Elio is the latest animated film from Pixar that follows a young boy whose obsession with science fiction leads him to getting abducted by an alien colony, as he is mistaken as the leader of Earth. The last film we got from Pixar was Inside Out 2, which was a refreshing return to form for the studio. Although Elio wasn’t on the same level as Inside Out 2 or some of Pixar’s better films, and it contains some recycled elements from other stories within the same genre, it was still very enjoyable. It had all the staples of a solid Pixar film, including incredible animation, endearing characters, and a heartwarming message of friendship and self-accpetance that can appeal to all ages. The film also surprisingly leaned very heavily into its sci-fi elements in some creative ways that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, Elio was a fun, beautifully animated adventure that didn’t exactly tap into the same emotional depth as other Pixar outings, but did a great job of evoking childlike wonder into the genre of sci-fi. Score: 8/10
Noah Robinson 