- Date of Release: 23 May 2025
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Lilo & Stitch
Introduction
The journey of the two contrasting characters on two contrasting planets have an unlikely streak to link it. Stitch (referred to as 626) is a cutsie blue-Koala stuffed toy-like creature who is deemed dangerous by The Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham), so much so that she orders the little experiment to be destroyed. Elsewhere on our little planet and on the little island of Hawaii, you are introduced to a cutsie 6-year old Lilo (Maia Kealoha) while being ignored by other kids in her Hulu dance class. Both Lilo and Stitch have a rebellious trait in common – they both know how to retaliate when pushed to the corner. Stitch creates havoc on the planet Turo, even as The Grand Councilwoman asks 626’s creator Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) to “sort his mess”. Elsewhere, Lilo is involved in a rebellious phase of her own – venting her anger with non-cooperation towards her elder sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) who is trying to make ends meet by doing odd jobs after her parents’ death. Clearly, you can sense that Lilo and Stitch are two individuals that are meant to be with each other, and in many ways complete each other. In a scene, you see Lilo praying for a “Best Friend” to enter her life, a wish that is not only granted instantly but also doubles up as a heartwarming watch.
Story & Screenplay
A remake of the 2002 film by the same name and produced by Disney too, Lilo & Stitch remains a heartwarming version of the original film by retaining its essence and soul for most parts of the film. One thing that did work in the live-animation film’s favour was that it wasn’t a remake of a “classic”, unlike other adaptations of famous IPs of Disney that were almost universally criticized for the very same reason. Amidst this, the setting of the drama in the island of Hawaii further added a flavour of representation. The lush green trees and the blue seas all felt like a picturesque location that also felt like an anti-thesis for Lilo, that felt symbolic for how tourists would view Hawaii as a holiday destination before returning to their dens. Similarly, the feeling of loneliness for Lilo was palpable from the start, of wanting to force herself to fit into her new normal of having to grow up without parents in an ‘alien’ setup (along with no form of escapism from the island much like what Stitch gets to face later on). And this is where Lilo’s relationship with her sister Nani was also one of the core emotional anchors of the film.
Like Lilo, Nani too is a loner with the only difference being that she doesn’t have the luxury to mourn the loss of her parents, while having a younger sister to take of (even at the cost of her dream job). An early conflict suggests on how Nani would be separated from her younger sister, if she doesn’t do enough to prove her worth. And what seems like a rocky relationship to begin with, soon makes for a heartfelt anchor between Nani and Lilo, even while you witness Nani doing everything in her capacity to make ends meet. As a parallel and central emotional core, you witness a similar bond developing between Lilo and Stitch, two oddballs and misfits who double up as miscreants for people around them. Lilo does treat Stitch as a pet dog, literally handpicking him from a local pet shop, simply because he looked unique!
The comedic theme in the drama is essentially a cat and mouse chase that ensues between Stitch, and Jumba and Pleakly (Billy Magnussen) who are tasked by The Grand Councilwoman to trap 626 (Stitch) and prevent any damage to planet Earth. In a sequence of hilarious events, you see the duo assuming the role of diabolically opposite humans, and trying to trap Stitch. Pleakly remains the goofy one who often finds himself in trouble, while Jumba is the menacing one who would go to any length in trying to trap Stitch. As a parallel and probably a weaker subplot, you also have Cobra (Courtney Vince) investigating an incident involving an unidentified flying object whose remains was found. This little subplot felt undercooked and didn’t quite make a stirling impact!
The emotional core remains the triangular relationship between Lilo, Stitch and Nani that accounts for several heartfelt moments in the screenplay. In a scene, you witness Nani on the cusp of revealing the “news of separation” to Lilo before preparing herself a night before on how she will always remain her little sister. Lilo in return, also reciprocates on how she looks upon Nani as her own mother. There is a genuine amount of warmth in the drama, and my greedy heart wished for these scenes to be further fleshed out. Likewise, you also witness a now changed Stitch holding on to the family photograph of Lilo, even during a life-threatening sequence that required to escape alive.
The chaotic final act was quite stereotypical in nature, almost grooving to the beats of a familiar screenplay and playing out in a slapstick fashion. It kind of briefly put a pause on the emotional quotient of the drama that was build around that incident. Somewhere, the predictability of the drama lowered my viewing experience given that I knew how the drama was going to end. The finale scores once again when it chooses to incorporate the emotions in the narrative, something that felt abrupt but heartfelt nevertheless. If anything, the makers could have slowed down the proceedings in order to allow the viewers to feel the palpable emotions even more. But the screenplay here still accounted for a wholesome time at the cinemas by retaining the emotions and the soul of the drama from the original source material. And that allowed the screenplay to be heartwarming and a winner!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pretty heartfelt and go perfectly in sync with the dual theme of the film – a comedy and a drama! The music and BGM accentuate the unique flavour of the setting while elevating the drama to a very large extent. The cinematography captures the beautiful landscapes of Hawaii while allowing the beautiful US state to play a key character in the mix of things. I also liked how the frames had several tight shots that would make the viewers emotionally connected to its characters. The CGI animation for the character of Stitch in particular is outstanding, and it really fleshes out an animated character that is fuzzy and affable. The editing was sharp and at times too sharp for my liking. There were atleast a couple of sequences that were emotionally superior but abruptly cut short in a way that the impact of the scenes were reduced. Director Dean Fleischer Camp does a wonderful job here in understanding the original source material, and presenting this adaptation with as much love and warmth. One of the stronger aspects of the direction was related to the emotional core of the drama, that was such a key ingredient in the mix. And that remained a winner through and through, while papering over some of the cracks in the narrative. If anything, Dean could have slowed the proceedings during these emotional moments, but largely, the direction remained impressive through and through.
Performances / Voiceovers
The performances / voiceovers are terrific by the members of the cast. Kaipo Dudoit as David, Tia Carrere as Mrs Kekoa and Amy Hill as Tutu are such heartwarming characters that remain strong contributors to the emotional core of the drama. Hannah Waddingham as the voice of The Grand Councilwoman is terrific here – powerful, assertive yet tender and empathetic! Courtney Vince as Cobra is decent but his character remains woefully underwritten. Billy Magnussen as Pleakly is hilarious to the core and his vibrant performance definitely manages to tickle your funny bone. Zack Galifianakis as Jumba is goody yet mildly intimidating and makes for a hilarious nemesis to the protagonist(s). Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch is wonderful to witness and he brings the right amount of zing and energy to the animated protagonist. Sydney Agudong as Nani delivers a heartwarming performance that reeks of maturity while retaining the innocence of her teens, in a remarkable performance. She is palpably affable and contributes wonderfully to the emotional core of the drama. Maia Kealoha as Lilo will make your heart melt like a scoop of icecream on a hot day. She is brimming with emotions while also being perfectly in sync with the emotional core related to the demographics of a 6 year old child, wherein she is caring, empathetic yet also incredible with her antics. Her body language and expressions are so pure, and one major reason why the drama here works is because of her brilliant act. She was a treat to witness here.
Conclusion
Boasting of a strong emotional core and some wonderful performances, Lilo & Stitch is a heartwarming remake of the original 2002 film (that goes by the same name) that will gently tug the strings of your heart. Make sure to watch it with your ‘Ohana’! Available in a theatre near you.
