“Elio” captures the essence of a typical Pixar film, which isn’t entirely negative, as even an average Pixar offering has its delightful elements. However, while the movie attempts to introduce unique concepts that could elevate it within the genre, there are also uninspired choices that counterbalance these efforts, resulting in a charming but inconsistent movie that doesn’t quite reach its full imaginative potential.

The allure of extraterrestrial life captivates Elio (Yonas Kibreab), especially after his parents’ demise leaves him feeling isolated. The thought of beings existing beyond Earth offers him hope of finding a place where he belongs. Living with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who has paused her career as an orbital analyst to care for him, Elio struggles with feelings of being a burden despite Olga’s attempts to provide a stable home. Her role as a parental figure feels unfamiliar and challenging, adding to Elio’s sense of disconnect.

Elio dreams of being whisked away by aliens, and one day, he successfully sends a message across space that convinces members of the Communiverse that he represents Earth. When he’s transported to their cosmic base as a potential member, he cherishes the mistaken identity and relishes the adventure, until his deception is tested by the bellicose Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett). Elio faces the dilemma of safeguarding the Communiverse from Grigon while aiding Grigon’s less aggressive son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), to challenge his father’s domineering ways.

Right off the bat, one of the first things we noticed about “Elio” is how mismatched its animation style is. The space vistas are breathtaking, and each of the alien characters are designed with care and a tremendous amount of creativity. (We especially love the race of space worms that Grigon and Glordon are from, pudgy larval creatures who hide their squishy, vulnerable flesh in Iron Man-like war machines when they come of age.) But as inventive as many of the space components are, “Elio” feels as though they really phoned it in with the human characters. Elio and his Earthling counterparts have a generic animation style, and his particular character design makes him look like a toddler.

There are moments in the film where it touches on a weird sense of humor that could give “Elio” a unique identity, especially in dealing with Elio’s unnervingly inhuman clone, who is remarkably blasé about his own destruction. Yet although it has these brief eccentric flourishes, it backs away from them fairly quickly in favor of a storyline more content to play it safe. It’s a shame, because these are some of its highlights, and especially in a film about a quirky kid obsessed with being abducted by aliens, they shouldn’t have been afraid to be a little bit out there.

“Elio” also feels like it has a three-act structure in need of a little bit of fine-tuning. It spends a lot of time with repetitive sequences early on in the film that hammer home Elio’s social isolation and his growing desire to meet aliens, points which we would understand with a 5-minute montage. By the time the plot kicks off in earnest and Elio is traveling through space haphazardly negotiating peace deals, the clock is ticking down. It feels like we don’t get to spend nearly enough time with the members of the Communiverse, and the actual space part of the story is rushed. It would have been great to have this either be a slightly longer film (it’s just about 90 minutes long, so it has some wiggle room) or have it restructured to spend less time on Earth at the beginning. Because of this, it ends up seeming a little hastily put together, as though it could have benefited from another pass or two in development.

Still, the central message behind “Elio” has all of Pixar’s traditional emotional heft. The connection between space exploration — the idea that Earth is alone, desperately seeking contact across the stars — blends beautifully with Elio’s aching loneliness after the death of his parents. But as we learn in the film, he’s not alone — he will find people who understand him and care about him for who he is. It’s a sweet reminder for young viewers, who may not feel as though they fit in at school or at home. And the bonds he forges, especially with the endearing, eternally optimistic Glordon make the point even more compelling.

There’s little to dislike about “Elio,” but there’s little to set our worlds on fire either. It has some memorable characters that are easy to get emotionally attached to (we’re pretty sure we need a Glordon plushie, like, yesterday), while others don’t get enough screen time to shine or are disappointingly underdeveloped. Although Pixar has long been known for its imaginative creatives and commitment to innovative storytelling, “Elio” is a little safe and generic, as though they were afraid to go out on too far of a limb while they’re in an era that has been defined by sequels of previous hits. Still, the emotional beats hit hard, and “Elio” is a pleasant enough way for kids to spend an hour and a half, especially if they’re interested in space. It’s just a shame that it seems like it pulls back every time it starts to hit on something genuinely interesting.

“Elio” lands in theaters on June 20.