Elio

Elio
Starring Tonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett
Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi & Adrian Molina

"Elio" has been a movie that's been in production for awhile, and I remember seeing a trailer for it a few years back. But the writer's strike, director changes and changes to Pixar as a whole kept the movie on the shelf until this summer, and pitting it against juggernauts like "Lilo & Stitch" and "How to Train Your Dragon" pretty much doomed the original IP from Pixar from the start - plus a lackluster advertising campaign. The result was something everyone expected: it was a box office flop, but a monumental one for Pixar - it was the company's lowest-grossing movie in its 30-year history. For all the times people clamor for original ideas, they tend to shy away from them in the end, and that's a shame when it comes to "Elio." While it doesn't offer anything new, its story of love, loss, acceptance, family and loneliness are as timeless as they come, and set against a colorful backdrop and even more colorful characters, this is one of Pixar's better original films.

Young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) has lost his parents and is living with his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), who's an Air Force major. Elio has no friends, he feels like his Aunt doesn't want him, and he fantasizes about being abducted by aliens and taken to a planet where he can be valued. When he learns of an alien message, he returns his own and is taken to the Communiverse, where the universe's alien lifeforms come together. While waiting membership, the council denies Lord Grigon's (Brad Garrett) membership, leading him to wage war against the group. Elio - having lied and saying he's the leader of Earth - volunteers to broker peace with Grigon in hopes of gaining membership and living on a planet where everyone loves him, but negotiations turn sour. Elio then meets Glordon (Remy Edgerly), Lord Grigon's peace-loving young son, and the two hit it off right away. Finding a friend for the first time, Elio must use Gordon to bring peace and hopefully give him a home that he feels he's missing on Earth.

"Elio" is one of those films that screams Pixar. From its lavish animation to its heartfelt messages and voice-over performances, everything about this movie is excellent. So what's going wrong with it that it's not garnering more butts in the seats? There's a few logical reasons that can't be ignored. One is the release itself: it came out a week after "How to Train Your Dragon" and two weeks after "Lilo & Stitch," so families have already had their fill of going to the cinema (it's not cheap going to the movies as a family anymore). One is the fact that it's a new intellectual property, and the last Pixar film that bombed was "Elemental" (another original IP) - no matter how much people say they want originality, when it comes time to opening their wallets, they go for what they already know instead of something new. Finally there's the streaming - "Elio" will be released on Disney+ soon enough, and for cash-strapped parents they'll wait til then to show it to their kids in the comfort and affordability of their own home. While I do think the movie itself is rather bland in its delivery, it's still one that should be seen on the big screen to appreciate the animation that went into it.

To call it bland isn't a fair assessment, as the movie had me laughing and even tearing up, due to the impeccable performances (especially youngins Yonas Kibreab and Remy Edgerly, who play Elio and Glordon, who's friendship is the heart of the movie). Elio is an outcast on Earth, feeling totally alone after the death of his parents, and wants desperately to leave the planet and find somewhere to belong. You feel the emotion through every word Elio says, and his mannerisms also exhibit a sense of emotional resonance. He falsely believes his Aunt doesn't care about him, and he's bullied by other kids around him. When he finally gets to leave the planet, he finds a community that loves and accepts him (even though he lied about who he really was), and will stop at nothing to stay there. Of course, as these stories go, we all know how it'll turn out, but seeing Elio's journey of self-discovery is still inspiring.

There's not a lot to be said about "Elio" in the long run, except it's gotten a bum rap due to the other family films that've come before. It offers the same tropes as other Pixar movies, and its performances are impeccable, but it's something we've seen done before. Still, it's a great film that should be seen and appreciated for what it offers.

The Score: A

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