Lilo and Stitch Review: Disney's Live Action Remake Brings Ohana To Life

Lilo and Stitch has to be one of Disney's most undisney-like movies made to date. There is no princess, although there is a spoiled brat named Lilo (newcomer Maia Kealoha). There is a cute and cuddly creature, but he is a mischievous alien from outer space banished to Earth. There is no fairy godmother, only a big sister named Nani (Sydney Agudong; Infamously In Love) who is in way over her head and there is no love story to speak of unless you count the one between Lilo and Stitch (Chris Sanders; How To Train Your Dragon) but that more of a family love rather than a romantic love. Therefore, one has to wonder why Disney would decide to choose that film to remake into a live-action movie.    

Let's face it, Disney has not had great luck with many of its live-action remakes of late, though Stitch is an extremely popular character. This means this could either come off brilliantly or crash and burn. Luckily, it isn't the latter, but it isn't completely the former either. Most fans of the original animated movie will probably like it, but kids, especially those who did not see the cartoon version, are going to love it.    

Here are the basics: A tale of a young girl's close encounter with the galaxy's most wanted extraterrestrial. Lilo is a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts a small, ugly "dog," whom she names Stitch. Stitch would be the perfect pet if he weren't, in reality, a genetic experiment who has escaped from an alien planet and crash-landed on Earth. Through her love, faith, and unwavering belief in ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family, Lilo helps unlock Stitch's heart and gives him the ability to care for someone else.    

Let's start with the casting. Kealoha is adorable and does a great job of capturing the essence of the misbehaving Lilo from the animated movie. She knows when to be hyped up and when to calm down her tone, and she can certainly scream. Agudong is also very good, and the two leads have great chemistry as if they were family in real life. Sanders once again takes on the titular character's voice as he has done for over twenty years, and still sounds terrific. Billy Magnussen (No Time To Die) plays Pleakly perfectly, and he and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover trilogy) have good comedic timing together. The biggest complaint is that Galifianakis portrays Jumba without a Russian accent. For those who love the original film, this change throws off the whole movie.    

Next up, the scenery. Lilo and Stitch is one long advertisement for the Hawaii tourism bureau, but not in a bad way. The lush greenery, the crystal clear, blue ocean, the white, sandy beach, etc., are magnificently filmed and, if screened in HDR by Barco, the background pops even more.    

Also, well done is Stitch himself. He doesn't look fake. His fur is made up of different tints of blues with other hues mixed in to give him depth and believability. He is adorable even when he is unlikeable, and making a small, blue alien look good isn't an easy task, but Disney took the time and did it right.    

Is Lilo and Stitch the best live-action remake Disney has done? No, but it is far from the worst. The plot is the same for the most part with only minor changes, and audiences will laugh, cry, and enjoy it, especially the younger members of the audience. However, I think Disney should quit while it is ahead and put any more live-action remakes on the back burner.    

Grade: B-