Review: 'Elio' is a fun, if sometimes bumpy, ride through Pixar's ideas of outer space and family solidarity

It’s a given that the computer-crunching animators and storytellers at Pixar Animation Studios are a bunch of nerds — and even by those standards, Pixar’s latest adventure, “Elio,” is a nerd’s dream, a trip to outer space propelled by a lot of imagination and the inspiration of the late Carl Sagan.

The title character, voiced by Yonas Kibreab, is an 11-year-old boy who’s been through a lot in his young life. Living with his aunt, Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldaña), after the sudden death of his parents, Elio has become obsessed with aliens — and spends his nights on the California beach presenting himself to be abducted by one. Olga works for the U.S. Space Force, tracking satellite debris, but is unable to help Elio with his fascination with UFOs.

One night, though, Elio gets his wish and is picked up by an alien beam. He’s transported to something called the Communiverse, where a collection of aliens believe that Elio is the leader of Earth. The space creatures are eager to welcome him as an ambassador — until a nasty warrior race, the Hylurg, come in demanding to be admitted to the Communiverse. 

Elio says he can broker peace with the Hylurg’s ruler, Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett), and protect his new Communiverse friends. That’s how Elio comes to befriend Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), a roly-poly Hylurg kid.

“Elio” seems to split itself down its plot threads, which don’t always knit together well. It’s a reflection of the reported journey the movie took within Pixar’s hierarchy. The film’s original director, Adrian Molina, who co-directed “Coco,” left midway through to work on “Coco 2.” He was succeeded by Domee Chi (who directed “Turning Red”) and Madeline Sharafian, who made Pixar’s short “Burrow.” The seams sometimes show, as the different filmmaking visions butt up against each other.

Even an imperfect Pixar movie has its moments of whimsy, wonder and emotion, and “Elio” hits those beats well. It presents a universe built on parental concern, families on the fly, and children encouraged to be who they are — a universe many of us, against all obstacles, are trying to make.

——

‘Elio’

★★★

Opens Friday, June 20, in theaters everywhere. Rated PG for some action/peril and thematic elements. Running time: 98 minutes.