Elio

The Plot: Young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) has been orphaned following the death of his parents. He now lives with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana) but can’t connect to her or even life on Earth. Elio has bigger plans and has set his sights on the final frontier. He becomes fascinated with whether there is intelligent life out there in the cosmos, sending a message to whatever is out there to abduct him. He gets his wish and is transported into space, where he encounters a collective group of diverse aliens who are working together to better the universe. Mistaking him for an Earth Ambassador, they believe in his fearless approach of dealing with the troublesome Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) who wants to join the club but may have to do so by force…

The Verdict: Whatever magic filmmaking formula they have over there in Emeryville, California, Pixar should bottle it and send it around to the other animation studios in the hope of sharing some of the wisdom they’ve mined over the nearly 30 years since Toy Story debuted. Nobody makes animated films quite like Pixar, which makes each one of their films something to be treasured. Yes, even the just-OK Cars films. They’ve had their fair share of wobbles over the years, but more recent times have found them on surer footing. Inside Out 2 is currently sitting pretty as the 9th highest grossing film of all time. Their follow-up is an equally dazzling burst of animated joy with Elio – a space adventure whose title character might just be named after E.T.’s Elliott, the boy who looked to the stars and found an unexpected, otherworldly friend.

The script by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones leans in to that childlike wonder about what is out there in the vastness of space, with references to the Voyager probes and several nods to Disney’s own The Black Hole and The Last Starfighter (Pixar animators have long been film nerds too). Elio is something of a space fanatic and finds himself in over his head as an Earth Ambassador among a group of friendly, co-operative aliens – one of whom bears a certain resemblance to Michael D. Higgins. There’s a boundless optimism to Elio, an enthusiastic kid who thinks and speaks in bubblegum speech bubbles but each line is loaded with meaning. Most kids would be freaked out to be abducted by aliens, but not this one.

There’s a lovely balance of tone in the way the script moves from Elio bonding with his newfound friends to the way he deals with growing up that bit faster in dealing with a potential intergalactic crisis. With three directors credited including Turning Red’s Domee Shi, it’s apparent that they’re working in unison to keep the story both space-bound and Earth-bound. The space adventure wouldn’t matter as much if Elio didn’t have something and someone to return to, so the directors keep the human element grounded in Elio’s initially reluctant but gradually growing relationship with his aunt Olga. Amidst all that there are frequent space escapades as Elio tries to deal with Lord Grigon by bonding with his son, who isn’t interested in being a warlord.

The animation is as eye-popping as usual, rendered in kid-friendly characters and environments but without the patronising messages that often come with animated family films. Family can mean whatever it needs to be here, rather than coming from a pre-set mould. Pixar films have the ability to crossover into older generations and fire the imaginations of younger ones. Elio is a film that feels like a cosy blanket, a comfort watch in our own increasingly fraught world. There’s a simple message of peace here that is both endearing and heartfelt. This extends to the end credits, where the filmmakers share that optimism with the usual ‘production babies’ section touchingly amended to ‘future Earth Ambassadors’. Elio is wholesome, out of this world family entertainment which also keeps one eye on our own world. Pixar have done it again, as they often do.

Rating: 4 / 5

Review by Gareth O’Connor