“Elemental” is the quintessential Pixar movie.
The company’s latest animated wonder takes place in a cleverly imagined city populated exclusively by anthropomorphic elements in which two characters made of fire and water meet and fall in love. That whimsical logline is enough to recall “Inside Out” and “Monsters, Inc.,” beloved Pixar classics from an earlier era that some see as the company’s heyday. The technology that brought “Elemental” to life is also deeply indebted to the culture and history of the studio, pushing its capabilities to the very limits of possibility. “Elemental” director Peter Sohn told TheWrap that at one point Pixar servers were strained so hard they started smoking.