Elio‘s plot is quite novel and there’s no boring moment even for a second in the film. The manner in which the kid protagonist becomes the ‘Ambassador of Earth’ and what happens thereafter keeps the interest going. The film also touches upon depression, bullying etc. and handles these aspects sensitively. However, the movie tries to pack in a lot in 98 minutes. The lookalike bit, for instance, is splendid and this plot point deserves a separate film. In the film, it does arrest attention but doesn’t get the due that such an idea deserves. Also, there is limited humour and at places, it can get confusing. The voiceovers are great by Yonas Kibreab (Elio), Zoe Saldaña (Olga), Brendan Hunt (Melmac), Brad Garrett (Grigon) and Remy Edgerly (Glordon). All in all, Elio is a decent, watchable film for the whole family.
My rating – *** out of 5!