The box office failure of Elio shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying one of Pixar’s better recent films!
It seems hard to believe how Pixar has suffered in the last five years. Perhaps it was a poor omen that Onward became the first movie that fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Just one week after the fantasy film opened, movie theaters started shutting down, killing its box office.
That would sadly also send Soul to Disney+ along with Luca, and a bit understandable then, with theaters still mostly closed. However, Turning Red more than deserved a theatrical release rather than going to Disney+, while Lightyear was Pixar’s first major flop.
Elemental had a rough start but grew legs to succeed, while Inside Out 2 was a hit. Sadly, it appears Pixar’s latest, Elio, isn’t going to reach those heights. The sci-fi comedy opened with a weak $30 million, Pixar’s lowest opening ever. Considering the film had a reported budget of $150 million, it's safe to say this is a diaster.
There’s a chance word of mouth could help Elio maintain success, much like Elemental did. Still, it’s a blow to Pixar and lovers of original movies as the film deserves more eyes on it.
Why Elio is a charming comedy
The film famously shifted its storyline mid-production during the 2023 Hollywood strikes. The original idea (shown in the first teaser) was an alien council sending a “give us your leader” message to Earth. Thanks to a telephone mix-up, they think young Elio is Earth’s leader, taking him to space against his will.
Those initial trailers hinted at a somewhat somber storyline of Elio lost in this distant galaxy. The film shifted directions and that ended up being the rare case where studio interference was for the better. Now, Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is a young boy mourning his dead parents (It wouldn’t be Disney without that) and raised by his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), who works at a military base tracking space debris.
A misfit who longs for the stars, the opening sequence has Elio spending days at the beach and sending out radio signals complete with “please abduct me” signs written in the sand. That includes cutting school, and when a wacky military tech thinks he’s found an alien signal, Elio sends a message back begging to be taken.
His wish comes true and the film wonderfully shows Elio absolutely adoring being sucked into space. The joyful exuberance becomes infectious and the movie has a blast channeling Elio’s wonder at this alien landscape to match the audience.
It helps that the animation for these sequences is beautiful. Pixar still knows how to convey wonder and use the freedom of animation to give us aliens who are, well, alien. Most are barely humanoid at all with wild forms yet come off relatable and kind so you get why Elio connects with them better than any human.
Of course, there is conflict. The ruthless warlord Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) is upset the Communiverse won’t let him join them, so he decides to take it over. Elio volunteers to negotiate, which goes poorly. Luckily, Elio meets Grigon’s son, Glodorn (Remy Edgerly), to befriend him.
The friendship is well done and notable for Grigon’s unique design and how he doesn’t want to be a warlord like his dad. That leads Elio to the typical “bad choice of Pixar lead,” which leads to the standard “low point of the hero” bit. This also connects to an Elio clone interacting with Olga.
The movie may not be top-tier Pixar, but it does work better than Lightyear. It’s how Elio is so relatable and the irony of the human who feels more like an alien on his own world than in space. Obviously, it’s a journey of him understanding where he belongs that comes together at the end.
The other characters don’t shine as much aside from Olga, with Saldana’s voice work making her relatable. She has her dreams of being an astronaut, which she sets aside to raise Elio, and a striking moment where Glodorn says, “she put her dreams on hold for you, she must love you,” and Elio realizes that for the first time.
Garrett is mostly over the top as Grigon, mostly ranting and raving which can be funny in places. He does get a major moment at the end to make this a surprisingly relatable parental tale. There’s also a connection of ham radio operators that proves integral to one major action sequence.
Maybe Elio doesn’t reach the heights of Pixar’s last efforts. But it should be watched and admired simply for the fact that it’s something we need right now: An original story. Oh, there are touches of films like Galaxy Quest in there, but the film still boasts a non-IP tale. Given Disney’s obsession with remakes and sequels, that’s something fresh.
It can be argued Disney didn’t market the movie properly or give it the right release time. Maybe, like Elemental, it will build a bigger audience with the good reviews and talk of it. Hopefully, that happens because this is the Pixar we need: creators who love to craft a unique story that stretches the boundaries of imagination with true heart.
Elio feels more Pixar than their last few efforts have. It’s a visual feast for the eyes while never forgetting the human heart of its characters. It deserves to be seen on the big screen and appreciated since, like its main character, we should all dream of a wider universe to explore.
Elio is now in theaters.