Elio Review – Captures That Pixar Wonder, but Loses the Focus

I liked Elio. It’s good Pixar does what it needs to do, but it’s not hitting those top-tier heights we know the studio can reach. The movie has real heart when it focuses on what it does best, but it gets scattered trying to handle too many ideas at once.

The story centers on this space-obsessed kid who accidentally becomes Earth’s representative to an alien alliance. It’s a fun premise that Pixar handles with their usual visual flair. The animation is gorgeous and the alien world-building feels fresh. There’s a moment with a Talking Heads song that immediately shows you who Elio is without over-explaining.

The voice acting is solid across the board. Nobody’s phoning it in, but no one delivers a performance that will stick with you for years. Zoe Saldana does nice work as the aunt, bringing some emotional depth to scenes that could’ve felt flat. Brad Garrett balances his villain Lord Grigon well, managing to be both a menacing force and a caring father.

What saves the movie is that core idea about a kid who doesn’t fit in anywhere suddenly finding himself in the biggest situation imaginable. When Elio focuses on that fish-out-of-water dynamic, it works. The space sequences are where Pixar really shows off. The scale feels massive, the alien designs are creative, and there’s real wonder in how they present this cosmic setting.

Elio is at its best during the smaller, more intimate moments. When it slows down and digs into what makes this kid tick, that’s where it shines. Watching Elio navigate impossible situations while staying true to who he is creates compelling character beats that hit harder than any of the bigger spectacle moments. The movie captures that specific feeling of being in over your head but trying to rise to the occasion anyway.

My biggest issue is how the movie jumps between different emotional threads without committing to any of them. It wants to be about family loss, finding your place, being an outsider, and intergalactic politics all at once. That’s ambitious but messy. The grief stuff especially feels shoehorned in rather than naturally woven into the story. It’s brought up in moments that feel designed for impact but then gets sidelined for long stretches, so the emotional weight never really lands.

The pacing suffers because of this scattered approach. Just when you’re getting invested in one aspect, the movie pivots to something else. Even when momentum builds, Elio decides to slow down at awkward moments. It’s like they had three different movies they wanted to make and couldn’t pick one. You can see where a tighter edit might’ve helped. Certain scenes feel like they could have been trimmed entirely without losing anything important, which would have allowed the core story to breathe.

The ending wraps things up satisfyingly enough, but it doesn’t feel earned. Too much of the emotional payoff relies on threads that weren’t fully developed. It’s like they knew where they wanted to land but didn’t put in the work to get there naturally. The movie works better when you’re not thinking too hard about whether everything adds up, which isn’t exactly the hallmark of great storytelling.

This isn’t bad Pixar by any means. It’s actually quite enjoyable despite its flaws. The movie taps into something nostalgic about childhood dreams of space exploration that makes it stick with you. There’s enough heart here to make the whole experience worthwhile, and the visual spectacle alone is worth the watch. It’s the kind of movie that’ll probably play better at home where you can just enjoy the ride without overthinking it.

I’d definitely recommend it. Kids will love the space adventure, and adults will connect with the themes about finding your place. It may not be top-tier Pixar, but it’s got heart and delivers solid entertainment, and that is a definite win in my book.