Rating: 2.5/5
Synopsis:
Pixar’s latest outing follows Elio, a misunderstood child who recently lost his parents. He has a fixation on space and science fiction, hoping to get abducted by aliens to escape his unhappiness on earth. After his many attempts to reach outside life forms, he is finally abducted by a group of many different species. He then finds himself in the middle of an intergalactic conflict, where his newfound friends believe he is the leader of earth. Elio must navigate his predicament and get out of another conflict before his new friends find out he is not the leader of earth.
Positives:
The Pixar brand has been a staple of innovative animation for many years. “Elio” is no exception. It wonderfully brings a new world to life with a visual feast in animation. It combines the signature style of Pixar’s brand with an expansive new world. The new characters introduced make this universe feel fleshed out. I really enjoyed the different subspecies and world building. Kids will love the whimsical nature of the film and the journey Elio gets to experience. The voice acting is pretty good, featuring a handful of new child actors that gladly assume the roles of Elio and Glordon. The film touches upon themes of loneliness and being different. Elio is a character who is inquisitive to a fault, oftentimes getting into trouble and disrupting the norm. Glordon mirrors Elio’s isolation, dealing with his own issues due to the expectations of his father. These two form a nice bond that younger audiences will latch onto.
Negatives:
I’d say “Elio” ranks in the bottom segment of Pixar films. It just doesn’t feel like it takes enough time to establish Elio and his relationship with his aunt from the get go. The film feels frantic with its pacing at times, rushing through certain aspects while spending too much time on others. I don’t feel like Elio’s issues he’s dealing with are explored enough to connect with younger viewers. They are examined at a surface level just to get to his abduction by the aliens. There is a lot to unpack when experiencing grief and loneliness, especially as a young boy. I believe this is an area where many young kids struggle in the modern time and the story doesn’t give it enough time to establish. This is a huge disappointment because the emotional anchor of Pixar’s films is what holds the stories together. Because none of the deeper conflicts and feelings are developed enough, the tug at the heartstrings conclusion doesn’t resonate as well as it should. I see the template of where the filmmakers wanted to go but it just doesn’t get there. The humor is also lackluster. Many of the intended funny moments fell flat at my showing. Although the film isn’t terrible, it’s painfully mediocre.
Conclusion:
As much as I wanted to like “Elio”, I can’t say it is one of Pixar’s better efforts. It’s clear that the studio pivoted and essentially reshot the film. While the animation is stellar and the premise is on point, none of the greater ideas are explored enough. This leaves audiences at an arms length with the emotional core of the story, which is not the norm for a Pixar film. We are usually treated to a deeply personal story that gets audiences emotionally invested. This is probably better to check out for families once the film hits Disney+ because it doesn’t live up to the standard of Pixar’s better films.
