The Media Man Reviews: Elio

It's that time of year again, another new Pixar movie to review!

As a die-hard Pixar fan, even I can't help but acknowledge that the studio seems to have been struggling a bit since the pandemic happened. Their films haven't been quite the mega-hits they used to be unless they're sequels to their previous films and people feel less positively towards Pixar nowadays since their films are no longer masterpieces. I just roll my eyes at those people and say "You really thought they were going to make masterpieces forever and ever? Not everyone can make a masterpiece all the time." And anyway, who cares? A good Pixar movie is still GOOD you know, not every Pixar movie needs to be a masterpiece!

With the exception of Lightyear, which I genuinely do believe to be Pixar's worst movie they've ever made (and even then I still hesitate to call it "bad", just weak), this studio has the best track record in animation history when it comes to their movies. Every movie they make is either an absolute legend of filmmaking or an enjoyable, heartfelt watch that makes you feel good when you watch it. I wish people would stop having such high standards and always expecting Pixar to make a masterpiece, it's not healthy or realistic.

As is, most of their original movies are seen as forgettable compared to their usual movies while their sequels tend to be pretty divisive. All this is probably why people have been very unsure when it comes to their new movie this year, Elio. People either seem to be looking forward to it or they're already prepared to hate it without even giving it a chance because...the animation style looks more cartoonish or something? I don't get people on the internet sometimes...

I on the other hand, a REAL Pixar fan who can accept Pixar movies for being either excellent or good, have been keen to see this. I'm always keen to see what a new Pixar movie will bring, especially if it's an original movie. The behind-the-scenes stuff regarding the movie being delayed and even rewritten especially had me curious how it was going to turn out.

So without further ado, let's dive in and find out if this is another Pixar classic or if it's a movie that deserves to be abducted by aliens...

Section 1: The Story

Elio is the story of the titular young boy who has one big goal in life: to be abducted by aliens. Yes really. He soon gets his wish one day when at camp and it looks as if things will go his way at last. But his wish takes a dark turn when the Communiverse is threatened by a bloodthirsty warlord named Grigon. Acting as ambassador for Earth, Elio has to find a way to stop Grigon and bring peace to the alien worlds...

When watching the movie, I got SERIOUS Lilo & Stitch vibes from the story. No joke, it's staggering how similar this movie is to the 2002 Disney classic! Both films featuring a troubled kid who's acting out because of the death of their parents and have unusual and quirky interests, both films also feature a struggling guardian figure who tries to take care of said troubled kid, both films have deal with heavy subject matter such as loneliness, loss and broken families and both films also feature a bond between the kid and an alien. I'd even say this movie is Lilo & Stitch: The Pixar Version in that regard. And yet the movie doesn't feel like a rip-off or a straight-up copy. First of all, it flips the script around and instead of the alien coming to Earth, the human comes to the aliens instead and the story of Elio also has more of its own ideas to make the story its own. So as similar as it is, it's thankfully not similar to the point of feeling copy-paste.

One of my favourite aspects of the story is the rather amusing twist on the formula in how we actually have someone who WANTS to be abducted by aliens. Seriously, that's such a funny idea and I love how this movie went in that direction. It makes for a much more creative story than what was originally shown in the very first trailer before Elio got delayed and rewritten. And yet as is expected from a Pixar movie, they take an amusing sounding idea and execute it in a way that's pretty sad and tragic in context. Making it so the reason Elio wants to be abducted is because he doesn't feel like he fits in on Earth, nor is wanted by his aunt, played to the movie's strengths for me and added more to the film's emotional core. They could've executed the whole thing like some wacky comedy, but instead they took it seriously and made what sounded like a funny concept really emotional in execution. Kinda like Lilo & Stitch as well now I think about it as that movie had a funny sounding concept but the execution was surprisingly emotional.

I especially love how the movie displays so clearly how much Elio is effected by the deaths of his parents. The movie literally opens with him and his aunt at a restaurant together and she's trying to get him to eat, but he's just sat under the table looking sullen! Talk about a punch in the feels right from the word "go"! I can also say that I felt Elio's pain in this movie. Having lost my dad back in September of 2024, I still feel that loss even now, so I could really relate to Elio. Also the fact that Elio feels like an outsider and like he doesn't belong on Earth was something I could relate to as well, and I'm sure others will too. The fact he feels like no one wants him or that he feels he doesn't belong I imagine will resonate with marginalized groups like the autism community or the LGBTQ+ community for example. The point is that this is a movie where I know many, MANY people will relate to or see themselves in.

Also, as is expected from a Pixar movie, we have some creative world-building that lets the animators go nuts and show off some cool designs and what they can do with the visuals. While some Pixar movies like The Good Dinosaur and Onward felt a bit surface level with their world-building, this movie feels just right as we see a glimpse of the alien world, but not too much so the galaxy beyond can still feel mysterious. What we see is enough with the whole Communiverse and all the different alien species together and how the Communiverse world operates. It was especially fun to see how they'd use the tech we see in the movie for the purpose of the story.

And as is tradition for a Pixar movie, the emotional core is naturally the strongest aspect of the film. This is a VERY heartfelt movie and it really does hit you right in the feels throughout due to the relatable struggle of the main character and the strong themes of broken families and coping with loss. The way the film delivers its message about loss is especially poignant in how Elio learns that just abandoning his home planet and leaving behind those whom he thought didn't care for him isn't a healthy way to handle said loss and that he has to learn to appreciate what he has while he still has it. Speaking again as someone who's still feeling the pain of my dad's loss, I've pretty much learnt not to take what I have in life for granted while I still have it. Also seeing Elio and Glordon bond over their shared struggles really added to the film's heartfelt tone. It's that great Pixar heart that makes their movies so sweet to watch and I'm always happy to see that they've still got it.

So yeah, Elio sounds like another Pixar masterpiece, right? I would like to say that, but it is held back a bit by some slight problems.

The main problem Elio has is that the story, as heartfelt and sweet as it is, is a little predictable in places. It more or less plays out how you'd expect it to play out with very little surprises, so those who were expecting a more creative plot with more unexpected twists might be a little disappointed. We even have a "liar revealed" plot, though they thankfully don't dwell on it too much so it doesn't feel as annoying as other examples we've had in films before.

Also, I feel the climax was a little anti-climactic and that Grigon basically stops being a bad guy when he sees his son is on death's door. I feel if the movie wanted Grigon to be a more sympathetic character, then they shouldn't have gone so heavy with him being a bloodthirsty warmonger and should've shown more of his loving dad side. I dunno, I just feel like that conclusion wasn't really earned and the story should've committed more to Grigon being a villain or being a loving dad instead of trying to do both.

And finally, I feel the comedy was a little weak compared to what we usually get from Pixar. I'm not saying this movie isn't funny at all, just that it wasn't really laugh-out-loud funny and that they could've had some better jokes here and there. Still, not the worst comedy I've seen in an animated film, but could've been better.

As is, I have no real major complaints with Elio. This won't be the next Pixar masterpiece you're looking for, but it is still very much what we expect from an enjoyable, heartfelt and fun Pixar film and that's enough for me to say it's another win from the studio for me...

Section 2: The Characters

Pixar have a legacy of memorable, enjoyable and relatable characters, and this movie continues that trend.

Let's start with the titular kid himself, Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab). Elio is troubled by the loss of his parents and it's caused him to feel...for lack of a better term, alien to the world around him. He feels unwanted and unloved, so he wants to be abducted by aliens as he feels he would be better appreciated up there with them. He should just count his blessings he didn't encounter evil aliens like the Daleks or something! Elio soon learns to be careful what he wished for as he finds himself having to negotiate with a vicious warlord and having to pretend he's the ambassador of Earth. After befriending Glordon and learning what it's like from the other side when he hears about his own struggles, he soon comes to appreciate what he has and that he really is valued on Earth after all. I found Elio's struggles to be relatable and so very human, which to me was enough to make him a great protagonist.

I also quite liked his Aunt Olga Solia (voiced by Zoe Saldaña). Not only was it so refreshing to see a new twist on the usual formula by having it be a struggling kid with their aunt instead of their sibling or parent for a change, but Olga was an extremely sympathetic and relatable character too. I'm sure many have been through what she has in their lives whether it's dealing with a struggling child or being overworked and struggling to make the time for them. Olga just wants to help Elio and be part of his life, but Elio doesn't see her as family because he's too hurt over the loss of his mum and dad, which puts a strain on their relationship. It was especially a neat detail how Elio feels unwanted because he feels Olga resents him for preventing her from achieving her goal of becoming an astronaut, but Olga has no such resentment and really does care for Elio after all. It was so nice to see such a rarely explored dynamic in this movie and really sweet to see these two bond and grow closer by the end.

And then there's Elio's alien friend, Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). Glordon is really adorable both in looks and personality. He's playful and gentle by nature, but also troubled by the fact his dad wants him to be a war machine against his wishes and he just wants to play and have fun all the time. He served as a great parallel to Elio's struggles as he too feels unwanted and unloved and would rather be something else than what he is now. It also helps that his cute, innocent nature leads to some of the film's funnier gags for me, especially "Hey dad, I'm a bargaining chip!" Please don't tell me I'm the only one who found that funny! XD

And then there's the villain of the film, Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett). Grigon had a great first impression with a menacing design, a war-hungry attitude and just how imposing he is. His very presence sends shivers down everyone's spine and a single threat from him is enough for the Communiverse to basically yell "Screw it, we're out of here!" But then the climax happens and it kinda ruins what could've been a fun, menacing villain by having him stop being evil just so he can save his son's life and tell him he loves him. As I say, that just felt so unearned to me and like Pixar couldn't properly decide if he was meant to be a menacing villain or a loving father character. They tried to do both and it just didn't work. Either he should've been completely evil or they should've toned his villainy down a bit so the climax wouldn't have felt like such a cop-out.

The rest, there's not much to talk about with them so I won't really cover them.

Elio, Olga and Glordon carry this movie and are great Pixar characters while Grigon had potential to be a great villain and it was just sullied by the climax. Still, at least the protagonists were well-done and for a movie like this, it's all you need to make the story work...

Section 3: The Animation

Time for the boring part again: talking about how the animation is amazing for the billionth time. I don't know why I bother with Pixar movies when talking about the animation cause all I'm doing is saying the same thing over and over.

I'm not even sure what I can say here other than "the animation is absolutely gorgeous". It's Pixar, we kinda expect the animation to look gorgeous by this point, and the fact the animation of their films has gotten so beautiful that they nearly look like they're made with cartoon characters in a realistic environment is a testament of how far they've come. It especially astounds me how good space looks in this movie. You thought they already made it look great in WALL.E? They made it look even better here thanks to more realistic looking lighting, effects and textures.

So yeah, the movie looks incredible, that's kinda what we expect from Pixar at this point. But while they never fail to make their movies look good, one thing they always astound me with is how they still have creative ways of bringing their films to life. Just when you think you've seen it all with Pixar, they still find ways of bringing their concepts to life with the kind of fun, creative and eye-catching visuals you can't get from any other animation studio. The Communiverse is the best example of this as they really went all out with how, well, alien the world looks compared to what we see on Earth. It has a very sci-fi, futuristic look to it and the technology the characters use and the overall architecture helps sell the fact this is an alien world and we're truly in a world beyond our own. One of my favourite features is how the characters have these little disc things that can help translate their speech to one another, lower or raiser their body temperature and also adjust the gravity to their liking. That was a fun idea and also rather cleverly played a part in the movie's climax when Glordon ends up on Earth and his disc breaks so he ends up feeling too cold, which gives our heroes a ticking clock that helped to make the climax feel more intense as it's now a race against time to save Glordon from freezing to death. A sign of solid world-building is when the things you establish in your world play a part in the story in a big way, and Elio is no exception to this rule.

And now we have the character designs and the character animation. I've seen (very) whiny people online criticize the character designs because they have those "bean mouths" and how they hate that this art-style keeps popping up everywhere in animation lately. I don't take that kind of criticism seriously because that's not a proper critique against the animation, that's just people getting irritated over nothing and finding even the tiniest excuse to criticize something. While I'm not the biggest fan of this art-style either, I don't have a problem with it, especially since it gives Elio more of its own identity and helps it stand out from the other Pixar films. Let's be honest people, Pixar films nearly all look the same because of how most of them tend to have that same art-style, so it's nice we have Pixar movies that are willing to experiment with new art-styles and show they can do more than their usual. The human characters have a more cartoon-y design than what we usually get from Pixar with more exaggerated proportions (namely the heads) and cartoon-y facial expressions, but they still look well-made and give the characters a charming, innocent look that can appeal to kids. I will say there were times where I thought Olga looked a bit weird, especially from the side, but overall I didn't have a problem with the designs of the humans here.

However, we can all agree the film REALLY shines when it comes to the alien designs. That's where we get most of the film's creative potential and where the most interesting visuals come from. The aliens too have a mostly cartoonish design that makes them look rather cute and kid-friendly and honestly wouldn't have looked too out of place in a show like Gravity Falls or The Owl House, and they even take cues from animals for their designs too. You have one alien with a clear aquatic theme going on by looking like some kind of manta ray, you have the Hylurgians where outside of their armour they actually look like alien caterpillar creatures and then there are aliens that resemble bugs or other creatures. There's one alien that kinda resembles an Easter Island Head too. Of all the alien designs in the movie, the Hylurgians are my favourite with their carapace suits of armour making them looking very threatening and imposing, especially Lord Grigon, and the armour even serves as a neat visual metaphor for the Hylurgians as underneath that tough exterior, they do have a softer side to them. I also love how they made Glordon so expressive despite having no eyes and there's a scene where he cries, but because he has no eyes the tears come out of his mouth instead. As sad as it was seeing him cry, it was also kinda funny to see that his species cries like that.

The film also does well when it comes to the action scenes, especially the climax when Elio and Olga have to navigate through a debris field to get back to the Communiverse and save Glordon. They really made that climax feel intense and like the characters could die if they make so much as one tiny mistake during their flight. There was even one moment where everything just goes quiet for a minute! It's surprisingly effective when it happens, let me tell you.

Overall, the animation is what we expect from Pixar, but they still manage to surprise us all with how creative they can get with the visuals and the fun alien designs gave us a lot of cool things to look at at least. I agree Pixar haven't been at their best since their glory days, but I think we can all agree that their animation has never looked better...

Overall

Elio is another enjoyable film in Pixar's legendary library of films. While not a masterpiece by any means, it's still a great movie in its own right thanks to its heartfelt story, tragic and funny twist on the alien abduction narrative, creative world-building, well-written protagonists, gorgeous animation and a lot of heart. It is held back by the story being a little predictable and the confusing way the villain was handled, but I still think it's a wonderful film worth seeing. If you especially want Pixar to stop making sequels and to make more original movies, then go see Elio and help make it a success! They'll make more original movies if you pay to go watch them! Do the maths! =P Elio was a really sweet watch and I'll happily let these aliens abduct me if it means getting to watch it again...

And that's it for my Elio review. I hope you enjoyed it and I invite you all to share your comments down below. Did you like the movie too? Do let me know.

Next week, I have another Patreon request as I'll be talking about 10 of my most disliked characters in media. Well this should be fun... See you then media fans!