Film Review: Lilo & Stitch

Welcome back to the blog readers. In case you don't know, I have never been the biggest fan of the Disney animated films. Not that I hate them, I just do not really have an interest in seeing them. My mind can always be changed but as of right now I do not prefer to watch them. This film has been one of contention because everybody loves the original animated film and it was always going to be a tall order to adapt this one into live action. Would the filmmakers be able to crack the code that many Disney live-action remakes could not? Stick around to find out.

Lilo & Stitch was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp from a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, based on the film Lilo & Stitch (2002) by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and the Lilo & Stitch franchise. The film stars Maia Kealoha in her film debut, the voice of Chris Sanders, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, and the voice of Hannah Waddingham. In the film, a genetically engineered experimental creature on the run crash lands on Earth and crosses paths with a young Hawaiian girl as the two embark on a journey of self-discovery and family.

I said in the intro paragraph that I have never really had the desire to watch the classic Disney animated films. I also have not really had the desire to watch a whole lot of the live action remakes either. I have seen The Jungle Book (2016), The Lion King (2019), and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). None of them really wholly impressed me enough, and I thought this one might. I thought the trailer was cute and it truly won me over. The film overall is...cute. It doesn't have much in the way of story, but I think Maia Kealoha is a national treasure that needs to be protected at all costs.

I do not want to make a habit of talking about child performances on this channel because of the negative reception a lot of them (like Jake Lloyd) have gotten. But I do want to mention here what I did in the last paragraph: Maia Kealoha is a national treasure and needs to be protected at all costs. The level of cuteness and warmth that she brings to the screen at such a young age is absolutely a gift handed down from some divine being, and she has charisma for days on top of it. Plus, for someone who was acting alongside a fictional creature, she made it look damn authentic. I have a gut feeling that she is going to be a major star in the business one day, and you can point to her performance as Lilo for your jumping off point.

And now I want to talk about everybody's favorite blue "illegal" alien (I use the word illegal lightly). I was not sure the talking blue alien would be able to work in a live-action setting, especially because people love this character to death. I was also afraid that it would not come off as genuine and heartfelt in the end. My goodness, after seeing this film, I would die for Stitch. Chris Sanders, the character's originator, brings so much personality and life to the little blue guy and it literally made me smile any time Stitch gets into trouble or does something. This is bringing the essence of a character to life so brilliantly that I cannot imagine anybody else doing as well as Sanders - the man who knows this alien the best.

And now I want to talk about the core message of the film because it warrants discussing in a time like this. The first thing I want to talk about is the idea of Stitch basically being the definition of an "illegal alien." I know the stigma around immigrants now has shifted towards a hostile one but this film coming out now was perfect. It really highlights a few things: that people come from all walks of life, that it is okay to look or be different, and that people who are different than you have something to offer the world. These are things that kids need to be taught or else they will unfortunately end up with people like Marjorie Taylor Greene.

And the final point I want to make in this review is the idea of family. Family is the most basic building block of humanity and they are the people who are going to support you the most. This film also touches on the idea of chosen family and how people sometimes choose the family that they have if nothing else fails. This film, like the original, uses the word 'ohana to represent family, and kids need to know the importance of having a "family" system to support and nourish them. I can understand why this film will inevitably make over a billion dollars at the box office.

Now I want to talk about something I did not like so much about the film, and that was the story. The story of the film itself feels pretty derivative of other things I have seen and it really does not allow many other characters to be fleshed out. The only other one that gets any development is Nani, Lilo's sister, and her actor came off as the most genuine character in the entire film. Everyone else just felt there. Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis's characters basically were left chasing their tails for the entire duration, Courtney B. Vance was totally wasted in his role of Cobra Bubbles (LOL), and Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in the original) barely did anything other than "aura farm" as the kids say nowadays. I feel bad because all of these people are gifted performers in their own right, and to see them wasted like this really made me upset. I didn't even talk about Hannah Waddingham.

In conclusion, Lilo & Stitch has all the heart and all the charm from its two titular characters, but a weak story leaves something to be desired in the end. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.