Displaying items by tag: Kate Mulgrew

ELIO

US, 2025, 98 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Young Dylan, Shirley Henderson, Kate Mulgrew.

Directed by Adrian Molina, Madeleine Sharafian, Domee Shi.

Over the decades, in many of its animated films, the Pixar Studios have focused on young boys. This was the case with the Toy Story series. There was also Luca, Onward, not that Pixar neglected young girl central characters, think the Inside Out series.

This time the young hero is Elio, American, Hispanic background, grieving the death of his parents, not responding well to the care from his aunt who is in space military, supervising space travel. Elio loves space and explorations, eager for contact with aliens. His room at home is covered with posters, photos, all kinds of space paraphernalia. And he works with his radio connections. But, he is bullied at school, gets into trouble with the authorities. And, on visits to the military bases, his curiosity gets him into all kinds of trouble including failures and typing out an appeal message for any creature in space to respond.

While audiences will be sympathetic to Elio in his sadness, they will (at least many of the parent generation will) feel very annoyed with him at times, his wilfulness, stubbornness, and his inability to respond to his aunt’s care.

But, that is the background! Most of the action actually takes place in space. And, for anyone in the young audience, boy or girl, there is the fascination of imagining what it might be like to find oneself in space, with all the technical know-how, to find all kinds of friendly alien creatures, share language with them, make friends – and, especially for Elio, to be thought of as the leader from his planet.

So there are many comic touches with the creatures on the planet he arrives at, and a large group of cultured representatives from various planets. And Elio discovers a special creature, Glordon, who looks and sounds cute and cuddly! But, Glordon’s father is an aggressive warlord, in huge threatening armour, glowering with a whole platoon of similarly fearsome troops. And he has territorial ambitions.

So, a young boys’ fantasy, Elio asserts himself as the leader from earth, confronting the warlord. There is a nice dramatic device where a clone can be made both of Elio and Glordon, clone Elio coming to earth and being absolutely charming and cooperative with his aunt to her shock. The cloned Glordon coming to the warlord and agreeing to be his aggressive successor.

Elio does have success, is also captured, but is well advised and is able to use the real Glordon a bargaining chip for the warlord’s surrender and Elio’s release.

Of course, the final question is whether Elio will want to stay in space. The clone has enabled his aunt to travel to the planet. Will he stay or will he find love and affection and want to go home?

So, apart from Buzz Lightyear in space, this is a different Pixar story, not one of the greatest, but entertaining in its way.

1. The popularity of Pixar films. The place of this film in its catalogue? The target audience, younger audiences, the young hero, a boy, his ambitions, space exploration, aliens?
2. The imagination of the film, the young boy, the death of his parents, super version by his aunt, his age and grief, assertiveness, intolerance? Bullied at school? His fascination with space technology, the decorations in his room, his creating his own language, his radio and technology?
3. The aunt, military service, and space travel supervision? Love for her nephew, strict, difficulties in communicating with him? His getting into trouble, her having to rescue him? At the base, going into the laps, interfering, disasters? Her job?
4. With the boys, the friend, the bullying boy, the fight, the principal and the two boys reprimanded? The effect of the bullying boy, the technology, contact?
5. Elio, at the base, sending out a message, its being transmitted?
6. The Joy of the space contact, his going into space, the planet, the mentally of creatures, their appearance, their voices, their intellect, culture? His being seen as a rescuer? The leader from his planet? The effect on him, his costume, his speeches, his hopes?
7. The Lord Grigon, his appearance, armour, voice, his military? Ambitions, takeover, threats to the planet, the inhabitants gathering for culture, not for combat? The assumption that Elio was leader?
8. The appearance of Glordon, voice, appearance, the father, the ability to talk and communicate, games together, happy possibilities? The appearance of Glordon, his father, demanding on Glordon?
9. The device of the clones, clone Elio going to earth, the opposite of the real Elio, collaborating with his aunt, conversation, work, diligent? The hair, coming alive, the aunt looking beneath the eyepatch, realising he was a clone?
10. Cloning Glordon, a tough clone and, the armour, going back to Grigon, Grigon’s delight?
11. Grigon, the confrontation with Elio, the truth about him, dominating, the surrender, the effect on the community on the planet?
12. Elio and his plan, Glordon as a bargaining chip, the father wanting his child back, the confrontation, the negotiation, Grigon out of his armour, soft and cuddly, embracing Glordon? Peace for everyone?
13. The clone of Elio, the bond with the aunt, in the base, getting the equipment, the discovery of the capsule with Glordon? The two clones and then disappearing?
14. The aunt in space, the reconciliation with Elio, the peaceful situation, Elio and leadership?
15. The return to Earth, on the beach with its memories, the reconciliation with his friend, the bonding with his aunt, a happy life?