11 Great Sci-Fi Movies for Kids to Watch After ‘Elio’

Children watching Pixar’s new animated sci-fi adventure “Elio” may be dazzled by the film’s science fiction concepts, wild alien characters and outer space adventures. Adults, however, might experience a sense of déjà vu. “Elio” may be an original story but it’s cobbled together from memorable pieces of other sci-fi movies, classics and cult classics alike, which makes it a perfect opportunity to introduce younger audiences to the wonderful, weird movies that inspired it. And also some other films which are remarkably similar and got unfairly overlooked.

So if you or your kids exit the theater wanting more films like “Elio” — despite the film’s many flaws — here’s your viewing list. Plop yourselves down on that couch and make a whole weekend of it. You’ll be glad you did!

‘Time Bandits’ (1981)

Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi action-comedy “Time Bandits” may seem pretty dark for a kids movie, especially these days. But in 1981 it was a massive blockbuster, outgrossing “Clash of the Titans” and “The Great Muppet Caper.” Like “Elio,” it too tells the story of a child who feels like nobody wants him and falls in with a group of strange beings. This time they’re time travelers who are using a map, stolen from the Supreme Being, to leap around history and plunder its greatest treasures. Vividly imaginative, sometimes pretty scary, with a mean-spirited ending that might be a little much for the little ones. But bigger kids are going to wonder at the film’s bizarre tone and imagery, and appreciate its deeper understanding of just how big and intimidating the universe can be.

‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982)

The granddaddy of all sci-fi kids movies is nearly old enough to be a granddad. Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece tells the story of Elliott (Henry Thomas), whose mother is recently divorced and working hard to provide for her family, leaving him with time for sci-fi adventures. He meets a stranded alien, a lovable puppet creation, and makes a friend for life. But when the adults find out and the government gets involved, he’ll have to risk everything to save his dying extra-terrestrial friend. Sounds like “Elio,” doesn’t it? Spielberg’s breathtaking film photographs the story from a child’s perspective, always looking upwards, capturing the mindset of a child the way few films ever have… in any genre.

‘The Last Starfighter’ (1984)

Nick Castle’s sci-fi adventure classic is one of the great wish fulfillment fantasies. At a time when video games were written off as a waste of time, Alex (Lance Guest) beats a seemingly impossible space battle arcade game, only to find out it was actually a training simulator. He’s recruited to save the galaxy from an evil tyrant, and while he’s up there, a clone takes his place on Earth. “Elio” owes a massive debt to “The Last Starfighter,” and while the films then-groundbreaking CGI effects have aged — a lot — the imagination, the characters, the humor, the action and the inspiring musical score are still as fresh as ever.

‘Explorers’ (1985)

A group of misunderstood kids dream of traveling to outer space. Literally, they’re all having the exact same dream, which contains blueprints for a spacecraft they can create at home, which looks eerily like the craft the title character flies in “Elio.” Joe Dante’s film, the big screen debut of both River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke, was taken away from him in post-production but it’s still a sci-fi classic, capturing a distinct sense of wonder and culminating in a surprising encounter with extra-terrestrials which — and we don’t want to ruin it entirely — plays eerily like parts of “Elio.” Some of the hijinks the kids get up to with their alien technology wouldn’t fly today (you may want to talk to your kids about why staring at girls through their bedroom window is not now, nor has it ever been acceptable behavior), but Dante’s flawed cult favorite has a ragtag, outsider quality that’s rarely been matched.

‘Flight of the Navigator’ (1986)

Disney’s cult classic is often overlooked nowadays, but it’s a unique and visually exciting sci-fi kids flick with a fascinating hook. Joey Cramer plays David, a 12-year-old who vanishes in 1978 and wakes up in 1986, except he hasn’t aged a day. It turns out he was picked up by Max, a robotic UFO voiced by the great Paul Reubens, who was exploring the galaxy, abducted Max and accidentally his life. Fantastic production design, a trippy plot and a wonderful puppet performance from Max have made “Flight of the Navigator” a lifelong favorite for many sci-fi geeks.

‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ (1989)

Comedy legend Rick Moranis plays a scientist who accidentally shrinks his kids, and his neighbor’s kids, to the size of insects. That’s bad enough, but then they end up on the other side of their yard, so the trek home is vast and full of perils. Like “Elio,” Joe Johnston’s sci-fi classic tells a relatable story about kids and parents who misunderstand each other, and come together in a bizarre crisis. And also like “Elio” the kid characters befriend a giant bug, in this case a lovable ant, who fights off a mighty scorpion. Just don’t use “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” to teach your own kids grammar. (It should be “Honey, I Shrank the Kids,” gosh danged it.)

‘Contact’ (1997)

Robert Zemeckis’s “Contact” isn’t a kids movie, and it might be too slow for younger kids. But older kids who want to more about that scientist giving a speech about extra-terrestrial life in “Elio” might want to know more about Carl Sagan, so let’s teach them. “Contact” is based on Sagan’s novel about a mysterious message from outer space, which leads Dr. Ellie Arroway, played by Jodie Foster, who decipher the code and help build a massive portal to the stars. Slick, smart filmmaking with an ending that’s hard to forget… even though some people think it’s a little anticlimactic. (I disagree, and you might too.)

‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)

Another classic sci-fi comedy about aliens who mistake humans for heroic leaders and ask them to stop an evil intergalactic tyrant from killing them all, “Galaxy Quest” tells a hilarious and startlingly heartfelt story. Tim Allen, Allen Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, Daryl Mitchell and Sam Rockwell play actors from a “Star Trek”-like TV series who go to outer space for real, and get in way over their heads. The many, many “Star Trek” references might go over some kids’ heads, but hey, you can also use this as an excuse to introduce them to “Star Trek.” That’s a win-win!

‘Treasure Planet’ (2002)

Disney spent years trying, and failing, to reach a sci-fi/action-adventure audience before they finally just gave up and bought Marvel and “Star Wars.” One of their best attempts is this notorious box office dud that only gets better with age, presaging the eventual popularity of steampunk (and furries). In this sci-fi reimagining of “Treasure Planet,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a teenager who finds a map to buried treasure and finds a new father figure in John Silver (Brian Murray), a kindly cyborg cook who’s actually a dangerous pirate in disguise. Stunning animation abounds, and the adventure is so colorful and expressive that it’s hard to imagine today that this film could struggle to find an audience.

‘WALL-E’ (2008)

Pixar’s first sci-fi classic tells the story of a post-apocalyptic Earth that’s covered in trash. A cute little robot named WALL-E (voiced by Ben Burtt) works every day to tidy up the clutter, but he’s desperately lonely, and falls head over heels for a robot that lands on Earth to determine if it’s suitable for living creatures again. “WALL-E” is a stunning character piece, which opens with a mostly-silent first act before rocketing into outer space, where the title character — not unlike Elio — stirs up the status quo. Some people think “WALL-E” loses its way by the end, but even if you think the second half isn’t as good as the first, that still leaves a lot of room for it to be great.

‘Earth to Echo’ (2014)

There aren’t as many great sci-fi kids movies as there were in the 1980s, when every studio was trying to produce their own “E.T.” clone. One of the best went largely unnoticed. “Earth to Echo” tells the story of three kids who find a tiny alien robot whose pieces have been lost all over town. They have to get on their bikes and explore their neighborhood, growing up a bit and becoming heroes along the way. “Earth to Echo” is a found footage film, which was more of a fad back in the early 2010s, but it’s one of the few found footage films that completely justifies its premise, with the broken alien robot only able to communicate with the protagonists through their phones. Also, in an era when everyone thought kids were spending too much time on their electronic devices, director David Green’s film optimistically saw modern technology as a means for young people to make real life more exciting, and not just escape from it.

‘Strange World’ (2020)

Another animated sci-fi box office dud from Disney, “Strange World” got dumped into theaters with little fanfare, and its inability to find an audience was cruelly and simplistically blamed on the film’s diverse cast of characters. It’s far more likely that audiences — not to mention advertisers — didn’t know what to make of this eccentric adventure film, about explorers on an alien world who go hunting for the secrets to their planet’s bizarre mysteries. The title is apt, and strange imagery abounds, but there’s also wonderful character work between three generations of a family that has more in common than their superficial differences suggest. “Strange World” isn’t one of Disney Animations best movies but it is one of their weirdest, and most underrated.

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