PLOT: An eleven-year-old boy obsessed with aliens accidentally makes contact and is beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization consisting of different alien species from across the galaxy. Passing himself off as the ruler of Earth, he accidentally becomes embroiled in a conflict that could lead to an interplanetary war.
REVIEW: As has become increasingly common with Pixar movies lately, Elio has the feel of a film that’s been reworked endlessly. Originally set to be directed by Adrian Molina, who helmed Coco, he was replaced at some point by directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi (Turning Red), to the point that the finished film bears little resemblance to the well-received teaser trailer that came out two years ago, which featured an introspective, relatable, and sweet-natured lead character in the titular Elio, as voiced by Yonas Kibreab.
Instead, Elio, as presented in the film, is another off-the-wall, overly comic kid character, prone to bug-eyed reactions, as if they’re trying to turn him into another Riley from Inside Out—albeit without any of the pathos. In toning it down and retrofitting it into another generic sci-fi comedy, they’ve made another Lightyear: a good-looking, technically impeccable, but utterly hollow effort that lacks any of the magic that once came so naturally to the company. In trying to make it more “accessible,” they seem to have robbed it of its soul, and the result may prove to be a major setback for a studio that too often these days seems to have lost its spark.
One can understand why Pixar might be trying to play it safe following some underperformers, with Inside Out 2 being their first megahit in a while. But by trying to turn this into another Inside Out, they’ve diluted the brand. This was once a company that set trends rather than chased them.
It doesn’t help that, as a hero, Elio—who I suppose is meant to be a kind of comic cut-up—tends to come off as a brat. This is not a dig at Kibreab, who does a good job with the material he’s been given, at least in terms of voice acting, but the character lacks heart. The aspect of the movie that should have been its anchor—revolving around his relationship with his aunt, a military officer played by Zoe Saldaña—isn’t given enough screen time. She probably should have been included on his intergalactic adventure, with their quite relatable issues too easily dismissed in the final act.
The premise is pretty close to Lightyear, in that our hero must shed his own selfishness to save the galaxy from a crisis he’s caused. You’ll know where the movie is going as it hits each predictable beat. That said, the design of the Communiverse is sumptuous, and the movie features a lovely score by Rob Simonsen. The film also borrows liberally from other movies, particularly The Last Starfighter, with a lengthy section revolving around Elio’s Earthbound clone—who, naturally, everyone prefers to him.
The only aspect of the movie that ever grabbed me was the depiction of the villain, with Brad Garrett voicing Lord Grigon, an aggressive, worm-like alien whose species operates massive war machines. He gets a very nice grace note at the end involving his son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who befriends Elio. That early teaser, though, suggests a different arc where Grigon and Elio became friends instead—an arc that might have been more powerful.
Again, we’ll never know how the original concept for Elio might have worked out as a film. I can guess it would have been a quieter, more sensitive movie than the one we got. With so much money on the line, Pixar has retrofitted this into a big, bright comedy—but in a summer already dominated by family fare, this seems all but certain to perform poorly. One can’t help but think the studio should have just stuck to their guns and put out the original.
