"Elio:" Pixar's Biggest Failure of the Decade

For the past twenty years, Pixar has been the biggest name in the world of animation. Producing film after film that are not only box office hits, but loved by critics and audience members alike. I, as well as millions of others around the globe have fond memories of watching their movies as a child and still enjoying them into adulthood. This past week, Pixar released their latest film, Elio to theaters around the United States, only grossing $21 million on a budget of $150 million, making it the least profitable opening weekend in Pixar history. So the question must be asked, is the golden age of Pixar finally over?

Elio, directed by Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina, is a sci-fi, coming of age comedy about its newly orphaned titular character. Living with his ill-equipped aunt, Elio dreams of one day being whisked away to the far reaches of the galaxy to live among aliens, hoping that somewhere out in the universe are people that will finally understand him. It is very similar to recent Pixar films like Soul, Turning Red, and Elemental, both aesthetically and thematically. There are plenty of vibrant colors to keep children entertained, with a good message of staying true to yourself. Everyone who grew up a weird kid like I did will see a little bit of themselves in Elio as a character, and it's hard not to root for him, no matter how ill-equipped he is for the job.

Pixar is a studio that has specialized in fantastic A and B plots in their films. Unfortunately, Elio barely has an A plot to begin with. It's actually pretty shocking to see just how little story there is. I was expecting some grand space adventure with twists, turns and some emotional moments but the plot genuinely feels like a first draft. It's a far cry from some of the studio's more elaborate scripts like Coco or The Incredibles. While it is nice to see Elio finally make friends in the cosmos, the thin plot makes these triumphs feel unearned. Other than Elio, I don't think I can recall the name of a single other character, that's how unmemorable they were. A Pixar film about the wonders of space sounds like it should've been a match made in heaven, but unfortunately Elio falls short. Maybe this was a case of too many cooks in the kitchen on account of the film's three separate directors.

Most of Elio's online criticism comes from its animation style. The film lends itself to the soft, bubbly style of Domee Shi, similar to what we saw in her previous film, Turning Red which drew criticism for this same reason. Viewers have compared the animation style to a "Grubhub commercial," saying the design feels very corporate and not on the caliber of past Pixar films. Pixar's new series Win or Lose has also faced backlash for being animated a certain way and thus has had trouble drawing in any kind of significant viewership.

I have a sneaking suspicion that if an independent animation studio made Elio, audience members would be much kinder to it. The problem here is that Pixar Animation Studios have established themselves as the industry's gold standard in the past three decades. People expect the very best from this studio and unfortunately Elio just doesn't make the cut. It's a shame because I think this movie had a lot of potential, they just didn't go far enough. I would've loved to explore more of the intergalactic world of Elio, but due to the film's record low numbers, I doubt we'll be getting a sequel to do that any time soon.

Despite all my issues with the film, Elio is still a decent movie with a worthwhile message to take your children to this summer. Let's hope that for Pixar's next project, they dive much deeper.