Is there life out in space amongst the stars? That’s the question humans on earth have been asking for thousands of years. It’s also on little Elio’s mind in Pixar’s animated adventure Elio.
Not having any friends and being obsessed with space and aliens, young Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) is desperate to be abducted by aliens and start a new life off of planet Earth and away from his aunt and guardian, Olga (voiced by Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Perez). Olga’s an Air Force officer who he believes would be happier without him.
After numerous botched attempts to be abducted, including lying on the beach in a big drawn circle with the words “Aliens… Abduct Me!” Elio sneaks into a top-secret meeting being held by Olga. When it ends, he records a message: “If any aliens are listening, please come and get me. Okay, bye…I love you,” and sends it into space. The aliens hear Elio’s message and seek him out. His dream comes true, and he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from all over the galaxies.
The aliens mistakenly believe Elio is Earth’s ambassador and welcome him. However, the entire Communiverse is quickly threatened by the gigantic space warlord, Lord Grigon (voiced by three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett), after they denied him entry as a member.
Anxious to save the new world he desperately wants to be a part of, Elio offers to reason with Lord Grigon and remove the threat. This leads to Elio accidentally befriending Grigon’s son, Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), a slow-moving, slug-like creature who, unlike his father, is very friendly and has no interest in becoming the greatest war machine in the universe. Together, the new best friends try to figure out a way to stop Grigon from destroying the Communiverse.
Pixar’s Elio is a cosmic space romp with rich, bright, and colorful animation and a talented voice cast. It’s a sweet space odyssey that will have kids in the audience smiling and laughing while the adults are mildly entertained.
Yonas Kibreab does a superb job of bringing to life Elio, the young boy who is just trying to find a world where he fits in and belongs. Kibreab captures both the exuberance and heartache Elio experiences during his adventure.
Brad Garrett is perfectly cast as the voice of Lord Grigon, whose look and demeanor is a little too reminiscent of another Pixar character… Emperor Zurg from Toy Story 2. Garrett captures both the imposing warrior and the dad hoping his son will follow in his footsteps.
The animation is stunning, with bright candy-colored aliens and an outer space world of visual delights. It’s a true feast for the eyes.
The message in the film about the need to connect and find a place where you feel you belong is handled a little heavy-handedly but still works. What’s missing is the soul and emotion that makes a Pixar animated movie a powerful, moving, heartfelt experience like what audiences were treated to with Up, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story. Elio is chaotic and fun but fails to be emotionally engaging.
GRADE: B
Rating: PG for thematic elements and some action/peril
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Directed By: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina
This post was last modified on June 19, 2025 1:44 pm