Before the 1900s and "talkies" ever came into existence, movies with science fiction themes were being made, and by the 1950s and 60s, they became more mainstream, with more and more films in the genre making their way to movie theaters. Nowadays, with the introduction of CGI effects and AI, science fiction films have become not only more prevalent but also more popular than ever. While we have seen outer space and alien themes in animated movies before, this month's Disney/Pixar entry of Elio brings the genre into the forefront once again. But the question begs to be asked: Will the film spark an interest in young children to create a new group of future astronauts?
Elio (Yonas Kibreab; Obi-Wan Kenobi) recently lost his parents and is now living with his Tia Olga (Zoe Saldaña; Guardians of the Galaxy), a Major in the Army. Feeling alone and isolated, a trip to the science museum sparks Elio's interest in outer space and aliens. Suddenly, he has a singular focus to be abducted and taken to another planet, much to his Tia's chagrin. However, when his wish finally comes true, Elio bites off more than he can chew and finds that the future of the Communiverse and Earth is in his hands.
Directed by Adrian Molina (Coco, co-director), Elio has one of the most depressing openings of an animated film that I have seen in a very long time. Immediately sad, it was difficult to shake off the feeling for much of the film, and the storyline doesn't help all that much for the majority of the movie. Elio feels isolated, bullied, and alone, which are many of the same feelings that most of us have felt at some point in our lives. However, the sense of dread permeates the plot, preventing many light-hearted moments from emerging. The movie also felt a little like Coco (no surprise since Molina directed both), but not as good as the latter movie.
The cast is good, with Saldaña trying her best to vocally express the variety of feelings Olga goes through during the 100-minute duration of the movie. Kibreab also does well as Elio, drawing on the somber emotions he exhibits throughout the film while switching to elation during certain points in the plot. Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) lends his deep and mildly gravelly voice to the villain of the story, and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) uses her sing-song vocal quality and British accent to lull the audience into a sense of calm at times of chaos.
The animation is exactly what you would expect of a Disney/Pixar animated feature with vibrant colors and crisp, clean lines. The production values are top-notch, which makes watching the movie visually a pleasure. Children will gravitate towards the eye popping land of the Communiverse and the variety of alien creatures residing there and, while the antagonist and his legions of "war machines" may be a little scary for some of the younger audience members, the plot does a good job of portraying them with hard outer shells but mushy little blobs at their centers.
If you take The Wizard of Oz and mash it together with 1997's Contact, you have most of the plot of Elio, which might seem a little redundant and boring for adults. However, any child with a creative mind and vivid imagination will identify with Elio and his sense of exploration.
Since animated films and family movies seem to be gold at the box office these days, it would be hard to imagine that Elio won't be a success, but in terms of plot, it left me a little bored and uninvested in the characters or the story.
Grade: B-
