Schmaltzy yet sincere, “Elio,” the latest from Pixar, is as predictable as they come but as tender as they can get. The animated spectacle possesses many of the ingredients familiar to the studio’s best works—family, understanding, loneliness, and loss—but throws in some additional flair during its climax that ultimately lands this interstellar adventure.
It begins with heartbreak, zeroing in on Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab), an orphaned child cared for by his aunt, Major Olga Solis (Zoe Saldaña). At an air and space museum, a grieving Elio stumbles on a “coming soon” exhibition about the Voyager spacecrafts (the probes launched in 1977 carrying gold discs with messages from Earth) and begins to dream about finding solace beyond our solar system.
The premise of a surrogate parent struggling in their new role, of course, recalls “Lilo & Stitch.” Like that film’s temporary guardian, Olga sets aside her dreams to care for her relative. The child, similarly, isn’t exactly grateful for that sacrifice. Elio begins cutting school, absconding to the beach to carve messages in the sand, and even begins accumulating the basic tech to contact potential aliens. The more Olga sacrifices (including her desire to become an astronaut), the more Elio seems to resent her, believing he’s to blame for her dashed desires. Despite the odds, Elio manages to contact aliens, thereby opening the door to discovery.
With its heart stapled to its sleeve, the 99-minute film zips and zooms along with a story not unlike “Galaxy Quest.” See, a diverse intergalactic council composed of every alien race known as the Communiverse recently intercepted one of the Voyagers and has decided to send a message back to Earth. When a desperate Elio hears of the possible communication, he uses the tech at his aunt’s Air Force base to reply, causing the Communiverse to mistakenly invite him to join under the belief that he represents the leader of the planet.
Loss has left Elio adrift and lonely, so he’s reaching out to some unknown benevolent force that might grant him order and acceptance. He meets a similar soul when Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), a warmongering emperor jilted from membership in Communiverse, arrives threatening to destroy the council due to their slight. To earn a spot among them, Elio volunteers to negotiate with their bloodthirsty leader. Though most of Elio’s bargaining tactics fail, he does come to connect with Lord Grigon’s innocent and peaceful son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who agrees to be Elio’s hostage to avoid becoming a warlord like his father.
Though it took three directors (Madeline Sharafian, “Turning Red” director Domee Shi, and Adrian Molinato) to bring the formulaic “Elio” to life, the film plays like a mood board. There are homages to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Friday the 13th,” and a smattering of other sci-fi and Pixar works. These components are so familiar to adults that it’s easy to gather some safe assumptions about where this is all heading. Still, this is a kids’ movie, so some aesthetic regurgitation isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. What the film lacks in originality, it makes up for in its understanding of why people become so attached to the idea of alien existence.
While many of the side characters, such as the members of the Communiverse, drop out without warning, the sincere script penned by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones doesn’t forget to build Glordon and Elio’s endearing friendship. A couple of montages help, conjuring strong emotions that need not be said aloud. Nevertheless, the film overtly verbalizes many of its themes and feelings, rather than letting the transportive score, gentle green and blue palette, and magical world-building convey them. It’s as if the filmmakers struggle to trust kids enough to understand characterization and story.
Despite “Elio”‘s emotional loudness, I have to say that I was choked up during the film’s openhearted third act. Maybe it’s because loss has hit close to home for me recently. Or maybe it’s that the film never punches down on those who believe someone is out there. Either way, in this animated adventure’s final moments, relationships are repaired, love is expressed, and beings come together so that the other never feels alone. Most matters of the heart may not be original, but that doesn’t mean they don’t pierce us just the same.
