ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Some of you might remember a column I wrote earlier this year listing some animated media I thought was underrated and/or underappreciated, and thanks to Disney+, I believe I might have found a late addition to that list with Pixar’s “Elio.”
The movie follows 11-year-old Elio Solís, who is mistaken for the leader of Earth after being beamed up to the Communiverse by aliens for making contact, and must navigate a crisis that involves the warlord father of a new alien friend. I’d heard stories throughout the summer of its unfortunate underperformance at the box office (and, of course, rampant speculation as to why that happened), and after watching the movie on Disney+, I honestly can’t believe more people didn’t go see it in the theaters.
To start, the voiceover work is absolutely outstanding. Yonas Kibreab does a wonderful job in the lead role, perfectly portraying Elio’s hurt, sadness and loneliness after losing his parents and going to live with his aunt – and there are a few times when those emotions all come out within the same scene. This is obviously a child’s role, but Kibreab brings such a mature take to everything and sounds like he’s been doing voice acting for years, even though I believe this is his debut film role. Another standout for me was Zoë Saldaña as Elio’s aunt Olga, who really captures that feeling of being overwhelmed after being rather thrust into a parental role – in some ways, I was reminded of Gemma from “M3GAN,” and I really liked how Olga’s feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed in her new role are actually portrayed pretty realistically in terms of her wanting to do her best but having little clue of how to deal with kids. I also thought Remy Edgerly was hilarious as Elio’s alien friend, Glordon, and I loved the banter between him and Elio as the movie went on because it resembled how children that age actually talk to each other. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see a bunch of Glordon plushies or similar toys at some point in the future. Overall, the voiceover work from everyone in the cast is fantastic.
The animation throughout the movie is also wonderfully done. Everything is absolutely gorgeous and bright and vibrant, especially with the Communiverse. I also loved the different alien character designs, which were probably very fun to develop. I read the creative team actually researched microscopic plants and animals to capture the characters’ movements and overall vibe, and that extra research and effort really paid off. The team definitely did not skimp on the lighting design for this project, and everything just looks absolutely amazing in that respect. If I had one complaint about the animation – and this might sound somewhat odd – I wish the team could have gone in a slightly different direction because while everything is well done, “Elio” could literally be interchanged with almost any other Pixar movie as far as overall aesthetic and design. I’ve heard there are some projects in the pipeline, and I hope Pixar does some experimenting in terms of animation. Overall, however, the animation team did a great job.
The story and screenplay for “Elio” are also well done, and there are definitely some deeper themes to explore. On the surface, “Elio” is a fun story about a boy being abducted by aliens and having an adventure, but there’s definitely an underlying sadness throughout I couldn’t help but notice – for example, why does Elio feel THAT desperate and lonely that he’s begging to leave Earth? I know grief is an odd thing, but I couldn’t help but wonder why no adults in the movie were wondering that. Glordon also has a scene later in the movie where he tearfully confesses how he doesn’t want to be like his warlord dad, and I’m not ashamed to admit a couple tears sprang to my eyes. Nearly everyone in the movie is either sad or overwhelmed or anxious about something, and that undercurrent was pretty hard for me to miss as the movie went on. On the other hand, however, it’s good Pixar isn’t necessarily afraid to explore these types of more mature themes in a way younger viewers can understand – “Inside Out 2” is a PRIME example of that.
I mentioned earlier how “Elio” massively underperformed at the box office, and I would definitely blame Disney and Pixar for that. I vaguely remember seeing one trailer for “Elio” before another movie I went to last year, and then hearing and seeing absolutely nothing else besides that in terms of marketing materials. The movie was also released alongside the “How To Train Your Dragon” and “Lilo & Stitch” remakes, so it was up against some stiff competition in terms of younger moviegoers. I have a feeling “Elio” will end up like “Elemental” in terms of becoming a sleeper hit and finding its audience through Disney+. It’s a shame the overall marketing and logistical details weren’t worked out better, it’s almost like the powers that be WANTED the movie to fail.
Overall, “Elio” was a very fun watch and I would give it an “A-minus” grade. The voiceover work from everyone in the cast is fantastic, especially from young leading man Yonas Kibreab, who I have a feeling will have a bright future. The animation is also stunning throughout the movie both on Earth and the Communiverse, and there was definitely time and care put toward making everything look as good as possible. The story and screenplay are also very well done, and there were multiple times when a few tears sprang to my eyes. The film overall deserved to do WAY better at the box office, and I hope Pixar does better marketing/advertising for its upcoming projects. If you’re a Pixar fan, “Elio” is definitely one to cue up.
