Not unlike the results of some of Stitch’s use of items as projectiles, talking about some of the same points involving live-action Disney remakes makes me sound like a broken record. Lilo & Stitch was a curious choice for me to see come up, as the film is fairly recent compared to other Disney cash grabs remakes (don’t get me started on the upcoming Moana remake). In terms of the many (many) attempts to continually capitalize on different iterations of E.T., I just didn’t know what else could be gained from doing this particular story again. Sure, visual effects are at a point where the elaborate science fiction elements could be rendered in a new way, but it’s not as though there’s much in the way of innovation here, as opposed to just seeing what the tools filmmakers already have can do to rehash what’s been done before, but make it feel less special. With all of this in mind, Lilo & Stitch does have winning elements (largely the casting) that still make this version entertaining, despite my continual thoughts regarding the limbo these remakes exist in.
Like the 2002 animated film, this film features two orphaned siblings, 6-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her older sister Nani (Sydney Elizabeth Agudong), living together in Hawaii. Lilo is a bit of a troublemaker. She acts rebelliously and is considered “weird” by her classmates, leaving her lonely. Nani is doing her best to take care of Lilo, staying back from a full ride at college and instead barely holding down a job to keep her and her sister together. Being siblings, they also get on each other’s nerves, which is not the best look when Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere) from social services comes around. Still, while not perfect, hopefully the two can make it work.
See Also: ‘Moana 2’ Review: Shallow Surf Ahead
Oh, I guess I should also mention the alien genetic experiment that escapes from the United Galactic Federation by stealing a spaceship, and ends up crashlanding on Earth. Once there, to avoid being caught, Experiment 626 (as it is known) gets itself adopted by Lilo, who believes this thing to be a strange blue dog-like creature. Stitch, as it is eventually named, ends up being a lot more trouble than he’s worth, creating chaos wherever he goes, eating whatever looks good, and trashing whatever else.
Dividing what’s behind this film’s plot speaks to what I enjoy about Lilo & Stitch. Having not actually seen the original animated film until I was well into adulthood, I was not only pleased by how strong a Disney feature it was, but I appreciated the concentration on two sisters doing their best to maintain their message regarding family. The key to this remake was always going to be the casting of the sisters, and I think both Agudong and newcomer (and actual 6-year-old) Kealoha are a big success in that regard. They have strong chemistry with each other, and work well as characters separately. Even without Stitch, I was happy going along with that story because of the work to get me onboard with those characters, and the support around them.
Lilo & Stitch is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who previously directed A24’s Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. While this is another instance of a big studio grabbing an indie filmmaker who will largely have less to do with the big spectacle sequences (broad generalization, but bear with me), it’s not hard to see the connection between Camp’s breakout film and this. He’s dealing with families that have been broken in unique ways, and finding paths through absurdist humor to deliver on the emotional developments that occur. Whether or not one can get past the whole sheen of what a big budget Disney remake entails to find oneself connecting on a deeper level, Camp is putting the work in to ideally get an audience there.
In terms of the Stitch of it all, given the continued presence of this character over the years in all forms (DTV sequels, TV shows, comics, games, toys, etc.), clearly, audiences love this wacky, slobbery alien. Undoubtedly, much of the draw for this film will be to see Stitch like they’ve never seen him before…rendered in 3D, and for what it’s worth, the effects work is strong. That speaks to all of the sci-fi elements in this film. Being that it’s a mix of aliens, humans, and Hawaii (shot on location, no less), I can appreciate it all feeling as seamless as it does for a film originally intended to be released direct to Disney+. Still, Stitch (voiced by the original film’s director, Chris Sanders, who recorded lines while making The Wild Robot), is the sort of success that will make it clear why this movie will end up being one of the biggest hits of the summer.
In this version of the story, there are modifications to how much interaction we see between Lilo and Stitch, and that speaks to both the fun they have together, as well as how far to push the eventual melodrama regarding Stitch’s effect on her life, and even his own well-being. Fortunately, while all of the remakes have extra padding, as if classic animated Disney films need an extra 20 minutes to be even better, this take on Lilo & Stitch doesn’t push too far in that department. Yes, there are clear changes, and the film is ultimately still longer, but not oppressively. Not enough happens to ever turn the movie into a slog. If anything, some choices are made for efficiency regarding the sci-fi stuff, allowing for more character work in return.
All that said, odd choices here and there show why live-action doesn’t allow for the smoothest translation of humorous ideas and other animation qualities. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen portray the aliens in disguise who are assigned to capture Stitch and bring him back. These two are hit and miss in terms of their effectiveness, as the film’s tone only seems to somewhat know how to handle their energy. Courtney B. Vance portrays CIA agent Cobra Bubbles, a name designed to be funny, yet this film has no thought to do anything with that.
From a filmmaking standpoint, this is one of those movies that feels like it’s using Hawaii almost like a cheat code. Of course, things largely look great when you have tropical beaches and neighborhoods to constantly work with. However, this film only manages to give us some looks at the scenery. Really, much of it is set around the siblings’ home, the hotel Nani works at, and eventually, one beach. Still, not a badly shot film, but the filming locations do the heavy lifting.
Similarly, the soundtrack and score by Dan Romer are pleasant enough, but I could have used more of the Elvis love that the previous film had. Just finding more ways to embrace the weird that came with Lilo & Stitch would have felt like a solid benefit. That’s not to say this is just a cookie cutter version that fails to add any flavor, but just being among the above-decent Disney remakes isn’t always enough.
I liked this film fine, but I want to hope for something better than just decent when it comes to these remakes. Knowing these ideas could transcend expectations and actually feel like they are offering something new is important. As it stands, Lilo & Stitch gets by on being fun and doing well by its cast. A little more of an anarchic spirit could have done a few wonders in seeking further reasons to exist, but the foundation is at least solid. Perhaps further adventures with Stitch could be the answer, but this close encounter with a live-action kind does what it can to earn its win.
Lilo & Stitch opens in theaters on May 23, 2025.
