Hey everyone and welcome back to a brand new review! For this one I will be looking at the latest original film from Pixar Animation titled Elio, which is coming off the heels of the blockbuster success that was Inside Out 2. This is one that has been a long time coming as it was originally scheduled for March of 2024, before getting delayed an entire year, where significant changes were made to the feature to the point where Turning Red director, Domee Shi, and Madeline Sharafian ended up taking over for Adrian Molina, who was at the helm previously (though is still credited with working on it). Still, even with that I have always had a lot of excitement for this one ever since it was announced as I am a massive fan of Pixar and look forward to whatever new project their creatives put out. Plus, add in a fun premise and the promise of a sci fi adventure which is absolutely my jam and I’m already at the theater buying my ticket. So, was this able to shoot for the stars? Let’s jump right in and see what kind of trip to the cosmos Elio has decided to go on!
We follow a young kid named Elio Solis, who after the death of his parents, stays with his aunt Olga, who is also an air force major. Elio is fascinated by the cosmos and the fact that there might be more life out there in the universe. He becomes determined to get abducted by aliens, trying everything he can to communicate with them, much to the confusion and annoyance of his aunt. Through circumstances he is able to use government technology to send a message to what could potentially be aliens communicating through the Voyager space probe. When at a youth camp, he ends up getting taken by a strange ship that ends up taking him to the Communiverse, an extraordinary place where aliens from all across the universe come to exchange information. Everyone is thrilled to meet him which makes Elio ecstatic… even though they all think he is the ambassador of Earth. While not too bothered by this initially, when potential intergalactic war is threatened by the warlord, Lord Grigon, Elio ends up offering to help in bringing peace, something he is definitely not prepared to do. Through this, he ends up going on quite the adventure, forming an unlikely bond along the way.
I don’t know how much the film differs from the version Molina was originally working on, and that is something that I hope we learn more about. However, I am happy to say that the final film we did end up getting is more than worthy. As promised by the marketing, the movie works as very fun space adventure that is brims with creativity in regards to this hub for aliens and the comedic scenarios that can arise from a young kid being inducted as an intergalactic ambassador, both in ways that show his enthusiasm as well as the understandable fear when there’s an actual responsibility involved. That being said, there is an immense heart that permeates the proceedings right from the get go. As purely enjoyable as the feature is, it is also not afraid to tackle some heavy themes in regards to grief and how it affects people in different ways (showcased through Elio, but also Aunt Olga as well), but also loneliness and that feeling of isolation when one feels they can’t quite fit in with the rest of the world. We see how this affects Elio and his struggles to cope with his parents’ death and one can understand why he would want to leave his life behind on Earth. Yet, the movie is very nuanced in how it makes him sympathetic while also showing the value his life on Earth has that he really never realized (the way this is payed off in the third act is very nice).
There are also interesting parallels between his family relations and those of his newfound friend, Glordon, and how they teach other about how to handle these difficulties, but also inspire them to not look at their parental figures at face value and take them for granted. It’s that blend of fun and melodrama that makes the feature shine as much as it does and I the third act especially goes hard with some very powerful emotional beats and a deeply satisfying conclusion. It almost reminds me of one of those family friendly sci fi films from the 80s that treaded similar ground (like Flight of the Navigator) in that sense. Really my only issue is that I wish we had gotten to spend a little bit more time in the Communiverse as the second act feels like it could’ve used a couple more minutes. That being said, the film is so engrossing and does such a good and efficient job at setting things up and ending things off that that didn’t bother me too much.
This being an animated film made at Pixar, it is less than a surprise that it would end up being visually stunning, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. The animation is of course absolutely stunning, bringing to life the far reaches of the cosmos in a way that is a treat for the eyes to behold. The Communiverse itself is an imaginative kaleidoscope of colors that always has something interesting lurking behind the corner. The lightning is especially well utilized in not only here, where it furthers the sense of wonder present, but also in scenes set on Earth where things are a bit gloomier for Elio and in Lord Grigon’s ship which serves to intimidate those who enter. The backgrounds in general are extremely detailed and succeed in being both realistic on the scenes set on Earth as well as fantastical in the parts in space. Also adding to the visual imagination on display are the designs of the various aliens, which are very fun to look at, with there being so many and makes the scope of this world feel big with not one being looking the same.
The humans also have a bit more of a cartoonish look to them, more so than other Pixar films, but they are very expressive and help give a lot of scenes an even greater effect regardless of what the aim is. Some characters even have some unique stylings to them that give them a distinctive feel, such as OOOOO (Shirley Henderson), a gelatinous supercomputer who is like an anthromorphic drop of liquid who is quite the visual achievement in regards to the way she moves around (also a very amusing part of the feature in regards to her humorous way of delivering brutal honesty). There are a handful of action sequences, particularly one involving falling debris in space that provide the necessary excitement and stakes, while helping in emphasizing the vibes of those 80s space adventures. I also appreciated some scenes that had a bit of a horror tinge to them (very family friendly though of course). Another standout element for me was the score by Rob Simonsen, who has not worked on a Pixar film up until this point and has done work for a number of films from the likes of Jason Reitman and Shawn Levy. He delivers here with a composition that succeeds in making one feel a child like sense of wonder of what is happening onscreen as well as the sensation of being in space. It’s terrific work and I wouldn’t mind if Simonsen worked on more productions with the studio.
I mentioned how Elio powerful Elio’s arc is and it is no small part thanks to Yonas Kibreab, who makes his acting debut. He provides solid vocal work that makes Elio into a likable protagonist who one wants to see be happy with his infectious enthusiasm for extraterrestrial life that is genuine, but can also serve as a way to cope with his life on Earth. Kibreab is able play all of these sides of the character well and help give Elio so much dimension. As someone who also grew up feeling a bit lonely in regards to interests, I found a lot to relate to in his character and I think many people like that that will resonate with this story that celebrates embracing the things one loves, while also appreciating the life in front of us. A big part of that theme here is Aunt Olga, who is also extremely well written and excellently voiced by Zoe Saldana. She is portrayed as a strict, but caring authority figure who may be harsh on Elio, but the film does a fantastic job in making us understand where she is coming from, showing how hard she is trying to be a good guardian for her nephew after the death of her brother. She is also very sympathetic and I like how she is never villainized and still shows that she cares for her nephew even when frustrated by his actions. Her subplot back on Earth even gets some good laughs and shows that she may not be as different from Elio in regards to fascination with aliens.
The other key relationship at the center of the film is the wonderful friendship between Elio and Glordon (endearingly voiced by Remy Edgerly). Not only is the latter just an adorable presence with a memorable design who spouts some great jokes, but he has a nice arc himself of learning to explore beyond what he knows and becoming more confident in himself. He and Elio have some great interactions and I loved seeing where things would go with them. I also very much enjoyed the character of Lord Grigon (voiced successfully with equal parts humor and intimidation by Brad Garrett) who is able to strike a fine line between being comical in his pride and obliviousness as well as genuinely threatening when things don’t go his way. I quite like where his character ended up going as well and there is some solid commentary thrown in about toxic masculinity and how parental figures can view being “soft” as a weakness. The rest of the aliens all manage to stand out with their fun designs and their amusing interactions with Elio with Ambassadors Helix (Brandon Moon) and Questa (Jameela Jamil) getting the most to do. On the human side, there are some solid players too in this regard namely Bryce (Dylan Gilmer), another boy with unique fascinations and who has a nice arc of his own, as well as Gunther Melmac (Brendan Hunt), an eccentric air force analyst/conspiracy theorist, who ends up setting a lot of the plot into motion.
All in all, I found Elio to be an absolute delight from start to finish and another strong entry in the Pixar canon. I would’ve liked a bit more time spent in the second act, but that hardly bothered me, when the story was so thoughtful in how it tackled it’s themes, the humor was very clever, the visuals were astounding, the wonder and excitement of a space adventure were present, and the characters were so well rounded and compelling. Families are going to have a great time with this one as I feel it works for both kids and adults a like, but I also think fans of sci fi flicks like this will get a kick out of it. It’s a film that I also see resonating with many people who may relate to the main character in a number of ways, which is one big reason that I found myself as emotionally riveted and nearly tearing up at points. It is sad that this doesn’t seem to be gaining traction at the box office, but I hope that regardless of its performance, that it will gain an audience and become more appreciated as time goes on. I know a lot of people have been down on Pixar this decade, but I myself have been very impressed with their output of late and will always look forward to what has that bouncing lamp playing before the feature presentation.
Rating: A
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