Elio

Bluesky

Disney and orphans go together like Netflix and dubious business decisions. In this year’s Oscar-bait offering from the studio’s Pixar branch, events centre on young Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), whose reaction to losing his parents and being placed in the care of his busy but loving aunt, Major Olga Solis (Zoe Saldaña), is to sneakily requisition army equipment to try and summon aliens so they will take him away. Though his initial efforts get him in trouble, he finds other means through which to persist, being naturally determined and good at getting other people to do what he wants. Naturally, the strictures of the story mean that he eventually succeeds, but will adventures in space really heal his wounds, and can he figure out what he really wants before it’s too late?

This being Disney, the answer to those questions is not difficult to guess. There is absolutely nothing original about the structure of this one, but of course, there is always a generation of kids experiencing these things for the first time, so if the formula works, why change it? It is expertly delivered here, with eye-catching visuals and genuine heart. There are scary bits, but nothing that a robust four-year-old can’t handle, and there’s plenty to please older kids and adults alike.

This isn’t your average first contact story. Elio doesn’t just meet one set of aliens – he finds himself at the alien equivalent of the UN, where he is mistaken for the leader of Earth. it’s a little awkward, but he doesn’t want to waste the opportunity – or miss out on the cool stuff they have to offer, like a disc which lets him control his temperature and relationship with gravity – so he does his best to get Earth accepted into the interplanetary community and acquire ambassador status. To do this, he first has to negotiate peace with a warlike adjacent civilisation, which he fears will be impossible until he accidentally stumbles on the opportunity to create a fake hostage situation. Shenanigans ensue, and carefully laid plans quickly get out of control, until both the alien community and the Earth face peril. Can one little boy and his none-too-bright alien pal set things right?

Disney is famous for creating cute characters with big eyes. Though Elio himself might fit that model, here his alien pal – also a child – is a little different, with no eyes at all. He does have a charming smile to offset his segmented body and multiple pairs of squirming feet, and Remy Edgerly’s vocal work makes him adorable. Their friendship is beautifully depicted. Elio is incredibly self-centred and neither seems aware of this, with the alien Glordon seemingly happy to be pushed around, but that doesn’t mean that Elio won’t take great risks on his friend’s behalf, and there’s real warmth between them.

The community setting has given the creative team free to have fun designing numerous different kinds of alien, whose personalities come through distinctly as well: some friendly, some officious, some a little prim, one never seen without a drink in his hand. Their world isn’t particularly detailed but it’s pretty in a way that will thrill younger viewers, and there are occasional moments of grotesquerie to satisfy the outliers. Complementing the visual variety is an emotional openness and generosity of spirit naturally appealing to those who dream of finding better worlds, whether in the stars or elsewhere. In the end, Elio might even manage to extend his generosity to his aunt, who isn’t as different from him as he imagines.

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