Rating:
Summary: For someone completely new to "Lilo & Stitch", this is a worthy remake, but comparisons with the original Disney animated hit from 2002 is best avoided.
I have a confession to make. I have never seen the original 2002 version of "Lilo & Stitch", and it remains probably the only Disney or Pixar film from that period that I haven't watched. There's no particular reason for this other than happenstance, I have nothing against the film or its subject matter, and I think it was just one of those movies that slipped through the cracks - and then a couple of years went by and it felt too much time had taken place to revisit the film, especially as a 20-something years old with better things to do.
Which makes me the perfect reviewer for the 2025 version of this film, the latest in Disney's series of live-action remakes. Cynics will call these remakes nothing but cash grabs, but there is a valid exercise here to introduce older material to a newer generation, or an older generation that somehow bought the DVD in 2023 but never watched it (guilty). For once, I'm an actual target audience for a Disney live-action remake.
With that said, I have enjoyed most of the live-action remakes so far, and enjoyed sharing them with my loved ones exposed to it for the first time. "Lilo & Stitch", in my opinion, is no different - it's a wonderful film for those new to the story.
That shouldn't be a surprise because the story itself is a lovely one, and the character of Stitch has always been a breath of fresh (alien) air.
There is an modernisation of the storyline, and some changes that are out of necessity due to its live-action nature, and to be honest, the CGI for other characters other than Stitch are only average at best.
Other technical attributes are great, although you do lose something going from the freedom of the animated world into the physical confines of, well, the physical world and physical filmmaker.
The real stars of this remake, not surprisingly, are the humans. Maia Kealoha is a standout as impetuous Lilo, while Sydney Agudong is wonderful as Lilo's sister, and guardian, Nani. The others all appeared to have really enjoyed their roles, including a clean shaven and somewhat unrecognisable Zach Galifianakis.
2025's Lilo & Stitch, had it been an original film, would be right up there with the best. As a comparison to the excellent original (one that, thankfully, I've caught up on just before writing this review), this one does fall short of the existential odyssey that was at the heart of the original. It's still a very good film and it should do amazing at the box office.
"Lilo & Stitch" is in cinemas on 22 May 2024. Streaming release date: TBA
