy ash.” Though the characters are elements, you can parallel it to people and diversity around the world. The movie has some messages about compassion, empathy, following your passions, sharing your emotions, and caring for others. Depending on the age of who’s watching you and your kids might walk away with different takeaways and life lessons.

‘Elemental’ Parent Review

I went in not expecting much because let’s be real, the trailer was not that exciting and I worried I’d already seen the best parts. But I walked out impressed and with all three of my kiddos with a huge smile on their faces and my 10-year-old son said “that wasn’t as bad as I thought I would be”– A funny quote for our movie rating log, which to him, means he really enjoyed it. The best part to me was the fact that my 4-year-old sat engaged and completely captivated the entire movie. It was just the right length. There is a little bit of humor thrown in for the parents, and the kids are laughing at silly things too. Is it my favorite Pixar movie ever? No. But it’s not near the bottom of our Pixar bracket either. And a requirement for any 4+ star movie for me, and most of the best Pixar movies, is making me cry, and I definitely got misty eyed more than once.  

Is Elemental scary for kids?

Earlier I compared Elemental to Zootopia, but Elemental doesn’t have the jump-scares like the other. Though both are fun and kid-friendly I think visually, Elemental is appealing to a younger audience. The animation is beautiful and the characters are engaging. Ember does have some outburst where her anger literally explodes and though you can see it coming, that could be scary for some younger viewers. As well as scenes involving a flood that puts some of the main characters in extreme danger. My 4-year-old did get a little nervous at that particular part, but keep in mind we saw it in IMAX, and movie theaters are loud and more intense than watching it at home on a television. If you’re going to see it in theaters, those scenes could be a little startling for the very young viewers. 

But enough of what I thought, here’s what my kids have to say about Elemental.

An Elemental Kids’ Review 

What did you think of ‘Elemental?‘

Jayda: I thought it was really good. Better than I expected going to see it. 

Ty: I thought it was good. 

Lee Lee: GOOD! 

So did you like it? Why? Or why not?

Jayda: I like the love story and I think it’s a good summer movie for the whole family. 

Ty: Yes. Because it’s like a normal Pixar movie. Did you know Pixar movies have been around since 1995? 

Lee Lee: Because it was really good! 

Without Spoiling, What was your favorite part of elemental? 

Jayda: Maybe whenever she came to see that flower. 

Ty: I have one but I don’t want to spoil. 

Lee Lee: I have a lot of favorite parts!! When he was crying and he turned into a tear. 

What was the funniest part to you? 

Jayda: The try not to cry contest. 

Ty: The sports game. 

Lee Lee: When the mom was like “drip drip the itsy baby!” 

Would you recommend it to your friends? 

Jayda: Yea. 

Ty: I don’t know if my friends would like it, cause they like other movies like Avengers and stuff. 

Lee Lee: Yea! 

What lesson did you learn? What message was the movie trying to get across?

Jayda: Follow your heart and do what you want to do. 

Ty: Don’t be mean or get too angry. 

Lee Lee: It teached me how to make glass with sand and fire. 

Who was your favorite character?

Jayda: Wade’s Mom

Ty: The water guy. 

Lee Lee: Fire Girl. Ember! 

Who would you recommend this movie to? 

Jayda: People who like Disney and Pixar movies. 

Ty: Me, you, or my sisters. 

Lee Lee: Indi, and Remy and Zada [her little friends].

Do you think it’s for older kids? 

Jayda: I think it’s for any ages, I think older kids might think it’s too kiddy if you’re 18 or something, but I think it’s something good for movie night cause the whole family would watch it, but I think younger kids would be more entertained by it. 

Ty: Older kids. It should be PG-8, because people might think water is alive when you drink it. 

Lee Lee: Big kids, and both. 

Did you think it was scary?

Jayda: No.

Ty: No. 

Lee Lee: No. The scariest part is when she was getting mad. 

Would you want to watch it again? 

Jayda: Uhhhhh, yea. 

Ty: Yes, I’d want to watch it again with dad. I want to see the part with the game again with the ref and watch with him. 

Lee Lee: I want to watch it again because it’s cool! 

How would you rank it compared to other movies we’ve seen recently? 

Jayda: So, this is how I would rank the last 3 movies I’ve seen. 1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, 2. The Little Mermaid 3. Elementals. But I do like it more than other Pixar movies like Lightyear and Luca, and I like this more than Strange World–even though I know that’s not Pixar I still liked it more. 

Ty: Spider-Man and Mario are better, this is WAY better than The Little Mermaid. 

Lee Lee: Elemental more than Little Mermaid and more than Spider-Man, because it’s so cool. 

How many stars would you give it?

Jayda: 3 or 3.5. 

Ty: 3.5/5 stars. 

Lee Lee: 7/5 stars [that means 5/5]

Is it worth going to the movies to see or picking it for movie night?

Jayda: It depends if you think you’d enjoy it a lot. If you have younger kids like 6 and 4 year olds I think they’d enjoy seeing it at the movie theater. But if you have older kids you could probably just wait. But I think it’s a really good movie pick that the whole family would enjoy. 

Ty: Oooh yes!  

Lee Lee: Yes! 

Want to dress for the occasion? Here is some Elemental movie merch we love I rounded up in my LTK affiliate shop!

I can’t get over how cute those ears are!

Still unsure? Here’s the trailer for Disney Pixar’s Elemental. If you get to watch it please come back and let us know what you thought!

Wondering how our review of Elemental might compare to yours? Check out some of our other movie reviews.

• ‘SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE’ REVIEW
• LIVE ACTION ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ REVIEW
• ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3’ REVIEW
• ‘SHAZAM 2’ REVIEW
• ‘CREED III’ REVIEW
• ‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’ REVIEW
• ‘STRANGE WORLD’ REVIEW
• ‘THOR LOVE AND THUNDER’ REVIEW
• ‘JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION’ REVIEW
• ‘DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS’ REVIEW
• ‘SONIC 2’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘TURNING RED’ MOVIE REVIEW
• ‘SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME’ REVIEW

If you like watching movies together as a family you’ll love our Family Movie Night Journal! Created by me and my oldest daughter Jayda. It’s bringing a family tradition of movie watching and rating to families around the world.

Tags: disney, kids movie review, movie reviews, pixar