Pixar's Elio Features A Clever Star Trek Easter Egg That Works On A Few Levels

Warning: This article discusses spoilers for "Elio."

You never know what surprises you might be in for with any given Pixar movie. The famous animation studio has built its legacy on every possible off-the-wall concept you could think of, from talking toys ushering many of us through adolescence to robots finding love in a post-apocalyptic world to anthropomorphic rats reminding us that great art can come from anywhere. To state the obvious, though, it's not just those creative pitches that turned their respective Pixar films into such household staples. 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.

Pixar's well-established history of including tributes to classics of years gone by continues in "Elio," though not in a way we might have expected. The film doesn't linger on this detail in the early going, but it speaks volumes that the creative team went out of their way to recruit Kate Mulgrew, who famously portrayed the headstrong Captain Kathryn Janeway on the "Star Trek: Voyager" series throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. First and most obviously, this voice casting feels like a wink and a nod towards the show's namesake, the cutting-edge starship USS Voyager, and the commonly-accepted fact that it was named after the Voyager probe — the same one that plays such a large role in "Elio." But, most importantly, there's something special about Mulgrew specifically being the messenger behind such a humanist, celebratory, and exploration-centric theme.

"Elio" is a movie all about our deep-rooted need for connection, acceptance, and to understand what our home truly is — so, what better connection to draw than the "Star Trek" show that's about all of those ideas at once? "Voyager" may not be remembered as the most beloved series in the "Star Trek" franchise (and for good reason, admittedly), but no one can deny the thematic parallels with a show featuring a stranded crew desperately trying to return to Earth at all costs. And at every turn, at the very center of "Voyager," Mulgrew's committed performance as Janeway held the series together through sheer force of will. Trekkies know that underneath that tough exterior, the Captain's altruistic heart provided those quintessential "Star Trek" ideals for us to strive for ... give or take the controversial Tuvix-related decision or two on "Voyager."

Contrasted with Elio daydreaming about escaping to the stars, well, it's fun to imagine his late parents encouraging his love for space through old "Star Trek" reruns — whether it be "Voyager" (which I'd love to see with Pixar's style of animation) or the recently-canceled animated series "Prodigy," in which Mulgrew reprised her role as Janeway.  Either way, it's a fitting cameo in a movie blatantly made by space nerds like us. 

"Elio" is now playing in theaters.