Sentence:  In the abstract, Stuhlbarg's twinkly-eyed sidekick <WSD>suggests</WSD> Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To make one suppose; cause one to suppose (something).