23-05-2025
‘Lilo & Stitch' movie review: A rumbustious, out-of-this-world adventure
Chris Sanders' and Dean DeBlois' Lilo & Stitch (2002) telling the story of a wildly destructive blue alien who lands in Hawaii to discover the meaning of family was hailed for its charm and humour, and Disney's live action reboot retains the wit and warmth of the original.
Lilo & Stitch (English)
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, Maia Kealoha
Run time: 108 minutes
Storyline: A destructive alien lands on earth, is adopted by a six-year-old Hawaiian girl and hunted by its evil creator
The story is mostly the same, with evil Kweltikwan genius, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis), in a great deal of trouble with the United Galactic Federation for his nasty experiments, including creating an indestructible agent of chaos, Experiment 626 (Chris Sanders). Though initially the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham) imprisons Jumba and shuts down his lab, when 626 escapes to earth, he is sent to capture it.
Agent Wendell Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), who has done intensive study on earth fashions, (when we first see him, he has on a cowboy hat) is sent along to ensure Jumba does not harm humans. In Hawaii, Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a six-year-old orphan with a singular imagination, and a propensity for trouble, is the cause of a great deal of worry for her sister, Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong).
Nani is Lilo's legal guardian and has given up a chance to study marine biology on a full scholarship to take care of her little sister. Her efforts might not be enough as the social worker, Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere), warns her. Mrs. Kekoa gives Nani a week to get everything in order, including cleaning the kitchen, stocking the refrigerator, and getting medical insurance to keep Lilo out of foster care.
Lilo wishes for a friend upon a falling star, which is actually 626's stolen police cruiser. She adopts 626 from the animal shelter where the naughty alien, who has assumed the shape of a dog, is kept after causing mayhem at a wedding. Lilo names 626, Stitch, and their mischief causes Nani to lose her job.
CIA agent, Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) is also on the hunt for Stitch. Cobra Bubbles incidentally was the social worker in the original. Nani's friend, David (Kaipo Dudoit), is a surfer and his grandmother, Tūtū (Amy Hill), helps Nani care for Lilo.
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The visuals are bright pops of colour, with the gloriously rendered CGI aliens seamlessly interacting with the humans. Stitch, with his grinning mouth and gleaming eyes, is a delight. The action is inventive and Kealoha making her acting debut as Lilo is cute beyond belief. Magnussen, as Pleakley, gets most of the funny lines.
Sanders, who conceptualised and voiced Stitch in the original, is on top of his game. It is nice to see Carrere, who was Nani's voice in the original. Lilo & Stitch is one of Disney's better live-action adaptations delivering a perfect mix of nostalgia and novelty.
Lilo & Stitch is currently running in theatres
