Elio

As with Mickey 17, the theatrical release of Pixar's latest film, Elio, was held up a year by the double strikes. However, the film also had its writer & director, Adrian Molina, suddenly depart the project, which got slightly revised by new directors Domee Shi & Madeline Sharafian. Molina has since been reassigned to Coco 2, which is supposed to come out in a few years. But let's look at the film we have now.

Ever since his parents died, Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) has felt alone in the universe. Sure, he now lives with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), an Air Force Major, but their relationship isn't that great. He spends his days trying to get himself abducted by aliens, whomever they are. One night, Olga's base is contacted by an unknown intelligence responding to the Voyager 1 space probe, and Elio sneaks in a reply. It takes a while, but the intelligence finally beams Elio up in the nick of time (more context later).

Elio is taken to the meet the Communiverse, a society representing every race in the universe, under the assumption that he is the leader of "uh, Earth." Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), the actual warlord of the insectoid Hylurgians, is rejected for membership at the same time. When Grigon threatens war, Elio decides to bluff his way to get the big bully to leave everyone alone. It gets a bit easier when Elio makes friends with Grigon's son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who doesn't want to be an intergalactic conqueror. Elio's bluffing makes things worse, but they eventually get better. 

Julia Cho, who co-wrote the screen story with the directors, wrote the actual screenplay with Mike Jones & Mark Hammer. It's not that narratively complex a story, but its heart is in the right place. Early on, Elio accidentally antagonizes two older boys, Bryce & Caleb (Dylan Gilmer & Jake Getman), who later attempt revenge just as the Communiverse shows up. At the climax, Elio contacts Bryce by ham radio, and they both apologize for their animosity. It's so much greater than letting one side take all the blame, that's for sure. Not only that, but Grigon later reveals that he is not as villainous as he seems. If there's a message besides "you're not alone in the universe," it's that "you can easily befriend your enemies." Who would hate a message like that?

The audacious sense of humor that made Turning Red fun is also present here. Elio's enthusiastically calling out to the stars is both concerning and goofy, especially when they finally respond. There's some good humor as Elio realizes he's in way over his head over the Grigon issue. On Earth, Elio is tagged in for a clone, "Other Elio," who's quite chipper and prone to body horror. It's quite silly, rather than grotesque, when Other Elio emerges from the cloning machine as a misshapen mess before he finally normalizes. It's no big deal for Other Elio has he gets injured or even destabilize in the climax. Still, it's amusingly charming when normal Elio thanks his clone for his service at the end. I think you might too.

Needless to say, I find Elio a likable and sympathetic character. We can easily understand his loneliness in the opening, where he loses himself at a Voyager 1 exhibit. Him accidentally antagonizing Bryce & Caleb is pretty understandable given it was out of nervousness. Glordon, meanwhile, is simply the cuddliest space-bug you will ever see. The friendship between the two kids is enjoyable, and it's hard to feel nothing when Glordon nearly dies of hypothermia in the climax. Olga, who was initially conceived as Elio's mom (America Ferrera), is also quite sympathetic as she struggles with her new responsibility. It doesn't dwell too much on Elio's parents, not even explaining how they died, which results in a few missed opportunities. What we see of Elio and Olga's relationship is mostly good, but it gets great near the end. I think I already said enough about Grigon, so let's move on.

There's so much to love about its depiction of space. One can easily lose themselves among the stars, near Jupiter and Mars, at the aforementioned Voyager 1 exhibit. The Communiverse headquarters, spaceships and even their gadgets, are luminescent wonders. The other ambassadors are a fascinatingly eclectic bunch of creatures, even if the only discernable names among them are Ambassadors Helix & Questa (Brandon Moon & Jameela Jamil). OOOOO (Shirley Henderson), Elio's shapeshifting supercomputer, has no trouble standing out in this cast. Meanwhile, the Hylurgian spaceships and mechanized & weaponized carapaces are imposing, but they're no less fascinating. All of the splendor, melancholy and excitement of it all is accentuated wonderfully by Rob Simonsen's score.

So, what do I think of Elio now that it's finally on Earth? I think it's one of Pixar's most enjoyable films of recent years, right up there with - no surprise - Turning Red! You'll barely sees signs of its production issues as you gaze upon the screen for its 99 minutes. Any narrative blind spots are made up with its overall charm and sincerity. Give this film a chance and you'll be in for a stellar matinee, or beyond.

Onward to the next review.