Hey everybody and welcome to a brand new review! This time, I’m going to be taking a look at the newest attempt by Disney to remake one of their animated films into live action, one that is actually based off of a film that today’s audiences care about. The original Lilo & Stitch was easily the biggest post Disney Renaissance film at the time and has made a huge pop cultural impact spawning direct to DVD sequels, a popular TV show, and tons and tons of merchandising with Stitch becoming one of the most iconic Disney characters. So, from a financial sense, it made sense that it would get the live action remake treatment, though I do find it odd that it was originally intended for Disney+ considering how huge the IP is. I myself absolutely love the original film as I think it is both a fun adventure, but also a genuinely poignant and powerful melodrama that wasn’t afraid to take some risks. Now I myself am not huge on the concept of re doing animated films in live action as I feel not only do these tend to not be as impactful, but they mostly retread the same ground in often inferior fashion. Was this able to avoid going in that direction? Let’s jump right in and see how Stitch’s shenanigans fare in different medium!
We kick things off similar to the original in which the mad scientist, Dr. Jumba Jookiba, is convicted by the United Galactic Federation and is on trial for creating a dangerous specimen with incredible learning capabilities known as Experiment 626. While Jumba is found guilty, Experiment 626 is sentenced to exile, but is able to escape and ends up crash landing on Earth in Hawaii. There he ends up in the care of a little girl named Lilo, who mistakes him for a dog (just roll with it) and names him Stitch. Meanwhile, Lilo’s sister, Nani, is dealing with her own issues, trying to raise her sister after recently having lost their parents, and making sure everything is in order. Now with Stitch around and Jumba sent to hunt down his experiment along with an certified “Earth Expert” in Deputy Pleakley, all of this just adds another wrinkle to the whole situation.
One of the key issues I have with many of these remakes is that they tend to not only retread the original stories, but also make changes that can often be superfluous or cause the pacing to be really uneven. Lilo & Stitch unfortunately suffers from these issues as the story re treads the same ground, but the storytelling lacks the efficiency and tightness of the 2002 flick, leading to things often dragging at times and way things turn out not being as effective. It often felt like the new plot threads, such as one involving the CIA, served as padding more than anything and slowed the movie down in its tracks whenever it was time to cut to them. The film in general just lacks the same emotional gut bunch that the original delivered and honestly felt watered down in a way, lacking that specificity and nuance.
That being said, the film is still able to get by thanks to a couple of key factors. For one, director, Dean Fleischer Camp (who did Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) is able to maintain the heart of the story with the sister relationship between Lilo and Nani being well developed and having some nice moments that do manage to tap into the themes of Ohana and how it connects our character together. In fact, one update that I did really like was how that meaning is expanded to include found family as well with the community they live in being a big part of that. I appreciated this as it shows family can come from anywhere and the film ends in a way that’s different, but doesn’t undermine the messaging. Also the film is very much harmless and has plenty of amusement through the various antics that Lilo and Stitch get themselves into. I did enjoy some of the new gags that were created for the film (there’s a scene at a wedding that especially gave me a good laugh) as well. It just doesn’t quite exceed the issues that often plague these films and that holds it back.
Due to being intended for streaming, the price tag for the feature is only $100 million, which is not that much compared to what some of these other remakes have cost. Due to that, there are certainly restrictions in terms of what can be done, a lot of which are evident such as the opening sequence in space with all of the aliens, being noticeably rushed through compared to the opening, and the complete absence of Captain Gantu. Still, when it comes to what we do get, it all looks pretty good for the most part. The film looks good with Nigel Buck’s cinematography being bright and colorful, showcasing some very views of the Hawaiian landscape, really taking us into that location. The film is also quite respectful towards that culture, even if it isn’t as aggressive to the touristy aspects of it, like the original film. Stitch is brought to life very well by the animators here, as he manages to look faithful to the original design while also maintain a sense of expressiveness that serves the scenes of him causing chaos quite well. The rest of the aliens are hit or miss, with some looking fine, but with others looking more odd and unappealing, namely Jumba and Pleakley… honestly didn’t mind that they were in human disguises for most of the film.
Of course the movie is titled Lilo & Stitch, so naturally that duo is going to play a fairly decent sized role in the proceedings. I think that relationship is pretty well done for the most part. Maia Kealoha plays Lilo very well, portraying her childlike wonder and rebellious nature nicely and having plenty of fun moments of sass like the original character. Her interactions with Stitch (voiced perfectly once again by Chris Sanders) are enjoyable with them having a fun dynamic where Stitch ends up finding his humanity along the way. His chaotic actions are less frowned upon though in this one, meaning there is a lack of conflict between him and the various higher authority figures that lead to certain choices he makes later on, just not landing as much (again, the film is noticeably watered down in several aspects). Sydney Elizabeth Agudong also puts in strong work as Nani, capturing both her frustrations with her current situation as well as her love for her sister and I did like some of the touches made to the character (such as a love for marine biology and conflictions between priorities and wanting to study it). The relationship between the two sisters is the definitely what holds this movie up as that is where the most humanity lies and it is where the film comes closest to matching the original in terms of execution.
We get a mix of returning and new characters here most of the actors here do a good job even if some of the characters are weirdly utilized. Kaipo Dudoit has his moments as Nani’s friend and neighbor, even if the character stands out even less than he did in the original (some of the flirtation scenes did get some nice chuckles out of me admittedly) while Courtney B. Vance makes for a solid Cobra Bubbles… but he’s barely given much to do. Due to the role of the Social Services agent already being filled out by Mrs. Kekoa (a nuanced portrayal from Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original), quite effectively, he is now an active CIA agent in this one on the hunt for extra terrestrial findings and while not without his moments (Vance often gives more than what is on the page), he feels just shoehorned into the plot and is arguably the most blatant example of needlessly over complicating the plot. I have to assume he was included due to being a fan favorite, but he ends up lacking what made the character memorable and compelling anyway.
One new addition I really liked though was Amy Hill as David’s grandmother, Tutu, who also serves as another parental figure for Lilo when Nani is away. I found Hill to be delightful, bringing so much energy to the role, while providing some nice warmth to her scenes of consoling. This was a new element that worked and I like the role she comes to play in the film as it goes on to the end. On the alien side, his odd, yet interesting attempt to mimic Alan Tudyk aside, Billy Magnussen is able to provide amusement as the panicky and over the top, yet ultimately good natured, Pleakley, while Hannah Waddingham is an inspired pick for the strict yet often sarcastic Grand Councilwoman. Zach Galifianakis as Jumba on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Not only is Galifianakis not given the opportunity to provide an actual vocal performance (which he has done to great effect before), but the decision to make the character into an outright villain not only makes the character less interesting and against the grain, but it also isn’t even executed in a special way as he’s just a generic evil scientist who wants his creation back for nefarious purposes.
On the whole, I thought Lilo & Stitch (2025) was a perfectly fine family flick that is harmless for what it is, but doesn’t really go above and beyond what is usually expected of these remakes. It follows a very similar path as the original, overcomplicates the narrative in certain ways, and doesn’t really come close to matching the impact of the original due to being watered down in certain respects. That being said, there is still a decent amount of amusement, it is able to get some of the important elements right, I liked a couple of the updates, it is well made, Stitch is a lot of fun, and it has charming performances from most of the cast. I think for families just looking for something to watch, it gets the job done and will likely satisfy a lot of younger kids who love Stitch the character. However, I can see die hard fans taking issue with quite a few of the changes. It’s in that Aladdin/Little Mermaid range of having issues, but ultimately working well enough as decent entertainment in a vacuum (though I did like those two films more). Besides, the original will always be there and ultimately be the one that people will look back on fondly and will continue to inspire and leave an impact, many years after it first released.
Rating: B-
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