Elio

Contrary to the harsh reviews, Disney-Pixar's Elio doesn't suck. I've seen it, and I can bear witness that it is a perfectly lovely movie, if a bit inconveniently similar in certain respects to Lilo & Stitch – most inconveniently, indeed, as the recent live-action remake of that Disney animated feature just recently made the rounds, to remind us. Yes, both hero kids (Elio and Lilu) are being raised by a relative (an aunt in the one case, a sister in the other) after their parents were killed – a loved one who doesn't seem quite up to the job. Yes, chaos breaks loose following an encounter with visitors from other planets. Yes, both hero kids, despite their struggles to socialize appropriately with kids of their own species and age, get along swimmingly with someone completely unknown to them. There's even a plot thread tied around the concept of deciding, like the Iron Giant, that you Don't Want To Be A Gun. But ...

But Elio isn't adopting an alien war machine as a pet; he's looking to be adopted by aliens, and the unwilling war machine becomes his best friend. Their heartfelt friendship, defying strange appearances and vast differences between them, first creates a potentially disastrous conflict, then heals it. And Elio goes from lying, avoidance and selfishness to being capable of, and receptive to, love and kindness. It's a visually beautiful, thrilling and heartwarming story against which I can find nothing to quibble.

The voice cast features recent Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña as Elio's Aunt Olga, Brad Garrett as Glorgon's warlord father, Shirley Henderson ("Moaning Myrtle" from the Harry Potter films) as a liquid computer, Kate Mulgrew as the voice of the Voyager 1 exhibit, and the late Carl Sagan (via archival recordings) as himself. OK, so maybe the movie could have done without repeating Sagan's spiel twice.

Three Scenes That Made It For Me: (1) Elio blows a chance to make friends with another ham radio kid. Payoff: Later, the kid forgives him and comes to his aid at a time of need. (2) Elio thinks Olga has chosen the clone he sent to cover for his absence over him. Payoff: When he realizes she has actually enlisted the clone's help to ask the aliens to send him back. (3) The clone times his liquefaction to provide a distraction when Elio and Olga need one. Gross but effective. And hilarious!

Another thing that low-key made it for me was the all-but-endless succession of trailers for upcoming animated features, before this movie started, that all looked unwatchably awful. I'd much rather see this movie again than any of them. So don't be sucked into the hype. Not every step Disney takes is a stumble; not every ball in play ends in a fumble. Elio is all right.