Elio
Eliois the newest work from acclaimed animation studio Pixar, and I am very excited aout it.
The movie tells the story of a young boy who gets abducted by aliens and goes on a galaxy-hopping adventure to save his family and newfound friends.Elio’s first full trailer was just releaseda few months after its initial teaser, and so far, the movie looks like it is going back to Pixar’s roots, taking a fun concept and building a unique world with lovable characters to get attached to over the course of the movie.
Thankfully, the film is alsopoised to break new ground for Pixar, asEliois meant to have more horror elementsthan most of the studio’s previous output, which, if successfully implemented, will make the movie stand out much more than if it was a more formulaic project.
WhilePixar has found the most success with their sequelsand franchise films in recent years, they have made some of the best original animated movies of all time, and I am so excited forElioto potentially join those ranks.
Pixar’s Original Movies Since Inside Out Have Been A Mixed Bag
The Studio Has Had Very Few Big Original Films Since 2015
WhilePixar has made so many iconic animated moviesand franchises over the years, the studio has been struggling when it comes to original movies for nearly a decade.Inside Outwas released in 2015, and since then, their original films have been more mixed, with some great projects but plenty that didn’t hit the mark.The Good Dinosaurremains one of Pixar’s biggest misses to this day,OnwardandElementalwere fairly middling, and whileTurning Red,Luca,andSoulwere good, onlyCocoreally feels like it could possibly stand alongside Pixar’s best.
Pixar Original Film
Tomatometer Score
The Good Dinosaur
76%
Coco
97%
Onward
88%
Soul
95%
Luca
91%
Turning Red
Elemental
73%
It is worth noting that this is still a fairly solid crop of movies, and aside fromThe Good Dinosaur, all of these films have aspects that make them great in their own right.
However,Pixar is a studio with an incredibly rich historyof crafting some of the best animated features of all time, and it feels like that has mostly been lost with their recent output.
Movies likeRatatouille,WALL-E, andThe Incrediblescan stand as some of thebest animated films of all time, and Pixar has yet to recreate that same level of quality.
Why Elio Looks More Exciting Than Pixar’s Other Original Releases Over The Past Decade
The New Film Has Lots Of Great Things Going For It
WhetherEliowill reach the heights of Pixar’s greatest projects is very difficult to know, as it would be impossible to predict how good it will actually be until it comes out.
At first glance, however, the film looks like it is shaping up to be an excellent addition to the studio’s filmography.
As mentioned above,Eliois meant to have horror elements, which is a great sign that the writers and directors are trying to do something new and interesting, rather than simply banking on the Pixar name so you can get people to watch.
After Shi took over directing duties with Madeline Sharafian,Elioseemed to change quite significantly, giving me hope that it has been transformed into something amazing.
Eliois also being directed by Domee Shi, who was also the director of a previous Pixar movie,Turning Red.While not a life-changing cinematic experience, the film a solid Pixar offering with good messaging and characters.
More excitingly, however,Shi also directed the Pixar short filmBao, which won the best animated short Oscar for 2019.
She clearly has the talent to make something exceptional, and after Shi took over directing duties with Madeline Sharafian,Elioseemed to change quite significantly, giving me hope that it has been transformed into something amazing.
I Hope Elio Ushers In A New Era Of Great Non-Sequel Pixar Movies
Some Of Pixar’s Best Work Is In Their Non-Sequel Films
AfterElio,Pixar only has a few confirmed upcoming projects, of which two are sequels to some of their biggest franchises.Hoppersis their only other confirmed original IP, which is centered around a world where humans can transfer their consciousness into robotic animals so you can communicate with other animals.Toy Story 5andIncredibles3 are continuing two of Pixar’s biggest franchises, as the studio is clearly shifting to pushing out films that are essentially guaranteed to be massive successes after some of their more recent flops.
Elio is a Disney and Pixar collaboration heading to theaters in 2025, and here’s everything we know about the upcoming family film.
However, ifEliois as good as it seems, and does well at the box office, it could absolutely bring about a slew of new original projects for the studio, ensuring that Pixar continues creating new worlds while also expanding the ones we know and love.
Their last non-sequel movie to make over $500 million worldwide wasCoco, and with their recentmassive sequel success withInside Out 2, I have no doubt that Pixar is looking atElioto determine how much they will invest in new IP going forward.
elio
Cast
