Elio review: A charming but familiar space adventure
Despite positive reviews, Elio suffered Pixar’s worst-ever opening weekend at the box office this weekend. This is a massive blow for the industry because it means Disney will take less chances on original stories and keep giving us more of the same. Why haven’t audiences got behind the film? It’s so lovely!
The animated intergalactic adventure follows an 11-year-old boy named Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) who lives with his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana) following the death of his parents. The lonely, space-obsessed boy feels like he doesn’t belong on Earth and longs for aliens to abduct him. His dream comes true one day and he is taken to the Communiverse and mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador.
When the Communiverse comes under threat from warlord Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), Elio offers to lead the negotiations and ends up befriending Grigon’s toothy eyeless child Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who doesn’t want to become a war machine.
Elio is an entertaining sci-fi caper with stunning visuals and cool ideas. It tells a story of loneliness, grief, acceptance and belonging, albeit in a colourful, shiny and funny package. Adults or more mature viewers will appreciate the deeper themes, while there’s plenty for kids to enjoy on the surface. Elio is a likeable lead and Glordon is a hilarious sidekick and they strike up an unlikely yet lovely friendship.
While it is an original idea, its themes and lessons feel overly familiar and the story beats don’t stray too far from the typical formula. It doesn’t feel as bold and out-there as some of Pixar’s other original ideas, although there are some great moments in here, like Elio’s clone and a montage that’s set to Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads.
Also, it spends too much time with Elio’s melancholic home life before taking us on the space adventure and withholds Glordon from us for too long – he is the best character with the funniest lines and the story instantly picks up with his arrival. Once we’re in the Communiverse, I would have liked more time to explore it and watch Elio and Glordon bond but instead it moves at a swift pace.
Elio isn’t one of Pixar’s best but it is still a delightful film that introduces us to the awesome Glordon! I really hope people rally around it and it becomes another slow word-of-mouth success like Elemental.
In cinemas now and on Disney+ from 17th September
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