Streaming Review: Pixar's ELIO

Much like the New England Patriots, the MCU and my Fantasy Football team, Pixar was on quite the run in the early 2000’s with hit after hit after hit.

Lately, not so much.

For every surprise hit (like INSIDE OUT), Pixar delivers a “so-so” outing (such as ONWARD). Their latest presentation - this summer’s ELIO - falls closer to ONWARD than it does INSIDE OUT.

Following the exploits of orphaned, misunderstood misfit, ELIO (is there any other type of kid for this sort of role/movie), this film follows his journey as his lifelong yearning to be captured/carried-off by aliens (so he can be accepted for who he is) comes true..and, of course, it is not as he was expecting.

While it has it’s charms and is non-offensive, ELIO is also not groundbreaking in any way as it treads familiar territory of loss, longing, belonging and acceptance of differences wrapped up in an agreeable package that feels comfortable but not unique.

And that is the plus (and minus) of this film. It’s an acceptable, enough, film to watch with your youngsters (if they are into this) but it’s not SO interesting that the adult in the room will be more than mildly entertained by it.

As the lead voice actors, Yonas Kibreab is excite able and enthusiastic as ELIO bringing enough energy to the role while not elevating a pretty middle-of-the-road written character any higher than middle-of-the-road. Recent Academy Award winner Zoe Saldana (Elio’s Aunt Olga) is appropriately frustrated and overwhelmed as she is suddenly thrust into the role of parent of her orphaned nephew. (Do you think she’ll discover that family is more important than work along the way)?

Jameela Jamil (THE GOOD PLACE) tries to elevate her role as one of the lead aliens (mostly succesfully) while Brad Garrett (EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND) brings the most to the table as the main antagonist of the piece…but he is too little of a presence to do anything more than bring this film to an acceptable “middle-of-the-road” piece of entertainment.

This film went through multiple iterations and multiple Directors, starting with COCO Co-Director Adrian Molina and then passing off to TURNING RED Director Domee Shi and (finally) to Madeline Sharafian and this project feels like something that was Written and Directed by committee, never offending but never elevating, either.

It’s a “perfectly acceptable” Pixar outing and in this day an age, that (probably) is not good enough.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)