by Josh Sewell
With one major exception, Pixar has been in a slump since the Covid pandemic cratered the movie industry for several years. The studio’s Onward hit theaters in March 2020, just days before lockdown shuttered businesses nationwide.
In the weeks and months to come, as Americans became intimately familiar with phrases like “flatten the curve,” “stop the spread” and “social distancing,” the industry switched to a PVOD model. In this new frontier, families could rent new releases at home for $20-$30 (pricey, but still cheaper than multiple tickets) until theaters could reopen.
However, in a desperate attempt to salvage their upcoming slate and promote their new streaming service, Disney (the corporation, not the studio) made the ill-advised decision to send Pixar’s next three films straight to Disney+. Over the next two years, fans grew accustomed to seeing terrific works like Soul, Luca and Turning Red from the comfort of their homes instead of going through the effort to experience them on the big screen.
As such, Pixar’s next two theatrical efforts, the bland but adequate Lightyear and Elemental, dramatically underperformed. Last year’s Inside Out 2 helped sooth some of that disappointment by grossing $1.7 billion worldwide, but it was yet another sequel from a studio once known for their beloved original stories.
I don’t know if the sci-fi family adventure Elio, which hits theaters this weekend, helps with Pixar’s ongoing course-correction much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie and assume it will be an entertaining watch for viewers of all ages. However, this one seems geared more toward young children than the studio’s typical fare.
The creative team (including directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, as well as screenwriters Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones) are content to recycle standard Pixar plot points and themes rather than take risks with innovative ideas. Elio is a solid double from a studio that earned its reputation by swinging for the fences.
The film’s titular character (Yonas Kibreab) is a space-obsessed kid who longs to meet aliens and explore the universe. Part of that stems from a sense of loneliness. He recently lost his parents – this is a Disney flick, after all – and lives with his workaholic aunt (Zoe Saldaña). He’s also socially awkward, so he has a tough time making friends.
It seems like Elio’s dream has come true when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an organization with members from galaxies all over, but then he realizes they’ve mistaken him for the leader of Earth. Before he can explain, the war-hungry Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) shows up with plans of domination and destruction. Now the young kid is tasked with saving the universe, and he’s figured out who can help him pull it off: Lord Grigon’s sweet, peace-loving son Glordon (Remy Edgerly).
Elio is essentially E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in reverse, borrowing more than a few major plot points from Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece and putting a modern spin on them. In fact, the film is a love letter to the entire sci-fi genre. There are cute winks to classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Alien and even John Carpenter’s horrifying The Thing, if you can believe it.
Though the story is basic, Pixar remains an industry innovator when it comes to visuals – every frame of Elio is gorgeous. The human protagonists look like standard Disney characters, but they’re constantly interacting with stunning environments. Even before Elio takes off on his space adventure, he explores jaw-dropping earthly locations like museum exhibits, beaches and forests.
Once the intergalactic narrative threads kick into gear, the animators show off even more. Spaceships and otherworldly creatures look incredible, while characters who seem monstrous and terrifying at first gradually become beautiful thanks to the attention and care that the creative team put into each aspect of their designs.
Again, Elio doesn’t represent a bold new era for Pixar. But in a season where live-action retreads like Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon are what counts as successful family entertainment, I’m fine with a quality animated film attempting to tell a new – albeit derivative – story. It’s definitely worth checking out on the big screen.
In the weeks and months to come, as Americans became intimately familiar with phrases like “flatten the curve,” “stop the spread” and “social distancing,” the industry switched to a PVOD model. In this new frontier, families could rent new releases at home for $20-$30 (pricey, but still cheaper than multiple tickets) until theaters could reopen.
However, in a desperate attempt to salvage their upcoming slate and promote their new streaming service, Disney (the corporation, not the studio) made the ill-advised decision to send Pixar’s next three films straight to Disney+. Over the next two years, fans grew accustomed to seeing terrific works like Soul, Luca and Turning Red from the comfort of their homes instead of going through the effort to experience them on the big screen.
As such, Pixar’s next two theatrical efforts, the bland but adequate Lightyear and Elemental, dramatically underperformed. Last year’s Inside Out 2 helped sooth some of that disappointment by grossing $1.7 billion worldwide, but it was yet another sequel from a studio once known for their beloved original stories.
I don’t know if the sci-fi family adventure Elio, which hits theaters this weekend, helps with Pixar’s ongoing course-correction much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie and assume it will be an entertaining watch for viewers of all ages. However, this one seems geared more toward young children than the studio’s typical fare.
The creative team (including directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, as well as screenwriters Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones) are content to recycle standard Pixar plot points and themes rather than take risks with innovative ideas. Elio is a solid double from a studio that earned its reputation by swinging for the fences.
The film’s titular character (Yonas Kibreab) is a space-obsessed kid who longs to meet aliens and explore the universe. Part of that stems from a sense of loneliness. He recently lost his parents – this is a Disney flick, after all – and lives with his workaholic aunt (Zoe Saldaña). He’s also socially awkward, so he has a tough time making friends.
It seems like Elio’s dream has come true when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an organization with members from galaxies all over, but then he realizes they’ve mistaken him for the leader of Earth. Before he can explain, the war-hungry Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) shows up with plans of domination and destruction. Now the young kid is tasked with saving the universe, and he’s figured out who can help him pull it off: Lord Grigon’s sweet, peace-loving son Glordon (Remy Edgerly).
Elio is essentially E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in reverse, borrowing more than a few major plot points from Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece and putting a modern spin on them. In fact, the film is a love letter to the entire sci-fi genre. There are cute winks to classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Alien and even John Carpenter’s horrifying The Thing, if you can believe it.
Though the story is basic, Pixar remains an industry innovator when it comes to visuals – every frame of Elio is gorgeous. The human protagonists look like standard Disney characters, but they’re constantly interacting with stunning environments. Even before Elio takes off on his space adventure, he explores jaw-dropping earthly locations like museum exhibits, beaches and forests.
Once the intergalactic narrative threads kick into gear, the animators show off even more. Spaceships and otherworldly creatures look incredible, while characters who seem monstrous and terrifying at first gradually become beautiful thanks to the attention and care that the creative team put into each aspect of their designs.
Again, Elio doesn’t represent a bold new era for Pixar. But in a season where live-action retreads like Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon are what counts as successful family entertainment, I’m fine with a quality animated film attempting to tell a new – albeit derivative – story. It’s definitely worth checking out on the big screen.
Elio is rated PG for some action/peril and thematic elements. Opens in theaters on June 20.
Grade: B
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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