Lilo & Stitch (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A lonely Hawaiian girl befriends a runaway alien, helping to mend her fragmented family.

My Take – Released in 2002, at time when Disney as an animation studio was going through a tumultuous time, Lilo & Stitch ended up being a sleeper success story.

Acting as an amalgamation of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Looney Tunes anarchy, the animated film’s story about a stranded alien befriending a misfit little girl endured audience of all ages, especially with its central message about the importance of family, meanwhile critics were left ecstatic over its triumph of mixing old-fashioned hand-drawn animation with dashes of the then newly found computer animation.

Hence, it didn’t come as a surprise when Disney announced that the beloved animated classic will be joining their ever-growing slate of live-action re-imaginings. But what did surprise me that the final product didn’t feel like the usual copy-and-paste job or a cash grab. Mainly because it contained heart and a vibe that respected the original while carving out its own lane.

Helmed by director Dean Fleischer Camp, who made the very delightful Oscar-nominated CGI-and-live-action hybrid Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021), of course, it is still a pale imitation of its sun-soaked predecessor because that’s literally what it is, a real-world take on the pastel-and-primary original, yet, it also brings a fresh cinematic energy, warmth and cuteness that elevate the film.

They’ve stripped out a few supporting characters, but screenwriters Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes have smartly played up the sisterly relationship to take full advantage of the live actors. It also helps that the themes of family, belonging and acceptance has been well preserved and translated the way no other Disney remake probably has.

Yes, it suffers from all the usual problems that these live action re-imaginings have become accustomed to, particularly their lack of unpredictability. However, this one definitely is one of the better Disney remakes, thanks to its simultaneous loosened grip on its source material, some good laughs and retention of the original’s familial focus.

Though the runtime has been expanded by more than 20 minutes, the story pretty much remains the same and once again follows Experiment 626 (voiced by Chris Sanders), an illegally-made aggressive and near-indestructible alien creature with advanced learning capabilities, created by Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis), who finds itself sentenced to exile by the Grand Councilwoman (voiced by Hannah Waddingham) of the United Galactic Federation for its destructive nature.

However, the creature manages to swiftly escape the alien authorities and crash lands on Earth, specifically on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. Worried that he would cause irreparable damage to the comparatively primitive planet, the Grand Councilwoman makes a deal with Dr. Jumba, in exchange of his freedom, and tasks Earth expert Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) to don human facades to facilitate his recapture.

To buy himself some time to escape the island, Experiment 626 ends up masquerades as a dog, gets the moniker “Stitch”, and worms his way into the home of orphaned sisters, lonely six-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her older sister Nani Pelekai (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). But the timing couldn’t be worse, as an overwhelmed Nani is at the risk of losing custody of Lilo to the state, and Stitch has no control over his instinct for mischief. Cue alien shenanigans and a lot of soul-searching by everyone to figure out where they belong in the world.

Simply told, the narrative is largely unchanged in its major beats, though there are some tweaks. The film has cut back on the Elvis songs and leans heavier on Hawaiian music, and generally more rooted in the culture this time around. But big moments of emotion and exposition are oddly woolly, and Lilo’s bad behavior has been softened considerably.

While the friendship of the title duo remains key to the remake, the focus has been shifted mostly towards developing the relationship between Lilo and Nani. They’re the eye of the hurricane whipped up by Stitch’s arrival, working together to move past a loss whose aftermath is still deeply felt. As a result, the possibility of their separation feels truly upsetting because of the connection the two make with each other and the audience. But the further the film gets from this emotional core, the more it stumbles.

The two aliens pursuing, Jumba and Pleakley, have always been a somewhat odd fit in the original film and seemed to exist only to add more wackiness to the proceedings. And where the humor with Lilo and Stitch almost always works, the wacky hi-jinks with these two are simply hit and miss.

Of course, there will be viewers disgruntled by the changes to beloved characters and moments – some removed, some reworked. Mostly, though, the tweaks are in the film’s favor, helping to set it up as a more contemporary version of what 2002 Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois directorial has always been – a self-contained, grounded and intimate tale of family.

And of course, the fuzzy blue creature, his Muppet-with-teeth mouth and his alien-bunny ears intact, still endures. Kids will love him, as ever. The computer-generated Stitch is an expressive delight, radiating the chaos energy that bratty pet owners will acknowledge with a knowing smile.

Performance wise, newcomer Maia Kealoha shines in her debut, capturing the spirited innocence of the character with natural ease. Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch, infusing the mischievous alien with the same chaotic charm that endeared him to audiences two decades ago. But it’s Sydney Elizebeth Agudong who sells the most interesting role, as the film delves with more detail into Nani’s disappointments, fears, sense of failure, and cynicism born out of a grief she hasn’t had a chance to process.

Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen seem to be having a lot of fun getting goofy. Amy Hill is a welcome addition to the cast, adding further warmth and spirit to proceedings. Sadly, Courtney B. Vance, Hannah Waddingham and Kaipo Dudoit don’t have much to do. Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in 2002) and Jason Scott Lee (who voiced David in 2002) too make delightful appearances. On the whole, ‘Lilo & Stitch‘ is a decent live-action remake that pays homage to the original and does enough to confidently stand on its own.