IR Film Review: ELIO [Pixar/Disney]

The intention of "Elio" is a good one and there are many factors at play and yet at times there is disconnection. The movie is undeniably inspired by early 80s genre movies. There are exceptional homages (although subtle) to "The Last Starfighter", "Explorers" and "E.T." The issue is that it only keys into those kind of emotions in two specific moments near the end. Granted it sounds like the film went through series of development reworkings but the approach is not ineffective. It seems more akin in style to something like "Onward". It does carry the PG rating which means there are some aspects that might be a little too much for littler kids. However most will look past that and see a lot of the sillier aspects. The key part which is built from the very beginning is that Elio is alone. He is being cared for by his aunt who works in the military watching for space debris. His parents are gone. We don't know how but it is inferred. It leads to a context of Voyager (again a hark back to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture") and how it connects to a bigger universe. The place which Elio is eventually drawn to is a different type of place but its relevance (especially with its somewhat cowardly facade) never rings true to what it needs to be.

This consortium is being bullied by Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) who wants to be a leader with this type of Universal Parliament (think the prequels) but seems bent on joining for its technological advances to weapons (something with parallels in the modern world). Elio in many ways is misunderstood and misrepesented (Starlord comes to mind as well). A bulk of the film is about trying to broker a deal which Elio has no idea how to do. One of the first interactions is a shoot out in this path (and it is taken almost directly from a scene in Disney's "The Black Hole") The movie is in many ways is a love letter to those movies but never quite captures their heart ("The Black Hole" is a much different tone so that comparative does not make as much sense). The other heart of the movie is Glordon, who is a slug in a way but becomes crucial to unlocking who truly Elio and his core is and moving the story forward. A slight detour makes sense but the story mechanlcs allow it to work (a little clunkily though) before the road leads to the heartfelt contexts that the film needs. One is between Glordon and his dad and the other between Elio and his aunt. They are very simple and they work because of the rest of the film but it almost seems in a way a lucky shot because those moments easily could have missed because the film tends to meander (like "Onward"). "Elio" tries its best and its heart is in the right place but at times its tone and trajectory is a little off. B-

By Tim Wassberg

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IR Film Review: BALLERINA [Summit/Lionsgate]