Elio is an intergalactic adventure about love and friendship

Sinar Daily

03-07-2025

You've got to hand it to the folks at Disney when it comes to spreading love and positivity through storytelling. From classic fairytales to newly crafted originals, they just know what and how to do it.
Joining this collection of feel-good stories is their latest offering called Elio.
Produced in collaboration with animation experts Pixar, the animated feature is yet another modern tale filled with lessons for today's generation of kids and even adults.
The film depicts the life of Elio Solis, a young orphan boy who lost his parents due to an accident and is raised by his aunt Olga, who is an Air Force major who gave up her dream of becoming an astronaut to raise and care for her nephew. Elio Solis is a young orphan raised by his aunt, an Air Force major who gave up her astronaut dream to care for him. Photo: Disney
Unfortunately, after the death of his parents, young Elio feels lost and has problems fitting in with the rest of his peers. He then develops an obsession for extraterrestrial contact with hopes that 'aliens' would abduct him and that he can escape his current plight of loneliness on Earth.
This obsession leads him to countless attempts of creating contraptions that may realise his dream of establishing contacts with visitors of the outer world.
One day while following his aunt to her Air Force base workplace, Elio hears of news that some form of vague contact was made with beings from outer space but no one takes heed and ignores the incident.
Convinced that the incident was real, Elio secretly responds to the signal without the knowledge of the people at the base. Unknowingly, the signal reaches its source to an intergalactic council of extraterrestrials.
They then respond by tracking Elio's location and message by coming to planet Earth and abducting him as Elio intended.
Elio who is overjoyed by the abduction is then introduced to the intergalactic council and is given the welcome he had always dreamed of.
Extremely happy to have his dream come true, he then makes friends with another young alien being named Glordon, a prince from another planet who is expected to live up to his father's expectations, King Grigon who is not well accepted by the council due to his warmongering intentions and violent nature.
Elio and Glordon however, create a special friendship bond making them inseparable friends.
However, King Grigon warns the council that if they do not let him join the council, he would wage war on the council and all the membering planets.
Bent on staying in outer space and refusing to go back to Earth, Elio volunteers to negotiate with Grigon by using his son Glordon as bait.
While Elio is stuck on the other end of the galaxy, a clone version of himself is sent to Earth to ensure that no one suspects his disappearance and this is when everything slowly unravels. Elio and Glordon form a special bond that makes them inseparable. Photo: Disney
The plot of the film is cleverly crafted to suit today's set of viewers as the message behind the tale is well highlighted.
Sharing the real plight of young people who get bullied and ostracised with parents and guardians who do not understand what they are going through is nothing new, but the film gives a stark reminder of today's reality.
It reminds us that not everyone can fit into one general box and that different people just need different kinds of surroundings and attention.
It also shows that love works both ways and like everything in life, requires some form of effort from everyone involved.
This makes Elio a wholesome movie perfect for the whole family who can appreciate a good laugh and some wild imagination.
Elio is currently screening in all cinemas across Malaysia since June 19, 2025.