Lilo & Stitch

 

“Ohana means family”

Sweet, sentimental and sunny, Lilo & Stitch doesn’t fully capture the spark of the original despite its mostly faithful commitment to the source material but the few changes it does makes don’t make it better or worse, just different - but it’s worth it for the adorable Maia Kealoha who steals the show. 

Discussion Points:

It was inevitable that Disney would start to milk their 21st century animated neoclassics for their live action remake machine, and the first is the 2002 Lilo & Stitch, which was released only 23 years ago. And again, the remake is not better than the original and if given the choice between watching one or the other I’ll take the original every time. But that’s not to say that this remake is necessarily bad. It’s a rather faithful adaptation that captures a lot of the heart and translates a lot of the cartoony moments well into live-action but it still can’t help but feel reductive. Maia Kealoha is an absolute star though and her bright smile and energy is infectious. She manages to do well beside a fully CGI Stitch, sometimes more convincingly than her adult costars (with some noticeably bad ‘scratching’ of Stitch that looks quite fake). Sydney Elizebeth Agudong is great as Nani, balancing the fracturous stress of caring for Lilo with her abundant love for her little sister. The rest of the cast bring plenty of Island warmth and fun, with Billy Magnussen being perfectly cast as Pleakley. Unfortunately the films biggest issues all come down to Jumba. Zack Galifianakis is sadly miscast, and Jumba loses much of his warmth with no accent or redemption. By removing Captain Gantu and making Jumba the primary villain, the theme of forgiveness and self-improvement is underdeveloped with Jumba’s ‘badness’ levels never changing. Whilst some have mixed feelings about Nani giving up guardianship, the introduction of a great neighbour family to foster helps to make it clear that this is the best choice for Lilo’s future. Finally, the VFX are fantastic, with great creature designs and action set pieces and Stitch is very cute and fluffy. Ultimately, Lilo & Stitch doesn’t surpass its inspiration, but it captures a lot of what makes the original so beloved. A good film to watch with your own ohana.