The studio’s “Elio” is a perfect example of how every clever storytelling choice, every fully-realized character, and every loving homage can all add up to something even greater than the sum of its parts.
Like so many other Pixar movies, “Elio” is packed to the gills with Easter eggs and references just waiting for observant audiences to spot. Kids will, of course, be swept away by the kaleidoscope of colors and episodic thrills throughout the film. But adults will almost certainly take notice of all the inspirations and influences that co-directors Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina are proudly wearing on their sleeves. Like “Wall-E” nodding towards “2001: A Space Odyssey” or “Toy Story 2” aping a shot from “Jurassic Park,” the creative team behind “Elio” have cited classics such as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and even “The Thing” as being influences. More than that, though, this space-bound adventure also takes its cues from the nerdiest sci-fi franchise out there, “Star Trek,” in a way that works on multiple levels.
“Elio” begins in an air and space museum, where our skittish title character runs into an exhibit about the deep-space probe Voyager that NASA launched back in the late 1970s. This helps kickstart Elio’s deep and abiding passion to find out whether humanity is truly alone in the universe. But eagle-eyed (or should that be eagle-eared?) viewers may notice something familiar regarding the voice recording Elio hears waxing poetic about finding life among “distant worlds” in space. As it turns out, no one could’ve been more well-suited for the task than the captain of the USS Voyager herself: actor Kate Mulgrew.
