A Pixar Revisit: A Second Chance Look at Last Year’s “Elio”

Last year’s Pixar release “Elio” didn't go as planned for the animation studio and became a rare box office flop for the company. Even though I initially had a mixed reaction to the animated film, I was still open to giving it another try.

Elio, an underdog with a very active imagination, finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives far and wide.

Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, he starts to form new bonds with eccentric aliens while discovering who he’s truly meant to be.

Despite the poor box office performance, audiences warmly embraced the film. So, I decided to revisit this Pixar cosmic adventure (or in the main character’s case misadventure) and see if giving the film a second chance is worth it (as this is the first time seeing the film since I initially reviewed it last year). 

Even though at times “Elio” can have a bit of a formulaic vibe to it, it’s still a really heartwarming original family film. The 2025 Pixar film also provides a good amount of emotional depth, specifically when the film explores themes of loneliness, self-esteem and the feeling of being an outsider.

Just like most Pixar films, “Elio” has visually stunning animation with creative, colorful designs for the alien worlds. Even though the human characters look alright, a lot of the beautiful animation helps the planets and the aliens really stand out.

The relationship between Elio and his Aunt Olga is easily a unique and touching highlight of the film. The Elio/Aunt Olga portion of the story is a realistic portrayal of grief and an eventual evolving, tender bond. One thing that “Elio” does that is great is that it doesn’t sugar-coat the difficult situation of a newly formed family struggling to connect after the loss of his parents, making their eventual reconciliation more

impactful.

There are a few things that are really memorable in this film, such as Elio’s friendship with the alien named Glordon (who provides a good amount of the film’s humor and heart), the hilarious misunderstandings of Elio as the “leader of Earth” and the clay clone of Elio on Earth that can be a little weird.

“Elio” is a visually stunning, heartfelt Pixar adventure. It blends themes of belonging, grief and courage with fun, imaginative science fiction. While it’s not as ground-breaking as some other films in the Pixar filmography, “Elio” is still a good watch for the family and is worth a second chance!

MPA: Rated PG for some action/peril and thematic elements   (runtime 98 minutes)

Streaming service: Disney Plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is2meozrnx0