This story contains spoilers for “Elio,” now playing in theaters. Disney Pixar’s latest animated feature, “Elio” centers on a young orphan boy who is desperate to be abducted by aliens. The premise of the film igave the creatives a perfect opportunity to pay homage to great sci-fi classics,

Elio” isn’t up there with the animation house’s finest work — the glory days have been over for some time now — but it’s a fine, fizzy piece of family entertainment, overfamiliar in spots (if a story about multiple species of extraterrestrials can be called familiar) but just as overeager to please.