Directed by Madeline Sharafin, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina, Elio follows a kid named Elio (Yonas Kibreab) who is a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession, to the point he wishes to be abducted by them. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.
It’s been a while since we had an original Pixar film hit the big screen and this was a film that I had been eagerly awaiting to see for so long, and finally it arrived after numerous hurdles, from multiple delays to very little marketing. I got the chance to see it one day early before its opening day and I am pleased to say that the long wait for this film was absolutely worth it.
Elio is a fun and beautiful cosmic adventure about struggling with loneliness, longing to belong somewhere, self-discovery, and finding connection in the most unexpected places. It’s a film that represents the best of what the creative geniuses of Pixar can do when they are not being forced to work on sequels, and showcases how they can deliver a vibrant original story that teaches vital and valuable lessons to audiences of all ages. This film may lean a bit more towards a younger crowd and may not be on the same level of maturity as some previous Pixar films, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t able to deliver some powerful emotional impacts of its own to certain people who will find themselves highly relating to the characters and themes presented.
Leading the charge of this cosmic adventure is the titular Elio Solis, voiced wonderfully by Yonas Kibreab. Pixar creatives have a great talent of being able to deliver highly relatable lead characters in a majority of their projects and Elio as a character is no exception. He is a boy who is struggling with grief and loneliness due to a great loss he has endured, and has since then found himself to be isolated from everyone and everything on Earth, which results in him finding solace among the extraterrestrials in space in order to find a place where he feels like he belongs. This feeling of longing to belong somewhere is something that most people have always felt at some point in their lives, either as kids or adults, and the most beautiful lesson that this film teaches through the eyes of Elio is that it’s ok to be unique and different because you are never truly alone.
I grew up not having a lot friends, and with my obsession for many geeky things that I barely got to share with anyone I was incredibly lonely most of the time, as well as feeling like I never really belonged anywhere, just like Elio in this film. But also like Elio I eventually did find people and friendships in the most unexpected of places, realizing I wasn’t alone and that I didn’t have to drastically change things about myself in order to belong somewhere, because there’s always going to be someone out there that’s going to accept you for who you are. This is the kind of lesson that I feel is extremely important to teach kids and even adults, now more than ever, as I believe this is a significant struggle that a lot people are dealing with right now given the state of things. Elio is a character we can all find ourselves in and he is brought to life through Yonas Kibreab’s fantastic performance.
Zoe Saldaña delivers a strong supporting voice performance as Elio’s aunt, Olga Solis, who struggles to raise and connect with Elio due to his wildly imaginative nature and his unusual choices of how to deal with his grief. While she clearly has difficulty handling Elio there’s no doubt that she loves and cares for him, to the point that she has sacrificed so much in order to raise him, which is something I believe a lot parents or legal guardians will be able relate to when dealing with kids that have struggles like Elio. It may be a supporting role but it is a significant one to the story that is made even more emotionally impactful by Zoe Saldaña’s performance.
Then there are the aliens that come in all shapes and sizes that are given fun and unique voice performances by an array of talented cast members that match their uniquely designed characters. However, there are two notable standouts in this film: Glordon, a worm-like alien whom Elio befriends voiced by Remy Edgerly, and Lord Grigon, a bulky, worm-like alien warlord and ambassador who is Glordon’s father, voiced by Brad Garrett. Glordon is going to be guaranteed favorite character for everyone because he is quite possibly the most adorable animated little alien creature I have seen in a long time, delivering plenty amounts of heart and laughs the entire time he’s on screen. You’d never think that a big alien worm with sharp teeth and no eyes could win over your heart but that just goes to show the immense talent of Pixar creatives, how they can make the most bizarre-looking creatures and somehow make you love them.
Glordon is the kind of friend Elio has needed in his life and is also someone who can relate to him in terms of dealing with his own loneliness and being unique amongst his war-hungry species. Remy Edgerly does a phenomenal job bringing this bundle of joy to life and really making you feel the immense emotions, even from a character that has no eyes.
Brad Garrett brings immense presence, menace and fun as the film’s destructive villain who was extremely enjoyable to watch on screen, feeling like the first memorable Pixar villain we have had in years that reminded me of the classic villains we used to get in Pixar’s early days. But what made the character stand out to me was that, rather than being your typical alien overlord villain, they do give some depth and heart to this character throughout the film, making him just as compelling as the heroes. He may seem like a monster on the outside but there is a lot more to him on the inside that I found to be so unique and refreshing for a Pixar villain. And it goes without saying that Brad Garrett does a brilliant job voicing this character as one would expect from someone of his talents.
This film’s story may seem like a whimsical space adventure on the surface but like most Pixar films it has several layers of relatable themes presented through the colorful characters and world. This is a narrative that is full of heart and simple humor that is also packed full of emotions that hits you hard in various ways, to the point you will get teary eyed. While I would have loved to have seen further exploration of the Communiverse and the many alien species that inhabit it I am still satisfied with the story we were given due to how well written it is and how it effectively delivers its emotional moments that felt earned. The story may not be groundbreaking but it still has important lessons to teach audiences of all ages and it is coming from an original story rather than a sequel people didn’t want or a prequel people didn’t want.
While the animation style chosen for this film isn’t necessarily different from past projects like Turning Red or Luca, which adopt the CalArts approach for their human characters in 3D form, there are still plenty of stunningly beautiful and unique visuals that do make it stand out on its own. Every alien species has creative designs and the world they inhabit has colors and elements that leap off the screen, making you want to visit the wonderful world being displayed. The movement, the fluidity, and the texture of everything was clearly given so much detail and it all gets to be witnessed through stunning cinematography that gives audiences the chance to be absorbed into everything that is on screen before progressing through the story.
Everything in this film is visually perfect with one notable exception. There are a few minor instances where the film suddenly decides to go in jittery slow motion like in sport films where they do those weird slow-motion moments whenever major moments occur and it honestly has no place being in this film. It’s a strange gimmick that feels bizarre to have in an animated film and feels more suitable for something in live action, which makes me question if it was a mistake or an intentional choice given the fact it only happens twice in the entire film.
For a cosmic adventure like this you need cosmic music that fits and thankfully composer Rob Simonsen delivers the exact kind of score this film needs, enhancing the whimsical and epic sci-fi themes of it.
Overall, I was incredibly satisfied with Elio after such a long wait and I feel it was done extremely dirty by Disney’s extreme lack of marketing for it. Just like before it feels as if they have no desire to promote Pixar’s new original stories and instead give all of the effort towards Pixar sequels since they generate more buzz, which is completely unfair. The last several original films from Pixar deserved far more attention than they got because they are all fantastic and showcase that Pixar creatives are more than capable of still delivering impactful stories without relying on existing IPs. Elio deserves to be witnessed on the biggest screen possible so I highly encourage you to check it out. Also, be sure to stay at the very end of the credits as there is a fun little secret that is worth having a look at. I’m going to give Elio an A = 97.
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