Enjoyable Pixar flick is fun but not out of this world

The Advertiser

12 hours ago

Elio
(PG, 98 minutes)
3 stars
The latest Pixar animated release isn't among the studio's very best, but it's still a quality offering suitable for viewers of all ages.
It begins briskly. Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) was adopted by his aunt, Olga (Zoe Saldaa), a major in the US Air Force, after his parents died. Their relationship is somewhat strained. Work keeps her busy but she's trying, and the 11-year-old boy is a loner still mourning his loss and finding it hard to connect with her or anyone else. He even made up a language he shared with his parents and now can only use it to talk to himself.
Elio is a space buff with quite an imagination and this sustains him in his solitude. He is inspired by the Voyager spacecraft which was launched in 1977 and contained information about Earth as an interstellar message of hope (there is always the possibility this might backfire, like the increasing development of artificial intelligence, but there are plenty of movies about those dangers).
The boy is fascinated by the possibility of alien life and wishes that extra-terrestrials would come and take him away from his lonely life on Earth.
His obsession nearly costs his aunt her job and she takes him to a camp to get him out of her hair for a while. But he gets his wish: aliens come and beam him up, and at just the right moment.
The aliens, who despite all their knowledge apparently haven't done much research about Earth, mistake him for the planet's leader. He's happy to claim the title and go to the Communiverse, an organisation with representatives from galaxies across the universe who come together to share knowledge in a peaceful way. He is being considered for the position of ambassador from Earth.
The aliens are a varied and cordial bunch - this isn't dystopian sci-fi - except for the battle-mad Grigon (Pixar regular Brad Garrett), who aggressively demands admission to the club. Unsurprisingly, the Communiverse members are reluctant, and this only makes him angrier.
To prove his bona fides, Elio undertakes to negotiate peaceful terms with Grigon. But he might be taking on too great a challenge.
Grigon has a son whose name looks like a typo but isn't - Glordon (Remy Edgerly). The youngster is expected to follow in his father's fighting footsteps, but really doesn't want to, and unsurprisingly, he and Elio soon bond.
There are some familiar tropes here of course but some inventiveness as well. The alien and space designs are good to look at, although some of the critters aren't very well differentiated (most don't have faces, which help to convey character). And the voice actors, not as starry as in some Pixar movies, are good.
There are some funny lines ("My first probe!" Elio says gleefully at one point - no, not that kind of probe; this is a family film) and enjoyable situations but despite, or perhaps because of, there being several credited writers and three directors on the project, there are some flaws in the script and approach.
The supporting characters on Earth aren't as well established or distinctive as they might have been, giving their reappearance at a crucial point less impact than it should have had. Even Elio and Olga could have been given a bit more time before the kid flies off so the audience gets to know them and their relationship better before the new setting and story direction.
And the film feels a bit too dry-eyed, unusually for Pixar: while restraint is better than descending into bathos, some moments that should have been touching don't evoke much of an emotional response. The thought comes to mind that maybe there's not much at home for Elio to miss.
Disappointingly, there's no short film preceding Elio, though there is a scene during the end credits for those who wait.
Elio is an enjoyable Pixar film and, thankfully, not another sequel or reboot. It's just not quite up to the standard we've come to expect.
Elio
(PG, 98 minutes)
3 stars
The latest Pixar animated release isn't among the studio's very best, but it's still a quality offering suitable for viewers of all ages.
It begins briskly. Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) was adopted by his aunt, Olga (Zoe Saldaa), a major in the US Air Force, after his parents died. Their relationship is somewhat strained. Work keeps her busy but she's trying, and the 11-year-old boy is a loner still mourning his loss and finding it hard to connect with her or anyone else. He even made up a language he shared with his parents and now can only use it to talk to himself.
Elio is a space buff with quite an imagination and this sustains him in his solitude. He is inspired by the Voyager spacecraft which was launched in 1977 and contained information about Earth as an interstellar message of hope (there is always the possibility this might backfire, like the increasing development of artificial intelligence, but there are plenty of movies about those dangers).
The boy is fascinated by the possibility of alien life and wishes that extra-terrestrials would come and take him away from his lonely life on Earth.
His obsession nearly costs his aunt her job and she takes him to a camp to get him out of her hair for a while. But he gets his wish: aliens come and beam him up, and at just the right moment.
The aliens, who despite all their knowledge apparently haven't done much research about Earth, mistake him for the planet's leader. He's happy to claim the title and go to the Communiverse, an organisation with representatives from galaxies across the universe who come together to share knowledge in a peaceful way. He is being considered for the position of ambassador from Earth.
The aliens are a varied and cordial bunch - this isn't dystopian sci-fi - except for the battle-mad Grigon (Pixar regular Brad Garrett), who aggressively demands admission to the club. Unsurprisingly, the Communiverse members are reluctant, and this only makes him angrier.
To prove his bona fides, Elio undertakes to negotiate peaceful terms with Grigon. But he might be taking on too great a challenge.
Grigon has a son whose name looks like a typo but isn't - Glordon (Remy Edgerly). The youngster is expected to follow in his father's fighting footsteps, but really doesn't want to, and unsurprisingly, he and Elio soon bond.
There are some familiar tropes here of course but some inventiveness as well. The alien and space designs are good to look at, although some of the critters aren't very well differentiated (most don't have faces, which help to convey character). And the voice actors, not as starry as in some Pixar movies, are good.
There are some funny lines ("My first probe!" Elio says gleefully at one point - no, not that kind of probe; this is a family film) and enjoyable situations but despite, or perhaps because of, there being several credited writers and three directors on the project, there are some flaws in the script and approach.
The supporting characters on Earth aren't as well established or distinctive as they might have been, giving their reappearance at a crucial point less impact than it should have had. Even Elio and Olga could have been given a bit more time before the kid flies off so the audience gets to know them and their relationship better before the new setting and story direction.
And the film feels a bit too dry-eyed, unusually for Pixar: while restraint is better than descending into bathos, some moments that should have been touching don't evoke much of an emotional response. The thought comes to mind that maybe there's not much at home for Elio to miss.
Disappointingly, there's no short film preceding Elio, though there is a scene during the end credits for those who wait.
Elio is an enjoyable Pixar film and, thankfully, not another sequel or reboot. It's just not quite up to the standard we've come to expect.
Elio
(PG, 98 minutes)
3 stars
The latest Pixar animated release isn't among the studio's very best, but it's still a quality offering suitable for viewers of all ages.
It begins briskly. Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) was adopted by his aunt, Olga (Zoe Saldaa), a major in the US Air Force, after his parents died. Their relationship is somewhat strained. Work keeps her busy but she's trying, and the 11-year-old boy is a loner still mourning his loss and finding it hard to connect with her or anyone else. He even made up a language he shared with his parents and now can only use it to talk to himself.
Elio is a space buff with quite an imagination and this sustains him in his solitude. He is inspired by the Voyager spacecraft which was launched in 1977 and contained information about Earth as an interstellar message of hope (there is always the possibility this might backfire, like the increasing development of artificial intelligence, but there are plenty of movies about those dangers).
The boy is fascinated by the possibility of alien life and wishes that extra-terrestrials would come and take him away from his lonely life on Earth.
His obsession nearly costs his aunt her job and she takes him to a camp to get him out of her hair for a while. But he gets his wish: aliens come and beam him up, and at just the right moment.
The aliens, who despite all their knowledge apparently haven't done much research about Earth, mistake him for the planet's leader. He's happy to claim the title and go to the Communiverse, an organisation with representatives from galaxies across the universe who come together to share knowledge in a peaceful way. He is being considered for the position of ambassador from Earth.
The aliens are a varied and cordial bunch - this isn't dystopian sci-fi - except for the battle-mad Grigon (Pixar regular Brad Garrett), who aggressively demands admission to the club. Unsurprisingly, the Communiverse members are reluctant, and this only makes him angrier.
To prove his bona fides, Elio undertakes to negotiate peaceful terms with Grigon. But he might be taking on too great a challenge.
Grigon has a son whose name looks like a typo but isn't - Glordon (Remy Edgerly). The youngster is expected to follow in his father's fighting footsteps, but really doesn't want to, and unsurprisingly, he and Elio soon bond.
There are some familiar tropes here of course but some inventiveness as well. The alien and space designs are good to look at, although some of the critters aren't very well differentiated (most don't have faces, which help to convey character). And the voice actors, not as starry as in some Pixar movies, are good.
There are some funny lines ("My first probe!" Elio says gleefully at one point - no, not that kind of probe; this is a family film) and enjoyable situations but despite, or perhaps because of, there being several credited writers and three directors on the project, there are some flaws in the script and approach.
The supporting characters on Earth aren't as well established or distinctive as they might have been, giving their reappearance at a crucial point less impact than it should have had. Even Elio and Olga could have been given a bit more time before the kid flies off so the audience gets to know them and their relationship better before the new setting and story direction.
And the film feels a bit too dry-eyed, unusually for Pixar: while restraint is better than descending into bathos, some moments that should have been touching don't evoke much of an emotional response. The thought comes to mind that maybe there's not much at home for Elio to miss.
Disappointingly, there's no short film preceding Elio, though there is a scene during the end credits for those who wait.
Elio is an enjoyable Pixar film and, thankfully, not another sequel or reboot. It's just not quite up to the standard we've come to expect.
Elio
(PG, 98 minutes)
3 stars
The latest Pixar animated release isn't among the studio's very best, but it's still a quality offering suitable for viewers of all ages.
It begins briskly. Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) was adopted by his aunt, Olga (Zoe Saldaa), a major in the US Air Force, after his parents died. Their relationship is somewhat strained. Work keeps her busy but she's trying, and the 11-year-old boy is a loner still mourning his loss and finding it hard to connect with her or anyone else. He even made up a language he shared with his parents and now can only use it to talk to himself.
Elio is a space buff with quite an imagination and this sustains him in his solitude. He is inspired by the Voyager spacecraft which was launched in 1977 and contained information about Earth as an interstellar message of hope (there is always the possibility this might backfire, like the increasing development of artificial intelligence, but there are plenty of movies about those dangers).
The boy is fascinated by the possibility of alien life and wishes that extra-terrestrials would come and take him away from his lonely life on Earth.
His obsession nearly costs his aunt her job and she takes him to a camp to get him out of her hair for a while. But he gets his wish: aliens come and beam him up, and at just the right moment.
The aliens, who despite all their knowledge apparently haven't done much research about Earth, mistake him for the planet's leader. He's happy to claim the title and go to the Communiverse, an organisation with representatives from galaxies across the universe who come together to share knowledge in a peaceful way. He is being considered for the position of ambassador from Earth.
The aliens are a varied and cordial bunch - this isn't dystopian sci-fi - except for the battle-mad Grigon (Pixar regular Brad Garrett), who aggressively demands admission to the club. Unsurprisingly, the Communiverse members are reluctant, and this only makes him angrier.
To prove his bona fides, Elio undertakes to negotiate peaceful terms with Grigon. But he might be taking on too great a challenge.
Grigon has a son whose name looks like a typo but isn't - Glordon (Remy Edgerly). The youngster is expected to follow in his father's fighting footsteps, but really doesn't want to, and unsurprisingly, he and Elio soon bond.
There are some familiar tropes here of course but some inventiveness as well. The alien and space designs are good to look at, although some of the critters aren't very well differentiated (most don't have faces, which help to convey character). And the voice actors, not as starry as in some Pixar movies, are good.
There are some funny lines ("My first probe!" Elio says gleefully at one point - no, not that kind of probe; this is a family film) and enjoyable situations but despite, or perhaps because of, there being several credited writers and three directors on the project, there are some flaws in the script and approach.
The supporting characters on Earth aren't as well established or distinctive as they might have been, giving their reappearance at a crucial point less impact than it should have had. Even Elio and Olga could have been given a bit more time before the kid flies off so the audience gets to know them and their relationship better before the new setting and story direction.
And the film feels a bit too dry-eyed, unusually for Pixar: while restraint is better than descending into bathos, some moments that should have been touching don't evoke much of an emotional response. The thought comes to mind that maybe there's not much at home for Elio to miss.
Disappointingly, there's no short film preceding Elio, though there is a scene during the end credits for those who wait.
Elio is an enjoyable Pixar film and, thankfully, not another sequel or reboot. It's just not quite up to the standard we've come to expect.