The Natural Way

The Natural Way is a 2027 computer-animated adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Illumination in association with StudioCanal, Vanguard Animation, nWave Pictures and Aniventure while the majority of the animation services were provided by Mikros Image, DNEG Animation, CGCG, Reel FX Animation, Cinesite, Flying Bark Productions, Digital eMation, Nitrogen Studios with Universal Pictures acquiring the distribution. In France, Australia, and the United Kingdom, the movie is rather distributed by StudioCanal, while Studio 100 in Belgium, making it the first Illumination film not to be distributed by Universal Pictures. The story takes place in the modern and urban yet magical kingdom of Naturalis, the capital city of the Elementis region in the world of Medis where many people of the Elementis possess natural elements magic and follows 5 brothers, who have now saved everyone in Naturalis, after a mysterious shadow sorcerer kidnaps them.

The Natural Way debuted at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 9, 2010, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 9, by Universal Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics for its animation, themes, humor, plot, musical score, vocal performances. It was also a rather major commercial success, grossing over $1.342 billion worldwide.

Synopsis
Set of the modern and urban yet magical kingdom of Naturalis, the capital city of the Elementis region in the world of Medis where many people of the Elementis possess natural elements magic such as Plant, Ice, Wind, Rock, Water, Fire, Electric, Light and Dark Naturalis is ruled by the wise and fair King Lumen Validus, who possess the light element and has quintuplet sons. Lumen loves his sons dearly and his sons deeply care for him, but sadly, none of the brothers get along well, much to Lumen stress. After the brothers first day to public school went on a disaster thanks to the brothers' antics, it forever strained their sibling relationship, ended with a violent argument that led to Lumen breaking it up. Later that night, after the argument, a evil sorcerer and his shadow army kidnapped everyone in Naturalis, expect the brothers. Upon learning what happened last night thanks to their useful animal assistant, the brothers must travel cross the Elementis world to save the kingdom, while reconciling with adventure

Plot
In the modern yet magical day of Elementis, a region in the Medis, where many people can possess only one element, Plant, Ice, Wind, Rock, Water, Fire, Electric, Light and Dark. In the region's capital city, Naturalis, which is ruled by the wise and fair King Lumen Validus, who possesses the light element and has quintuplet sons, Ferns, who has the Plant element, and the eldest, Piren, who has the Ice element, Zephyr, who has the Wind element, Kai, who has the Water element, and Terbis, who has the Earth element. Lumen loves his sons dearly, and his sons deeply care for him, but unfortunately, none of the brothers get along well, much to Lumen stress due to their own struggles and personalities, that make them feel different from each other than the elements. With Fern's laziness, Piren's shyness, Zephyr's egoism, Kai's aloofness and Tebri's aggression, the brothers never got along much. With another argument going on, finally sick and tired of their complicated relationship, King Lumen announces to his boys in his throne room that they will go to a public high school, hoping to learn more about responsibility and helping others, as one of them can be king one day, much to the brother's own demise.

Meanwhile, in a castle on the darker elemental lands of Elementis, far away from Naturalis, a mysterious figure, who is an evil sorcerer, created the last warrior of his shadow army while plotting a plan to get revenge on Naturalis for what they did to his shadow assistant, when he found out where Naturalis itself is. When school starts, things started to go wrong with Ferns mutating the plants into monsters to scare the teachers away, Piren using his ice powers to avoid socializing with anyone, Zephyer using his inventions, which destroyed half of the school property, Kai fighting some students with his waterpowers when he saw them drinking from a water fountain, and Tebris anger causing a huge earthquake that damaged the school. As a result, the brothers got suspended for 2 weeks, and their relationship got strained with a very violent argument over whose fault it was as they got home into the castle, which Lumen later had to break by grounding them, until their suspension is over.

Later that night, after the argument, the Shadow sorcerer and his army invaded and destroyed Naturalis, capturing everyone as well as King Lumen in the process. The brothers were spared due to a spell that Lumen used to protect them from any of the shadow warriors, thus leading them to find Elementis destroyed and everyone missing. However, with the help of their animal assistant, Crystal, the brothers learned that the shadow sorcerer had kidnapped everyone to his castle, which is across Elementis. Leaving no choice, the brothers left to rescue them, but with their relationship now rocky, they were rather bitter to each other. During the start of the recuse for Naturalis, they encountered a cavern, taken over by a gem-rock like monster, but with teamwork, the brothers managed to be friended the monster and the monster leaded them to the exit, gaining more new newfound respect for each other.

Though their adventure to the shadow sorcerer castle, their relationship got better and better with defeating more encounters and making it to the many caves, colonies and forests, while many of them still got their same personalities, their now love each other with reconciliation. Just as the brothers make it to the castle, the Shadow sorcerer send more powerful another shadow army to attack them, which ultimately defeat the brothers, who argue on who will save their father, making it look like their died. At the same time, the Shadow sorcerer also held King Lumen at gunpoint, after seeing the brothers being defeated, much to Lumen demise as well as sadness, while he reveals that he is Lumen older twin brother, whom he lost his title of king when an election for the new king was held when they were kids, which lead to the Shadow sorcerer running away, while learning new powerful spells himself. The Shadow sorcerer also reveals his full plan that after he kills Lumen and the others, he will absorb their powers into becoming the most powerful sorcerer while taking over the rest of Medis. With the now defeated and injured brothers, each one of them admitted their selfishness out of guilt and remorse, realizing that their rivalry was just silly. Upon seeing them being alive and regretting all their arguments, Lumen relieves them with a spell, resulting the brothers becoming ultimate as well as unstoppable forms of themselves and their powers.

With this, the brothers free the captured peasants of Naturalis and encourages them to fight the Shadow sorcerer warriors with their powers, while the brothers fight the Shadow sorcerer themselves, leading to a huge battle going on. However, at the end, the brothers ultimately won, and the Shadow sorcerer was defeated, leading the rest of his warriors thanks to his magic being defeated as well. With everyone now returning Naturalis, Principal Fluorine no longer suspended the boys after seeing how much they changed now as better people as the brothers fix the school (alongside the kingdom) with their powers as a thank-you gift which also results King Lumen ungrounding his boys too, with a celebration being held for the town rebuilding at the town school hall, while the boys dance with their new friends and fellow peasants with Ferns apologizing to the teachers for his pranks, Piren getting over his habit of shyness as he makes new friends, Zephyr put his egoism aside as he present his new invention (this time for helping) while gaining a girlfriend, Kai warming up with some of the students and Tebri's becomes more calmer.

In the mid-credits, Crystal, with the boy's help, checks out the cavern, where she meets the same gem-monster, whom she recognizes as her long-last dad, as they've started to reunite now.

Cast

 * Jim Cummings as King Lumen Validus, the elder-aged loyal, polite, honest, and fair king of Naturalis with light powers. Loving many of his commoners and kids deeply as well as equally. He often wants to do what's best for the brothers, but he has no doubt about disciplining or punishing them for their arguments, especially since he is worried about that one of the brothers will be like his twin, once the election is held on who is going to be the next king after he dies.
 * Hank Azaria as Tenebris Validus (the Shadow Sorcerer) a mysterious but evil, selfish, remorseless, dark-hearted, and villainous sorcerer with the dark element. He is very power-hungry on magic and will do everything to take anyone else's powers while plotting to take over the world of Medis, for his own power.