Elio movie review: Simple yet adorable animation experience

Still from Elio

Film: Elio
Cast: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil
Directors: Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 99 min

The pioneer in the field of computer animation, Pixar, is out with another major cinematic event. ‘Elio,' their latest, is an original idea that has come good. It has its emotive moments and there's plenty to smile about.

Elio, a 11-year-old boy obsessed with outer space that was sparked by a formative visit to a museum exhibit about the Voyager spacecraft, has recently lost both his parents, and immerses himself in the possibilities of there being countless worlds for him to interact with. By imagining outer space he is able to escape from his fractured life on Earth.

His well-meaning ditzy aunt Olga tries to shower him with love and attention but Elio spends most of his time on the beach trying to get the attention of aliens via CB radio. One day, Elio overhears a discussion that reveals the existence of aliens. Elio then manages to get the attention of the extraterrestrials and is taken away to the Communiverse, an interplanetary hub, where he gets corralled into responsibility with multiple stakes.

Elio develops his passion, establishing inventive ways to use his ham radio to reach deep space. Aunt Olga tries hard to be a good parent but she is unable to understand his obsession for outer space.

An uncomplicated, clever screenplay keeps things simple. Elio blasts off to another dimension and finds himself in the middle of a conflict that resembles Earthly strife. There are several exciting moments that come your way here. In a funny, stimulating montage sequence with a talking Universal User's Manual, Elio takes us on a tour through the Communiverse, and introduces creatures and technologies that exist there. The humorous interactions between Elio and his galactic friends and foes are also laughter inducing. Elio's flying of a spaceship brings on the funnies and so does every instance of gooey alien clones arriving on the scene. The animation craft is also agile and maneuvers elastic tractability in the characters to create laughs.

‘No one needs to be alone' is the underlying message here. Elio's voyage of discovery shows us that there are infinite possibilities if we use our imagination the right way.

The designs of the alien characters are also quite impressive. The voice cast is quite good. Brad Garrett as the villainous warlord Grigon and recent Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña as Elio's aunt Olga are competent. Remy Edgerly who voices Glordon, Lord Grigon's son, is hilarious and Yonas Kibreab, a relatively unknown actor who voices Elio, lends a certain spirited, lovable energy to the role.

This animation feature credited to three directors - Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina - is unambiguous, mirthful and moving. The cinematography, editing, Rob Simonsen's musical score also elevates the emotive aspects of the film. The simple, direct messaging, uncluttered narrative and conscious creativity help make Elio an exciting experience.