- Date of Release: 20 June 2025
- Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, SciFi
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Elio
Introduction
Occasionally when Disney chooses to, it does have the ability to play around with emotions and dish out something as heartwarming as this. In that regard, the new English film and Disney-Pixar’s latest offering isn’t groundbreaking or anything that you haven’t watched already. It plays to the basic emotions of loss, grief and imagination, the usual suspects in a Disney film, but each emotion is so raw and palpable, that it invariably finds the kid within you. The early tone of loss is set when you are first introduced to Elio (Yonas Kibreab), an orphan who has to stay with his niece Olga (Zoe Saldana). You see the distance laced with grief in their first appearance together, wherein Elio, probably freshly accustomed to loss, hasn’t quite warmed up to Olga. Their relationship reminded me of Lilo And Stitch (2002; 2025) wherein the dynamics of losing both parents seemed like the biggest proposition for the protagonist to look elsewhere, and befriend a furry stranger! Here, Olga’s wish of becoming an astronaut is up in smoke even as the concept remains intact while initially replacing a straight up furry stranger with a voyager ship, that equates its journey to that of Elio, while coaxing the latter by tapping into his vivid imagination of sending signals to an unknown land, that would be received by folks on the other side (probably parents in Elio’s mind?).
Story & Screenplay
The entire concept of sending out signals to an unknown land is again a borrowed concept from AI Artificial Intelligence (2001) or even the Hindi film Koi….Mil Gaya (2003). Interestingly, both these films have oddball protagonists suffering from loss and grief in their own capacity, that coaxes them to seek solace elsewhere! And here, the setup involves Elio sending, and later receiving signals in what turns out to be an Intergalactic Council comprising of an all alien race called ‘Communiverse’ that in words of a participant stands for open-minded and peace-loving individuals. And as luck would have it, it is Elio who against all odds is the representative of earth in the mix. For Elio, it is escapism in the truest sense while getting to meet new people who he is comfortable around.
The drama also beautifully touches upon the concept of toxic masculinity with the introduction of the character Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), a war-mongering emperor who is sidelined from the Communiverse, only to aspire to destroy it as revenge. But Elio on being sent to negotiate with him, and later fail – encounters another intimidating-looking but cutsie creature Glordon (Remy Edgerly), who turns out to be the son of Lord Grigon. In a scene, Glordon exclaims on how he doesn’t want to be the next war-mongering prince while highlighting how his father and other folks on his planet change their ‘appearance’ to look more threatening, a symbol that is directly correlated to toxic masculinity!
The drama follows familiar beats with its proceedings, even as it is upto Elio to eventually save Communiverse from being destroyed, and returning the now ‘happily-kidnapped’ Glordon to his father. But within this space, there is this freshly rediscovered Disney magic that plays an important part in doubling up as a cohesive unit in the drama. This includes bouts of humour in the form of Olga suspecting that the ‘New’ Elio has traits drastically different to him, making her believe that he is indeed his clone! This also includes a familiar bonding between two misfits – Elio and Glordon, both suffering from loneliness and grief, while having enough common grounds to bond over. Their dynamic indeed is heartwarming and makes for a tingling watch.
The predictability of the drama cannot be denied but if I were to view the larger context, then it definitely dealt with concepts of love and universal brotherhood, something that was showcased in unlikely equations that join forces together. Be it Elio’s acquaintance who was once involved in a brawl with him, taking the opportunity to help him in a fleeting sequence. Be it Olga’s ridiculed engineering expert, who is party to the rescue mission. Be it different countries of the world, who as we witness aren’t on the same page as I type, but shown to collectively come together for a bigger cause. Be it Olga and Elio, who begin to warm up and share a heartwarming bond, or even Glordon and Lord Grigon whose relationship entails a bittersweet father-son bond at the end with the latter exclaiming on how he doesn’t understand his son always, but still loves him. Or even the bittersweet bond that Elio shares with all the species of aliens in the galaxy, that will leave you teary eyed. Any of these concepts aren’t novel but when done right, the emotions just find the kid in you and how! The screenplay is filled with these heartwarming moments that eventually makes for a heartfelt watch!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are laced with a vivid sense of imagination often told through the gaze of a young protagonist, while retaining its innocence and heartfelt emotions along the way. The BGM beautifully compliments the heartwarming undertones of the drama, with focused notes that are designed to explore the emotional quotient, both of the viewer and the young protagonist. And in a bid to tap into the emotional core of the characters, it invariably elevates the drama at many junctures. The animation is always a highlight in a Disney-Pixar film, simply with the way characters are wide-eyed and often affable with their cutsie undertones. And the add-on being the detailing that is precise and often on-point (even when the writing is at times off, generally speaking). And here, the animation ticks all the checkboxes, this time with some good writing too.
The editing keeps the length of the drama in check with a runtime of under 100 minutes. Directors Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina collectively hit all the right notes with respect to the emotions that are often a staple diet of a Pixar film. The characterization is often based on loneliness, grief and loss that finds its solace in hope, and if these checks are palatable and done right, then the film soars more often than not! And this is exactly the case here, wherein the directors leave a mark with the intended emotions on show!
Voiceovers
The voiceovers are incredible by the members of the cast. Brandon Moon as Ambassador Helix has his moments to shine. Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa is warm and affectionate. Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon has an intimidating voiceover that is seemingly dominating while accurately representing his war-mongering antics. But the arc that is tagged to the character, is ably supported by a wonderful voiceover that makes for a superb watch. Remy Edgerly as Glordon oozes of naivety and innocence while exuding of cutsie vibes with respect to his character. Zoe Saldana as Olga is sincere and earnest while being wonderfully assertive with a sense of responsibility that translate into care for her little brother. And the earnestness of the character stands out through the voiceover. Yonas Kibreab as Elio is vibrant with shades of grief and loss, that wonderfully laces his character. There is a definite warmth that the voiceover exudes through his innocent gaze of loneliness that directly transforms to love and unity. It was a superb outing by all artists involved!
Conclusion
Elio is tingling space adventure of universal brotherhood laced with vibrant and heartwarming undertones that will successfully find the kid in you. It is a heartfelt drama that makes for a wonderful watch. Laughter and tears once again this weekend, and it is a beautiful time to be at the cinemas, all over again! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!