Shadowing Practice: Elemental - Is It Good or Nah? (Pixar Review) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Elemental has had what is possibly the weirdest build-up to release for any Pixar movie.
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I guess aside from turning red.
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Like, yeah, I thought it looked generic from the trailers too, but I'm nonetheless shocked at how bizarrely vitriolic the backlash has been to this one.
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Pixar has made generic movies before, this one isn't special in that regard.
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However, everyone just kinda judged this movie based on the premise alone, and talked as if they had already seen it and not liked it.
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Well, the joke's on you guys.
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I actually saw it and didn't like it.
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I don't know, it was fine when I first walked out of the theater, but the more my girlfriend and I talked about it on the drive home, the less any of it made sense and the less I liked it.
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I mean, it has good stuff.
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The score was pretty fire.
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Yeah, that's an elemental pun.
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Deal with it.
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The animation was very good.
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Like, you know, complimenting a modern Pixar movie for its animation isn't really saying much on its own.
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But like, specifically, I was really impressed with how the Fire People looked.
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They had some cool character designs.
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I liked that.
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It was a pretty movie, I guess.
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The main characters were fine.
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In general, it was fine.
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It was watchable.
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I didn't hate it.
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Compared to something like Lightyear, which is just a corporate dumpster fire that I should not have rated as highly as I did, this one clearly came from a place of passion.
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It was made in earnest, and I can respect that.
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But, yeah, for the most part, I wasn't really feeling this one.
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Essentially, there are two threads here, that being the fire-water love story, oooow, how groundbreaking, that's craaaazy!
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And then there's the story about an immigrant family of fire people trying to make a new home in Element City.
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Uhhh, let's talk about the romance first.
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It's okay, the two leads are fine, but I never really felt much chemistry between them.
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Yeah, that's another elemental pun.
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Deal with it again.
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But yeah, I don't think they ever have a conversation where they really connect over anything.
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The pacing is good for their relationship.
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They really take their time before they start to fall in love.
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I just don't think the actual falling in love part was that convincing.
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They seemed more like very good friends.
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Yes, I'm dead serious.
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And that's not even taking into account the whole fire and water mixing angle, Which in itself is really corny and also a bit illogical.
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Like, what?
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They're the first mixed element couple in existence?
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No other fire and water people have ever touched before, even by accident?
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They really didn't know what was gonna happen?
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Then there's the immigrant story, which, like, the core of it is clearly genuine, and rooted in the director's own experiences,
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and it's nice that he gets to tell a version of that story.
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But, on the other hand, when are we gonna stop using non-human characters for human race allegories?
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The movie absolutely did not need that element.
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Haha, get it?
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Element pun again.
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I assure you, this is less element puns than the movie has.
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Anyway, yeah, it didn't need that element because it makes for so many confusing and uncomfortable moments.
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Like, there are some terms like fireball and cloud puff being hurled as insults in this movie.
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And it's like, are those racial slurs in this universe?
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What's going on?
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What was the pruning joke about?
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What's the real world equivalent to that?
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These are questions the movie makes me think about
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because it constantly tries to connect the fire people's experience to real world racism.
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The fire dad is also constantly racist against water people and talking about how much he doesn't trust them.
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And it's like water people seem to be the privileged ones in this society, so I guess that's fine.
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Except where does that leave the wind and earth people?
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They don't seem discriminated against at all.
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The movie only goes out of its way to show that fire people are treated poorly.
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So what do the wind and earth people represent?
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And why are they even in the movie?
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They don't matter to the story like at all.
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If it was just fire and water people, the metaphor would still be flawed, but it would at least be a lot clearer.
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As is, this has got to be one of the most confused metaphors I've ever seen in a movie.
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And not only does this not work as a race allegory, it doesn't work in terms of its world building either.
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Everything just sort of functions like it does in human society.
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Like, they have regular trains and pipes for water to flow through.
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Wouldn't a city based around element people be a little more unique and less human-like?
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Firegirl says the city wasn't built with fire people in mind, but like, shouldn't more of the city feel tailored around water people since they founded it?
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Like, shouldn't there be transport pipes for them instead of just trains?
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I don't know, maybe there was some in the background that I didn't notice, who knows.
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Also, the entire third act kinda fell apart for me.
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Spoilers, I guess, if you're interested in seeing this for some reason, I don't know.
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So, the main conflict hinges around Fire Girl and Water Boy fixing the dam, so water doesn't leak out and flood Fire Girl Dad's store.
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So she fixes it with tempered glass, and the Cloud Lady who's in charge is like, yep, that looks good to me, we're good to go.
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So you assume that conflict is over, since it served its purpose of giving the two leads something to do as they got to know each other.
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But then, oh no, looks like the glass is gonna break, and I just kind of rolled my eyes because it was such a lazy way to force a third act climax.
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Cloud Lady said it was fine.
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They had workman test it out with a hammer and stuff, but I don't know, it's gotta break, because we gotta have a stupid climax.
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The third act can't just be about the characters working out their differences and solving the dad's racism.
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Speaking of which, he never gets over that.
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We never have a scene where he's like, okay, water boy, I misjudged you.
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You can date my daughter.
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He's just inexplicably cool with it at the end, even though not being cool with it was such a huge facet of his character throughout the entire movie.
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What happened?
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Again, I'm not upset that he doesn't like the privileged water people.
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It's just, he just forgets that he doesn't like them at the end.
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Did I miss that scene?
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Am I going insane?
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What is this movie?
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Then there's all the usual cliches, like, Oh, you're not my daughter.
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You lied about breaking the pipes.
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You're not getting the shop.
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Oh, water boy, I don't love you because society, and I gotta do what my dad says, and we're breaking up for real, and we're not getting back together later.
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Definitely not.
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Do not keep watching the movie.
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It does not happen.
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And then during the stupid action climax, Waterboy dies because it's hot and he's evaporating.
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Even though this was never set up beforehand as a thing that could happen, so it kind of comes out of nowhere, and also the scene is extremely quick, and the whole time you're just waiting for him to inevitably be revived.
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There's no tension.
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It didn't make me feel anything.
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It was nice when Fire Dad told Fire Daughter that she was his real dream the whole time, but other than that, the climax was entirely dramatically inert,
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which is shocking because this is a Pixar movie?
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It's like the one thing they know how to do, but man, it just did not land here.
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Ultimately, I don't hate this movie or anything.
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It had heart, it had good intentions, it was paced pretty well, and it had plenty of fleeting moments I enjoyed,
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but I'd be lying if I said I'm gonna remember anything about it in a week.
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Anyway, if people try
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and guilt you into watching this movie just for the sake of supporting original Pixar films
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so we don't get Toy Story 12 or whatever, don't feel pressured to see it.
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It isn't great.
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Though, if you do want to see it to pump up its box office numbers
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and encourage more original work that is good, that's totally valid.
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Or if you just think it looks good in general.
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Don't let the mob mentality against this film, or me not liking it, discourage you from watching and enjoying it.
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I almost feel bad for not really liking it that much, because again, it didn't really feel corporate or anything.
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There is a genuine humanity behind this movie.
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I just wish it got to tell its potentially compelling immigrant story with human characters,
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instead of, ironically, watering it down by making it about fire people.
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Uh, yeah, I don't know.
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I came out of the theater thinking it was a solid 6 out of 10, but the more I thought about it, the worse it got in my mind.
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5 out of 10.
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Again, see it if you want to, don't see it if you don't want to.
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That's all there is to it.
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The up short was cute.
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The end.
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I'm just surprised there were no animals in this movie.
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Like during the scene where all the water guys were doing the wave, there should have been a shark or something surfing that wave.
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Context & Background
The video titled "Elemental - Is It Good or Nah? (Pixar Review)" explores the recent Pixar film, examining its strengths and weaknesses. The speaker shares a personal opinion about the movie's premise, character dynamics, and animation quality. This dialogue is filled with cultural references and employs a casual, conversational tone, making it an excellent resource for learners looking to improve their English speaking practice. By focusing on the speaker's emotions and insights, viewers gain exposure to contemporary vocabulary and expressions relevant to everyday discussions.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I didn’t like it” - A straightforward expression of personal opinion.
- “It was fine” - A neutral way to describe something that is acceptable but not remarkable.
- “I was really impressed” - Used to convey admiration or respect for something.
- “I can respect that” - An expression acknowledging the effort or intention behind someone's actions.
- “Let’s talk about” - A phrase that invites discussion about a specific topic.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the "Elemental" review for improving your English skills, follow this shadowing guide, which is particularly useful for learn English with YouTube learners.
- Watch the video once: Focus on the overall message without pausing or repeating.
- Listen for key phrases: Pay attention to the expressions listed above and their context, noting how they fit into the conversation.
- Practice shadowing: Rewind sections and repeat the phrases in real-time. Use the shadowspeak method—try to mimic the speaker's tone, rhythm, and emotions.
- Pause and analyze: Take breaks after impactful statements. Consider why those words resonate and how you can express similar sentiments in your style.
- Apply in conversation: Incorporate these phrases into your daily English speaking practice. Try using them with friends or in language exchange settings to enhance your fluency.
By consistently following this guide, you can combine listening and speaking skills to enhance your proficiency and confidence in English through engaging content. Remember, using a reliable shadowing site can also provide structured practices to further your learning experience.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.