Directed by Pixar veteran Peter Sohn with a script by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh, Elemental is as gorgeous as audiences have come to expect from the animation studio. But the craft behind Pixar's films has only ever been part of the formula to their greatest successes. A deft melding of creative world-building and a compelling human story are the other keys to the best stories from the studio, even when the main characters are far from human.

While Elemental is lacking in the former, its emotional throughline is a well-executed and occasionally powerful tale of a first-generation immigrant falling in love with someone society says she shouldn't be with. Elemental is impressive, stirring, and absolutely gorgeous, but a little more character complexity and fewer gags would have made it even more special.

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Elemental takes place in the fantastical world of Element City,...