Lilo & Stitch Review (2025)
Since he made his debut on the big-screen way back in 2002 (is it really twenty-three years ago?!), there perhaps isn’t a character from the vast vault of Disney’s finest that has made quite the same impact as the loveable blue alien known as Experiment 626 – or Stitch, to you and me. T-shirts, posters, teddies, bedding, you name it, if there’s a product with space to display his face, it’s already been turned into merchandise. Such has been the impact in the last two decades of the little rapscallion; in today’s world, he could have run for President and won. To be fair, he couldn’t do any worse in politics than those in power right now, but we digress.
Anyhow, after his animated escapades produced a huge hit for the House of Mouse back then, it was only a matter of time until Stitch made his way back to the big screen to some of his alumni in a new, live-action remake designed to garner a legion of new fans and healthily line the pockets of the studio. Whatever you think of the live-action remakes thus far, be they a cash grab or a genuine attempt to move cinema forward, the debate will continue to rage as long as people pay to see them. The original Lilo & Stitch, one of the genuinely sweetest films Disney has ever made, was a title that many felt should be left alone (we agree). Still, despite some bumps in the road and some less-than-convincing CGI, Stitch 2.0 retains enough of the original’s charm to justify its existence
Originally brought to life by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders before they turned their attentions to How To Train Your Dragon and The Wild Robot, the remake job landed at the desk of Dean Fleischer Camp, the director of the magnificent 2021 animation Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. A safe pair of hands, for sure, and Camp’s unique sensibilities and humour certainly shine through at points in the film, but, like the film itself, he struggles to help it make its jump from animation to live-action. It jars for the most part, the juggling act between the human cast and the CGI alien and his counterparts just doesn’t flow the same way, flow the same way, so it quickly becomes tedious compared to its joyous, energetic sibling.
That isn’t to say there isn’t fun to be had, as Stitch remains his rambunctious best, and stars Maia Kealoha and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Lilo and Nani, respectively, are welcome additions – as is Billy Magnussen’s brilliant Agent Pleakley, who helps keeps the frivolity ticking along, especially in its languid middle act. Indeed, one of the strengths of the original was its themes of family, broken homes, grief, and coming-of-age and screenwriters Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes do a good job in transplanting them into modern-day, even if they don’t all resonate as they did before.
And, in itself, that is something of a thread running through the new Lilo & Stitch: the original did everything so much better. Through its animation lens, its madcap energy, its touching dynamics and profound dexterity were more resonant, more powerful and some of it is lost in translation that even the greatest modern technology cannot replicate in quite the same way. Would this have worked better – and been better presented – as a Disney+ film than on the big screen? Perhaps, but despite its downturns, ohana still means family, and there is still much to enjoy here: kids will still get a kick out of all the madness, and adults might find this one a little too jarring for their liking. The question remains, however: was another remake really worth it?
★★ 1/2
In UK cinemas from May 21st / Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, Hannah Waddingham, Amy Hill, Zach Galifianakis / Dir: Dean Fleischer Camp / U / Disney
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