The new Disney live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” mostly works, though it’s a lesser film than the emotionally richer original.
Like similar Disney remakes, it follows the original film scene-for-scene and recreates iconic imagery.
I’ve always loved Lilo’s story of finding a friend as wild and in need of a family unit as much as she does, but I’ve never cared for any of the alien stuff. Nevertheless, the set-up is mostly the same, as Stitch is an out-of-control creation by an extra-terrestrial scientist.
Stitch is revealed to be indestructible, too dangerous and scheduled for termination. Rather than put up with bureaucratic procedure, Stitch trashes the place and escapes to Earth.
The introduction of Lilo, her sister Nani and their tough predicament still feels real and hits all the right emotional notes. Still, making this a live-action film creates strange tonal shifts- cutting back and forth from the goofy aliens to the flesh and blood humans worked when it was all a cartoon.
Now, when we cut from a CPS visit to Lilo and Nani’s home, to the intergalactic shenanigans, back to Nani at work, then back to the wacky alien bounty hunters, it feels jarring. It’s like switching channels to two very different movies.
The 2002 animated “Lilo and Stitch” was a big surprise and a nice course correction for Disney animated films. After the deeply troubled production of “Kingdom of the Sun” was salvaged into the hilarious compromise of “The Emperors’ ‘New Groove” (2000) and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001) was an all-out dud, the arrival of “Lilo & Stitch” was a great surprise.
It’s among the best animated films ever made at the Mouse House.
The original “Lilo & Stitch,” with its portrayal of two Hawaiian sisters struggling to make it as a family and working in modern-day Hawaii, is among the few films to portray contemporary Hawaiians that doesn’t succumb to stereotypes. It’s also one of the few recent Disney cartoons that makes me cry every time.
I didn’t shed any tears over the new “Lilo & Stitch,” though its best scenes work because I believed in the furry little blue alien.
Sometimes scenes play out in full, while others feel like the editor chopped away at moments that should have gone longer. If an extended cut ever emerges, I’d be interested to see it, as it feels like portions have been severely abbreviated to keep things moving.
Of the newcomers, Maia Kealoha is adorable as Lilo, but the film’s strongest breakout performance comes from Sydney Elizabeth Agudong as Nani.
It’s wonderful to see the multi-talented Tia Carrere gracing the screen in a well-written supporting role. However, while the film found a nice tribute to Carrere (who played the voice of Nani in the original film and animated series), they dropped the ball by bringing back the great Jason Scott Lee (who voiced Nani’s friend David in the original) and giving him a nothing role.
Cobra Bubbles is such a funny character and Courtney B. Vance is a wonderful actor, but Vance’s performance never comes close to being as funny as Ving Rhames original take on the character.
The new “Lilo & Stitch” oddly needed to give us a lot more of Scott Lee but gives us too much of Zach Galifianakis. Taking on the roles of alien characters who now mostly appear in human disguise, Galifianakis and screen partner Billy Magnussen are awful.
One of my favorite moments from the original isn’t here- when Lilo is mocked for her homemade doll named “Scrump,” which she abandons on the street, then runs back and embraces. I love that kid.
Lilo is a weird, real, sometimes irritating child. The dynamic of her living alone with her sister Nani, who is struggling to make it, is the best thing about both the original and the remake. I could do without the alien shenanigans and Elvis needle drops.
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The special effects are excellent, as Stitch really does seem to inhabit real space. Seeing Stitch on a surfboard is something, as the geniuses at Industrial Light & Magic have made the character as photorealistic as possible.
Individual moments are truly touching, as Stitch as a special effect interacts well with the actors and vice versa. Most of the film has Stitch behaving like an out-of-control Gremlin but when the film wants to reflect how we’re all a work in progress, those moments connect as they should.
Rather than make a long list of all the Disney live-action remakes that haven’t worked, here’s a short list of the ones I like – “Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book” (1994), “Maleficent” (2014), “Cinderella” (2015), “The Jungle Book” (2016) and this one.
Two and a Half Stars
This movie never clicked with me, but watching an ad for it, I was flabbergasted at how well they translated 2D Stitch’s looks and movement to photorealistic CGI. It was practically 1:1! (I since found out the director used to animate, so now it makes sense.)
I’ve read a few articles (including on msn.com) saying the live-action ending undermines the entire family message. What’s your take?
I worked for Disney when the animated version came out, and like you said, after two dud films, it was a breath of fresh air – but it was also an experiment that caught lightning in a bottle.
At the time Disney had two animation groups (not counting Pixar that was still a separate entity backed by the late Steve Jobs) – they had Feature Animation, and the Television Animation Group. As the names implied Feature animation was focused on theatrical releases, while Television Animation focused on the broadcast media and tight timelines.
“Lilo & Stitch” was, as part of the experiment, tasked to Television Animation to produce, while using Feature Animation level voice talent. The primarily overseas based animators cranked out the entire film about 6-12 months quicker and significantly cheaper than the Feature Animation group could imagine. When it was a box office success, Disney was quick to produce direct-to-video sequels and the TV series.
Michael Eisner (and then Bob Iger during his first reign as Chief Executive) saw it fit to focus on using the Television Animation Group for future feature projects, essentially shuttering a majority of the domestic Feature Animation Group – a move that lasted until the acquisition of Pixar brought back a true Feature-level Animation group to the house of Mouse (the Pixar story is a lengthy essay in itself).
I look forward to seeing this live action take, but like you and knowing the history of Disney in the intervening 22+ years, I’m not holding high expectations.