Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Writers: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones
Cast: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Brendan Hunt, Shirley Henderson

Pixar (in collaboration with Disney) has had some trouble with their films in the past few years, with many of their films taking less (in some cases a hell of a lot less) money than they should have for the budget they were made with. The negative trend goes back to 2020, so it’s possible that Covid had a huge part in that, but some of the studio’s films have also not been all that well received. This seems to have changed with their last two films, Elemental and Inside Out 2, both of which performed well (extremely well for Inside Out 2), but let’s not encourage Pixar to get too comfortable now. With the release of Elio, are Pixar on track to continue this new upward trend, or are they falling back into old/recent ways?

Eleven-year-old Elio (Kibreab) is an orphan living with his aunt Olga (Saldaña) who works on a military base. After seeing an exhibit about the Voyager space probe and due to always feeling alone in the world, he wishes to be abducted by aliens. It’s not long before Elio’s wish comes true, and he soon finds himself at the Communiverse, a place where aliens from thousands of worlds come together to share their knowledge. After taking Elio for the leader of Earth, the aliens of the Communiverse send him to negotiate with an aggressive alien named Grigon (Garrett), but instead Elio encounters Grigon’s son Glordon (Edgerly), and together they embark on a mission of peace and happiness for all, especially Glordon.

If there’s something that Pixar and Disney have both often managed to do very well (on average), it’s speaking from the heart. Many of the writers have created enduring characters that we can relate to at just about any age, and the stories are usually packed with emotion and plenty of humour with some darkness for balance. Elio is no different. Putting the poor kid into an orphan situation gave Elio and his story plenty of depth, and it is complimented by the idea of humankind feeling alone in the vast universe and constantly on the lookout for signs that we’re not alone. As a character, Elio is very endearing, and his reactions to many things are easily understandable, if not ethical. His aunt is also very human in character, as are the aliens in nature, ironically, that Elio encounters, a correlation that brings the entire plot together. Glordon, while seeming like a stock character of sorts, is also written very well, with great humour and general cuteness that is often hard to pull off with a secondary character.

Visually, there is some gorgeous art design that is very eye-catching, particularly for children. The Communiverse is reminiscent of the Land of the Dead in Coco, another of Pixar’s hits that deals with a child and his emotions, and some of the character animations are very detailed, encouraging audiences to emotionally connect with them. While some of the designs of the spaceships and such don’t look too original, they do the job well enough to convey the size of the world Elio is entering and just how different it is from all he knows on Earth. There are some simple ideas that work very effectively within the story too, and blending that with the superb animation creates a world that both children and adults can fall into, another aspect of filmmaking that Pixar and Disney are very adept at.

Both Elio and Glordon probably wouldn’t be the charming characters that they are without the talent of their voice actors. Kibreab brings Elio alive, the nuance of his voice accurately portraying exactly what Elio is going through, while Edgerly makes Glordon utterly loveable. Both also have a gift for comedy, with both characters eliciting giggles from children and adults alike. Saldaña brings a complexity to the voice of Elio’s aunt Olga, something that is important considering her role in Elio’s life, and Garrett is his usual epic self in the role of the imposing Grigon.

It appears that Pixar will continue on the positive trend of hits with Elio. The story is solid, the characters relatable and engaging, and the visuals immersive. While it may not have the originality of the likes of Inside Out and Elemental, it is still grounded in familiar themes of the need for connection and honesty between people. It has a lot to offer children in both entertainment and themes, but also has plenty to keep adults captivated and feel like we can relate in many ways.