Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Pixar has had some slumps in recent years, except for “Inside Out 2,” a sequel released last year. It became the highest-grossing animated movie worldwide (surpassing Disney’s remake of “The Lion King”). As the studio continues to dominate the box office, it will continue to produce original films while making sequels (including “Toy Story 5” and “Incredibles 3”) to improve financial stability. Pixar’s “Elio” focuses on the titular character, who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, he starts to form new bonds with eccentric aliens, while discovering who he is truly meant to be.
Newcomer Yonas Kibreab voices Elio Solís, an eleven-year-old boy who, after the death of his parents, is sent to live with his Aunt Olga (voiced by Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldaña), who works at the Air Force base. Aliens later abduct him and mistakenly identify him as Earth’s ambassador by the aliens. Kibreab and Saldaña are essential in the film as they provided heart, warmth, and tenderness to their characters. These two actors never lost an inch to each other. The supporting cast, including actors Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil, is also great. They provide moral and character support for Kibreab and Saldaña, who enhance the story’s depth and resolution. The film also includes a cameo appearance from “Star Trek: Voyager” actress Kate Mulgrew.
Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina are the directors of this film, with Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones writing the script. In addition, Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Lindsey Collins served as executive producers. Visually speaking, the film and its animation are mostly nice to look at, as is usually the case with virtually every Pixar movie, such as “WALL-E.” What is impressive is that Communiverse in the film serves as a reference to the layout and structure of the United Nations organization. And the various alien races refer to the members from each country. Most of the aliens have interesting, colorful designs, while the production designs and lighting helmed by Harley Jessup are superb. The plot is very similar to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” as it involves a human kid befriending an alien from outer space.
However, my main issue is the human facial features that are heavily borrowed from “Luca” and “Turning Red.” My primary preference is to have humans in Pixar films look more realistic, compared to Pixar’s classic films. This animated piece also offers some fleeting moments of Pixar charm, but falls short of becoming a genuine contender to other Pixar classics. Another significant issue is the absence of Pixar actor John Ratzenberger, who voices a character in every Pixar film, despite his return in “Inside Out 2.” Nevertheless, each of the film’s voice actors has been well-cast in their roles, but Yonas Kibreab is the highlight of the story.
With 98 minutes of space-traveling and experiencing alien lifeforms, Pixar’s “Elio” is a fun, galactic adventure for both kids and Pixar fans. It delivers plenty of heartfelt and humorous moments, and it is one of those films that will surely resonate with both children and parents alike. It is shameful and disheartening that most original ideas have been lackluster. I genuinely hope word-of-mouth and publicity improvements will help it gain the recognition it deserves, as we need to focus on something new and original (and not sequels and remakes). Remember, animated original movies deserved better, and we need to fight harder to bring back more original, fresh new stories from filmmakers. Don’t forget, we got a new original Pixar film, “Hoppers,” and Pixar’s next sequel, “Toy Story 5,” coming up in 2026.
Now available on Digital, and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, and DVD September 9th
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