When the first trailer for Elio came out, my eight-year-old daughter immediately declared that we had to see it. So, we planned a daddy-daughter date. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and played a few rounds of electronic Battleship at the restaurant (she beat me, of course). But the real highlight was the movie because she absolutely loved it.
Elio, directed by Adrian Molina, Domee Shi, and Madeline Sharafian, three Pixar veterans known for work on Coco, Turning Red, and Burrow, tells the story of a lonely little boy, Elio (Yonas Kibreab), who, like many classic Disney characters of the past, has lost his parents. We’re never told exactly what happened to them (maybe that’s being saved for the sequel?), but he now lives with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña). Things between them are a bit rocky, and Elio’s attempts to make friends only end in him getting bullied. He dreams of leaving town, or heck, the whole planet, to find people who will accept him for who he is.
One night, after tagging along with his aunt to her job at a military facility, Elio overhears talk of alien contact. He manages to send out a message to the cosmos… and somehow, the aliens hear him. Believing he’s Earth’s leader, they beam him up to their planet. And honestly, he can’t be any worse than the leaders (and one in particular) we’ve got now.
The aliens, who are in all shapes, sizes, and colors, inform Elio that he’s been chosen to negotiate with the dreaded Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett). Not wanting to admit the truth, that he’s just a kid who faked the whole thing, he accepts and as expected, things quickly go downhill. Luckily, he meets a new friend, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), and the two come up with a plan to turn the situation around… which also doesn’t quite go smoothly.
The first act is fast, funny, and full of heart. Elio is bursting with energy, and you really get a sense of how smart and resourceful he is as he desperately tries to make contact with the aliens. Once he gets to the alien world, though, the pace slows. There’s a lot of exposition, and I found myself wondering if my daughter was starting to lose interest because I kind of was. But every time I looked over at her, she was locked in, eyes wide and totally engaged. Pixar magic, man.
Things pick up again when Elio is forced to face Lord Grigon and take responsibility of the lie that got him there in the first place. The ending is really sweet and you can’t knock the message of friendship, accountability, and never giving up when the chips are down.
The voice cast is excellent, especially Kibreab’s note-perfect turn as Elio. The film, by writers Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones, may be a little talky in parts, but its heart is in the right place.
But hey, what do I know? Here’s what my daughter has to say about it.
Ella, 8 years old: It was really good! Elio was funny and I loved Glordon. I liked the part where Elio was helping save him. Can I get a Glordon stuffie?
