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Geek Tyrant
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Disney's LILO & STITCH Remake Sparks Fan Fury Over the Ending; What Happened to Ohana? — GeekTyrant
Disney's live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is now playing in theaters. It had a strong Memorial Day opening weekend, and while the studio made an effort to recapture the emotional core of the original, one big change has longtime fans calling foul. For a lot of fans, the way the movie ends is not just a creative liberty, it's a betrayal of what the original film was all about… ohana. At first glance, the remake plays it safe. The dynamic between Lilo and Nani, sisters holding onto each other after their parents' death, remains central. Nani is still nineteen, still fiercely protective, still trying to keep her fractured family together despite the looming pressure from child services. If you're watching with nostalgia goggles, you might be lulled into thinking, 'Okay, they kept the heart.' But, then the third act hits. In the original animated film, the emotional climax hinges on Nani refusing to give up custody of Lilo. It's not just a plot point; it's the entire emotional spine. Her willingness to fight for her sister, to sacrifice her own dreams to preserve their bond, is what made their relationship so powerful. In the live-action version, though, that bond ends with a handshake and a goodbye. Lilo stays in Hawaii with neighbors as Nani heads off to college in San Diego. It's a major rewrite of the original ending, and for many fans, it completely undercuts what made Nani such a beloved character. 'Nani not giving up custody of Lilo and fighting for her WAS the point,' one fan, @inkfycreates, posted online. 'Nani and Lilo [bonding] due to Stitch WAS the point.' Another fan, @JemStarGold, critisized the change as a misguided attempt to modernize Nani, saying: 'This feels like an attempt to girlboss Nani by giving her more ambitions, but they so easily could have just expanded on what the original implied. 'Show that she was an aspiring professional surfer before she had to take care of Lilo, then have her pursue it again at the end.' They're not wrong. This isn't about hating on ambition or character growth, about how they went about doing it. The original film didn't need to show Nani giving up everything forever. But it did make it clear that her first priority was Lilo. The live-action version flips that dynamic, and in doing so, loses the very thing that made Nani such a hero to so many. Yes, the movie is doing well at the box office. Yes, audiences are showing up. But that doesn't mean fans aren't allowed to be disappointed when the soul of a story is stripped away in the name of reinvention. The live-action Lilo & Stitch is in theaters now, and if you're curious, it's worth seeing for yourself. Just don't be surprised if the ending leaves a sting. Let us know what you think! Did Disney make the right call, or did they miss the ohana mark entirely?
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Controversial Ending Of Disney's New ‘Lilo & Stitch,' Explained
Disney's live-action remake of 'Lilo & Stitch' Viewers have something of a love-hate relationship with Disney's slate of live-action remakes, which are often criticized for failing to live up to the original animated films, yet sometimes proving very popular at the box office. The original Lilo & Stitch was a modest success, grossing $273 million worldwide, but fans look back on the film fondly—it's beautifully animated, boasts unique character design, a good sense of humor, and depicts Hawaii as a lush, colorful paradise. While the new Lilo & Stitch has already overtaken the original film at the box office, commentators have pointed out that the live-action remake doesn't capture the beauty and heart of the animated film. Plus, a significant change made to the ending of the film has sparked backlash and controversy on social media. Lilo & Stitch depicts Lilo and her sister Nani in a difficult, but very loving relationship—the two are orphaned and Nani is tasked with taking care of her little sister. Nani is the only one who understands Lilo's eccentricity, but Nani is overstretched and struggles to care for her little sister, resulting in the state threatening to take Lilo away from Nani. Of course, the sister's lives face greater disruption when the alien Stitch enters their lives disguised as a dog, sabotaging Nani's desperate attempts to get her life in order. The story emphasizes the importance of 'Ohana,' meaning family that binds beyond traditional blood ties. The original animated film grants Lilo's family a happy-ever-after, ending with Nani, Lilo and Stitch finding peace together, bolstered by a new support system of aliens and humans. The live-action remake, however, has a different interpretation of Ohana. Spoilers Ahead In the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, Nani (Sydney Agudong) and Lilo (Maia Kealoha) are in the exact same situation, but the film ends with the state taking Lilo away from her big sister. Fans of the original film were quite shocked to see the change. For context, this change is presented as an unambiguously happy ending for Nani, as a new character is introduced, Tūtū (Amy Hill), a grandmotherly neighbour who adopts Lilo. This ensures that Nani can still see Lilo regularly and remain close, but also gives her the freedom to leave for college in California to study marine biology. However, fans pointed out that there was something dark about Nani's future career being placed above her care of Lilo, a strangely cold ending with a glossy, 'girlboss' spin. Lilo hasn't gone away, exactly, but the two no longer live together, and Nani is no longer taking care of her sister. Given that the original film (and the remake) very much emphasizes the importance of keeping families together with the phrase 'no one gets left behind,' this struck many viewers as a cold attempt at a happy ending. Indeed, given the terrible history of indigenous children being torn away from their families, many pointed out that the creative choice came across as wildly insensitive. The outcry was so strong, it even inspired satirical fan art. Others wondered why Nani couldn't simply study marine biology in Hawaii. Some speculated that the change was made to give the film a newfound sense of realism. Whatever the reasoning behind the change, the result is that the theme of the story shifts to a more individualistic message. During the ending of the live-action Lilo & Stitch, the phrase 'nobody gets left behind' is countered by Tūtū, who tells Nani, 'don't leave yourself behind.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I Do Stand By The Decision': Lilo & Stitch Director Explains Why Gantu Isn't In The New Movie
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The latest of live-action Disney movie remakes is here with the release of the new Lilo & Stitch, and that means fans like myself are going to start talking about how the beloved animated version compares to it. One major change you might have already noticed is that a character named Gantu was not adapted to the 2025 movie. When CinemaBlend sat down with the filmmakers, they told us why. In the 2002 movie, Experiment 626 flees to Earth after he is sentenced to exile, but the United Galactic Federation is hot on his trail to retrieve him. We already knew Jumba and Pleakley would be back in the movie (played by Zach Galifinakis and Billy Magnussen), but Captain Gantu is not part of the equation this time. Here's what director Dean Fleischer Camp said about the revision: Gantu was one of those things that just didn't work so well in live action. We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision. And also I do stand by the decision 'cause I feel like a lot of the things that in trying to ground these characters more and tell a story with a little more emotional depth, especially between the sisters, I feel like you have to free up real estate to allow that breathing room to do those things. When it comes to Disney remakes, there's been a varying degree of resemblance to their originals, from The Lion King's quite close reenactment to the recent Snow White movie adding a whole new batch of songs to the soundtrack. As Camp shared with us, they 'explored' having Gantu in the live-action Lilo & Stitch, but ultimately felt he was a necessary cut to make room for some of the new additions. In the case of Gantu, the character is sent by the Grand Councilwoman of the Galactic Federation to take more invasive measures to capture Stitch after Jumba and Pleakley's methods prove to be ineffective. As someone who grew up adoring the 2002 movie, I didn't necessarily miss his presence, and I can see how it might look a little odd in live-action. Still, I would be curious how it would have looked for him to be in it. I gave the remake a 3.5 out of 5 in my Lilo & Stitch review, noting how, yes, there's some aspects of the animated movie I missed from this version, Gantu included, but I overall enjoyed the added focus on its human characters, particularly through Maia Kealoha and Sydney Agudong's Lilo & Nani. As Camp continued in our interview, I think my approach to the film is to respect the fact that animation is a very different medium than live action. And I don't think it usually works when – there's a danger in just trying to port it in one-to-one. Literally just depict it in photo-real photography because I think you lose a lot of expressiveness and all these things that animation does better than live action. There are a lot of those. Lilo & Stitch does a balance of having so many recreations of original scenes we know and love, and taking some creative liberties to align better with the medium. (For example, you might have also heard about the changes to Pleakley and his affinity in the original for wigs and dresses.) As Camp continued: There's ways it can also cheat that live action can't, and live action can also do things better than animation can't, which is what we kind of tried to write a little bit more towards in recalibrating it for a live-action film. At the end of the day, we'll always have the original animated movie to return back to, but it's always interesting to see what stays and what goes when it comes to these Disney remakes. Lilo & Stitch is now playing.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lilo & Stitch Review: I'm Happy To Report Stitch Is Just As Cute & Fluffy In Live-Action, But The Real Star Of The Remake Is Its Human Story
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Lilo & Stitch (2025) Release Date: May 23, 2025 Directed By: Dean Fleischer Camp Written By: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes, Dean DeBlois, Chris SandersStarring: Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Sydney Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill, Hannah Waddingham Rating: PG for action, peril and thematic elements Runtime: 108 minutes I never thought this day would come, but with the new Lilo & Stitch, we've somehow reached the era of live-action Disney movies where the House of Mouse is remaking films from the 2000s… so, I officially feel old. The 2002 animated film came out at the perfect time for me. I was six years old, which is the exact same age Lilo is in the movie when she wishes on a 'shooting star' for an angel, all the while an extraterrestrial convict known as Experiment 626 flees to Earth in hopes of escaping his sentence. I've rewatched it more times than I count, and I would consider it not only one of the best Disney movies ever made, but my personal favorite. So, Dean Fleischer Camp's remake had a lot to live up to here. The results? Somehow, I've been pleasantly dazzled by the story all over again through a new medium. Not in a "I like this more than the animated version" way, but it's pretty much impossible to scoff at a movie as adorable as this, especially when it's pretty darn close to hitting the sweet and emotional beats that's as affecting as ever two decades later. When co-writers/directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders first brought Stitch into this world, it was an especially experimental time for the company following the much beloved Disney Renaissance. Movies like The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet also came out during this more eccentric and adventure-filled era. It's fun to see the company go back over this movie in particular because it's one of the most wholly original properties it has (i.e: It's not based on a fairytale or anything like that), and the way it holds up in a new medium only highlights how special the idea was to begin with. Going into it, the biggest concern I had about this movie was how Stitch might translate in live-action, especially with him being a long-eared blue alien who passes himself as a dog throughout the story. It's one of those things that works great in an animated movie, and is less believable when real people are involved. However, Disney has absolutely nailed the recreation of Stitch. A huge part of this can be credited to the voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders, coming back for another round, but the animation and effects departments clearly agonized over getting Stitch to be as cute and fluffy as he was in 2D animation. At the same time, audiences might come out of this Lilo & Stitch feeling like the destructive alien has been a bit overshadowed by its human characters. There's a few less gags for 626 to be part of in order to lean into the more realistic elements, and it can feel like the movie's more so from the perspective of Nani and the adults in the movie instead of from the imaginative headspace of Lilo. You can't have Stitch without Lilo, and newcomer Maia Kealoha brings a welcome new energy and delight to the six-year-old. There's something about seeing an actual small child fall in love with a little alien that makes those tears flow easier than ever. Other Disney remakes seemed to have gone into the process with hopes of updating it for a modern audience, from Snow White making its leading heroine more headstrong, to The Little Mermaid changing around some lyrics. In terms of this title, I, like many fans, didn't see a reason for Lilo & Stitch to get this treatment. While I still stand by that on some fronts, the filmmakers do find a good reason for this movie to exist when it comes to strengthening the storyline between Lilo and her older sister, Nani. Sydney Agudong fits right into her role as Nani, who is faced with parenting her following their mom and dad's untimely death, all while going to school, holding a job and being a teenager. The movie adds a new social worker character, played by Nani's original voice actress, Tia Carrere, that helps ground the movie further. Courtney B. Vance's Cobra Bubbles role feels like it isn't as prominent as in the original, but much like the rest of the movie, the actor has a more human approach than Ving Rhames' cartoony origins as the undercover CIA agent. Most of Lilo & Stitch very much aims to pay tribute to favorite scenes, with tons of quotable lines and moments being recreated in a new medium. Oftentimes, it can feel like the movie is rushing through the original's 'greatest hits' and just needs to sit in the moment a bit more and allow for the audience to enjoy the Hawaiian views. But, the filmmakers do also take some creative liberties in order to better work for the live-action medium. The results are mixed, but overall intriguing to see play out. For example, Jumba and Pleakley, the two aliens who are hired by the United Galactic Federation to retrieve Stitch from Earth, spend a lot less time in alien form and disguise themselves as humans while in Hawaii for obvious reasons. Honestly, these two aliens are kind of terrifying in live-action, so I get it. Zach Galifinakis and Billy Magnussen serviceably embody the roles, but it does feel like some goofiness from the animated form is lost this time around. Pleakley specifically feels the most underutilized whilst Jumba is given a larger, but somehow flat role that expands into the third act. There's definitely something refreshing about some of the turns the movie takes later in the film given most of it draws heavily from the original. The new Lilo & Stitch best changes only highlight the central message of 'Ohana' throughout, and that makes it worth the ride. As far as Disney remakes go, especially for a movie as good and well-loved as Lilo & Stitch, Dean Fleischer Camp's movie tows a decent line of being a faithful remake and reintroducing a new generation and nostalgic longtime fans. It reminded me why I've loved the 2002 modern classic since I was a kid, and through many phases of my life, and also offered a new perspective to the story I wouldn't have gotten otherwise if it hadn't been made.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lilo & Stitch Producer Explained To Me Why One Specific Character Was Added, And I Need To Talk About How Much I Love It
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Live-action Disney movie remakes allow filmmakers to reintroduce beloved aspects of the film they're reimagining. However, they're also presented with an opportunity to perhaps improve on the source material. That's no different when it comes to the new Lilo & Stitch movie. When CinemaBlend spoke to the filmmakers, not only did they discuss the major character that was taken out, they also shed light on a new face that I absolutely love. The character I really need to discuss is Tutu, who's played by Amy Hill. In the film, Tutu is a neighbor of Nani and Lilo's, who's around throughout the story and ultimately offers to take in Lilo while Nani goes off to college in San Diego to study marine biology. In regard to the decision to add the character, producer Jonathan Eirich told CinemaBlend the following: Most of it honestly came from our Hawaiian screenwriter, Chris Bright, and just trying to bring authenticity to the story in every way we could. And something he said early on, he was like, 'I don't think in Hawai'i, if these two sisters had just lost their parents, I don't think they would be as isolated.' [Knowing] the community of Hawaii there would be support for them.' So, we sort of had this notion of this neighbor character, Tutu, that is actually there for them earlier in the story. I'm so happy to hear Hawaiian writer Chris Kekaniokalani Bright had the chance to help craft this iteration of Lilo & Stitch, because small details like this are so important for representation. The original movie had a lot of support from Hawaiian people, including Nani voice actor Tia Carerre, who suggested the hammock scene in the animated movie. However, having someone with writing credits is such a step up. And, as Eirich shared, Bright thought it was important to have Tutu added in order to better depict how Ohana means a lot more than those you share blood with in Hawaii. As Eirich continued: And the character issue for Nani really becomes, is she too stubborn? Does she wanna prove she can do everything on her own? She can replace their mother, she can take on this responsibility. And, she has to learn to just accept help and sort of accept this wider Ohana. And so, it is a little bit of a character change for Nani, but it actually came out of our screenwriter just saying, 'I think this is a little bit more true to what Hawaii and the sense of community is really like.' It's such a beautiful change to Lilo & Stitch's story. Of course, Tutu is not the only new character in the film, either. Tia Carrere was also given a new character, a social worker named Mrs. Kekoa. She helps ground the storyline involving Nani trying to remain a guardian to Lilo. With that, Courtney B. Vance's Cobra Bubbles attends to the alien matters. As someone who shares the opinion that Disney remakes are getting kind of old, I really appreciate Lilo & Stitch. It's the inclusion of Amy Hill's Tutu that really makes me smile, though. On the one hand, it's fitting that Hill has a role in the live-action remake, because she voiced Mrs. Hasagawa in the animated film. On top of that, though, Tutu's inclusion deepens the Hawaiian representation of the whole story. Disney+: from $9.99 a month w/ ad-supported planStream the original Lilo & Stitch film and other entries in the franchise now using a Disney+ subscription. Grab the ad-supported plan, which starts at $9.99 a month, or go ad-free for a monthly $15.99 charge. Or save 16% by pre-paying $159.99 for a Deal Tutu's existence also has a positive impact on Nani's arc. During my viewing, I liked seeing Nani accept help and follow her dreams of continuing her education, as a girl her age should be able to do. Simultaneously, this conveys the notion that Ohana can extend beyond bloodlines. On top of everything else, Hill is absolutely hilarious in every scene she's in. Creating a new character can be tricky, and it's been hit or miss as far as the live-action Disney remakes are concerned. It definitely works here, though, and I'm hopeful that this won't be the last time fans see Tutu in some form. You can check out more of CinemaBlend's Lilo & Stitch review to get a better sense of my thoughts, and be on the lookout for more exclusive content. And, of course, be sure to check out the film in theaters now!
