Disney’s Live-Action Remake of 2002 Favorite

Disney’s insatiable quest to mine its own IP continues with this live-action remake of an animated film that premiered a mere 23 years ago. But hey, that’s enough time for a new generation of potential fans to be born while tapping into the nostalgia of those who grew up watching not only the original movie but also its three direct-to-video sequels and three television series.

Creatively, there’s no real reason for this version of Lilo & Stitch to exist, especially since the film’s version of Stitch is necessarily animated as well. But commercially, that’s a whole different matter, assuming Trump’s tariffs don’t prevent toy stores from being fully stocked with the plush toy version that will be on many children’s wish list for Santa.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, following in the tradition of acclaimed indie filmmakers (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On) graduating to the big-budget leagues (this film cost a reported $100 million), the live-action Lilo & Stitch is faithful enough to the original to please traditionalists and tweaked enough to feel somewhat fresh. The most notable change is the emotional deepening of the relationship between the six-year-old Hawaiian orphan Lilo (Maia Kealoha, bringing real heart and sparkling personality to the role) and her older sister Nani (Sydney Elizabeth Agudong), who’s struggling to maintain her guardianship amid financial difficulties and Lilo’s rebellious behavior.

The story begins with a sequence set on a planet ruled by the United Galactic Federation and its leader, the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham, just as imposing in animated form as in real life), featuring the sort of ugly CGI animation that makes you long for the human actors to appear. That’s where we’re introduced to Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, reprising his role from the original), a destruction-loving, genetically engineered creature created by mad scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis).

Threatened with exile, Stitch manages to escape and winds up on Earth — Hawaii, to be specific — where he’s pursued by Jumba and Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), who’s assigned to chaperone him. Shortly after arriving, the duo manage to assume human form, providing the opportunity for the two actors to showcase their considerable physical comedy skills as their characters awkwardly adapt to their new bodies.

Meanwhile, the koala-like, very blue Stitch winds up in an animal shelter, where he’s surprisingly mistaken for a dog (one of the film’s running gags) and gets adopted by Lilo. The little girl and the adorable but rambunctious creature get off to a rough start, not helped by the latter’s propensity for wreaking havoc wherever he goes. But their bond continues to deepen as she teaches him that, wait for it, “Ohana means family.”

Along the way, there are enough madcap events, fast-paced chases, and dangerous situations to pad the film’s running time to 108 minutes compared to the original’s peppy 85. For adults, a little of the visual chaos will go a long way, with Lilo, cute as he is, not exactly E.T. in terms of appeal.

But younger viewers should eat it all up, and those weaned on the original film will appreciate the numerous shout-outs, including supporting turns by Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original, and Jason Scott Lee, who voiced Nani’s surfer friend David (here played by Kaipo Dudoit). There are several new characters as well, such as David’s feisty grandmother (an amusing Amy Hill, another veteran of the franchise) and Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance), a federal agent attempting to track down Stitch. (And yes, the character’s name is a callback to the social worker in the original.)

In both incarnations, Lilo & Stitch is not in the first rank of Disney family films, as evidenced by the fact that this remake was originally slated to go direct-to-streaming. But that should hardly matter, with this version likely to clean up at the box-office at the start of the busy summer season.