After Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) escapes space jail in a space pod and crash lands on Hawaii, his creator, Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) and Earth expert, Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), are sent to retrieve the creature.  Stitch is not so easily caught, as he disguises himself as a strange dog and befriends Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a strange young girl with trouble making friends.  Her older sister and guardian, Nani (Sydney Agudong) reluctantly allows Stitch to stay, even though the added chaos of a new pet – and, unbeknownst to her at the time, an intergalactic fugitive – will cause more difficulty with proving to her social worker, Mrs. Keoka (Tia Carrere), that she is able to provide a safe arrangement for Lilo after the passing of their parents. 

Dean Fleischer-Camp directs the live action adaptation of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch with Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes providing the updated script.  Clocking in at 108 minutes – almost 20 minutes longer than the 2002 animated original – the film presents a strange balance of new and old, bringing the story forward in time, retaining much of the same arcs, yet eschewing some of the iconic jokes that make the original so beloved.  Despite these changes, the film can largely stand on its own merits, and while those with an affinity for the original may find it lacking, there is plenty for those that only know Stitch as the blue, silly looking plushie on the Disney store shelves to find enjoyment in, too. 

Young Kealoha, far and away, has the most difficult role in the film as Lilo of 2002 is such a bold and unabashed character whose loveable quirks and eccentricities could be fine-tuned by the freedom of animation to ensure perfect comic timing.  She gives a serviceable performance, though that is not to be taken as a knock against her as Lilo has an incredibly specific energy about her, and the screenwriting team did not do the young actress many favors on the page as they shoehorned her quirks into the film without ever really letting Lilo explain herself to us.  From the title sequence the scaling back of why Lilo was late her hula lessons – and why Pudge can not be served a tuna fish sandwich – paints a troubling picture for what is to come with those that hold this title dear. The script puts a self-conscious filter over Lilo that holds the character back, but even still, Kealoha persists and she wears her heart on her sleeve in the role so that we nevertheless find ourselves under her charm as the film teeters into more emotional and sentimental territory. 

From the animated, Lilo has a collection of photos on her wall of tourists; often older, tan lined, and out of shape.  David Hekili Kenui Bell thankfully fills the role of the unfortunate ice cream man, but instead of only hinting at the effects of tourist culture as the animated film does, Fleischer-Camp’s refresh puts the gentrification of the island under a bit more of an inquisitive lens.  This shift works in the transition from animated cell to live action frame, as to interrogate the pushing out and commodification of Hawaiian culture in service of main land tourism would be a real downer in the brightly colored original, but the result here slowly opens the film up to taking a slightly darker turn with some of its themes around social services and the failure of the government to appropriately provide for its people in a way that does feel organic to the story.  It is delightful to hear Lilo mention casually that she is here for the conference as she sneaks into the island resort to relax in the pool until she is called out by name on the loud speaker to disperse; but why should she?  This is her home.  Couple this class struggle with the added drama of a single-guardian household a la The Florida Project (2017), Lilo and Stitch almost becomes baby’s first Sean Baker film; and that is meant as a compliment. 

By incorporating those more advanced themes, however, Fleischer-Camp risks alienating some of the core audience that grew up with certain expectations and may already be feeling scorned by the lack of Captain Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) or the bordering-on-minuscule presence of Agent Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance).  The refresh expands on Nani’s story, showing her to be a competent surfer and diver, with a deferred full-ride enrollment into the marine biology program at UC San Diego; an opportunity which her neighbor, Tutu (Amy Hill) keeps encouraging her to take while playing wingman to her hopelessly infatuated son, David (Kaipo Dudoit).  An argument can be made that Nani making the painful decision to put Lilo up for adoption – though, her guardianship is transferred to Tutu – shatters the theme of “Ohana means family,” and in the most basic sence her leaving does further split the family apart, but in this modern era, a found family has proven to be as strong, if not stronger, of a bond.  Further, it is only for a few years while at school, and what prospects does Nani actually have in her current hair-above being unemployable position?  Taking what Fleischer-Camp’s update tells us, this is the most viable option for Nani and Lilo to have a chance at success in life, and through some additions to the plot, it is shown that their bond is as close, if not closer, than ever. 

This preoccupation with deeper themes does affect the larger humor that one may expect from a Lilo and Stitch film, especially in how this update – unfortunately, in the age of MAGA – handles Jumba and Pleakley.  From the trailer, we knew they were going to appear as their human counterparts instead of merely dressing as tourists, and it takes all the charm and humor out of these sequences as Pleakley no longer has to hide his one eye behind a blonde wig and a sundress.  Further, the screenwriting team does little to expand on the humor to help support this change of tone, and beyond that, given the absence of Gantu, Jumba takes on the role of chief villain of the film. Galafanakis, though, is so woefully miscast – or, to be more charitable, woefully misused – that he can not support the added narrative promotion up from bumbling goon.  It makes the plot almost indecipherable as the film cannot tell if it wants to be a humanist drama with a streak of the extraterrestrial, or a fantasy film that hints at its humanist themes. 

As for Stitch, he works surprisingly well in action and the animation team seemed to lean into his artificiality to great effect.  He maintains his cartoonish design which lets his Looney Tunes resilience not feel at odds with the realistic portrayal of the rest of the world.  He scampers around through the frame with exuberance and a manic energy that can be entertaining in its own right, but again, for the parents or young adults coming to this film, they will be sorely disappointed at his presence, specifically the lack of Elvis which in and of itself is a shocking dilution given The King’s prominence in the original film.  When the film allows Stitch to follow through some of the arcs of the animated film, he excels, but as he branches out, the character becomes aimless and without much of an anchor.  As with Nani, the updated film does strip some of the sentimental themes from his character, too, skimping on his connection to the roadside frog and omitting completely the story of the Ugly Duckling.  Stitch, in 2025, plays like the epitome of a corporate meme, desperately trying to go viral; a concept that perfectly encapsulates this extended live action project by Disney as they repeat back the same ideas and wonder why, through their extensive corporate washing, everything comes out so dull and soulless. Lilo and Stitch, both the 2002 and 2025 versions, have enough charm to weather the storm and this latest entry is by no means the worst product to come out of this fascination with repetition, but it is a low bar to cross and against the Dean DeBlois and
Chris Sanders directed classic, it remains a pale imitation.

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