Elio movie review: This lifeless coming-of-age drama, the worst from Pixar, lacks self-belief just like its protagonist

In an age where everything is a remake or a sequel, Pixar has developed a reputation as one of the rare Hollywood studios that delivers 'original programming'. Fresh off the success of Inside Out 2, the animation giant comes out with Elio, the tale of a boy who doesn't quite fit in. And strangely enough, the same problem exists with the film as well. It is as tepid as it is predictable, and despite everything going for it, Elio just fails to get off the ground.
The film is about the titular Elio, an orphan who lives with his aunt but never quite fits in. Elio dreams about being abducted by aliens, and behold, it does happen. The only issue is that the aliens—a conglomerate of the universe's finest called the Communiverse—assume he is Earth's leader. To stay in the Communiverse, he must negotiate peace with a warmonger named Lord Grigon, an alien warlord. But this may be more than Elio bargained for.
Technically, there is hardly anything wrong with Elio. It is a well-animated film with visuals that jump out at you. The alien species look different enough, and yet innocent enough. The animators have even managed to bring the trademark Pixar-cuteness to the warmongering race of aliens. Elio also appears likeable, despite his quirks and pre-teen rebellion. The world-building is solid, with the Communiverse growing on you as the film progresses.
But all that is largely on the surface. The film is a breezy feel-good affair that draws a few chuckles here and a few awws there. But Pixar has raised the bar so high over the years that all this feels bare minimum for a film from this stable. The emotional connect, which is the trademark of any good Pixar film, is missing here. We like Elio, but do we relate to him? The emotion of not fitting and feeling alone is so universal that the film should have easily tapped into it. Yet, Elio cannot manage what a non-human robot did over a decade ago (here's the mandatory Wall-e mention in a Pixar story).
But even minus the emotional connect, Elio had the chance to be entertaining and engaging. It fumbles that, too, with some dull and lifeless storytelling. Elio gets predictable pretty quickly and resorts to tried-and-tested tropes, never staying ahead of the audience. If you have seen any two Pixar films in your life, or any two films for that matter, you can easily predict the next plot point and the next red herring. That takes the sheen away from what is developing as a solid entertaining film.
The only thing going for Elio is its originality. The story may be age-old, but the treatment is new. The concept, however cliched, is presented in a 21st-century manner. Add to that the stunning visuals, and you have at least a watchable film, if not an enjoyable one.
Elio takes universal tropes and themes, like all Pixar films, but only scratches the surface while dealing with them. Once you have seen genre-defining treatments of identity crisis (Soul), longing (Finding Nemo), and anxiety (Inside Out), it is hard to settle for just bang average.

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