Lilo and Stitch (2025) : Disney Is Trying To Make An Actual Movie Again!

It's a Christmas miracle!

I've been really harsh on the recent output of Disney (as a major self proclaimed Disney adult) these movies have recently felt uninspired, lacking any sort of emotion that made me fall in love with the Disney catalogue as a kid. Especially the live action adaptations of the original cartoons that are so beloved. These films have felt incredibly hollow, an after thought to chase a wave of nostalgia. I had hope for Lilo and Stitch going into it however, because I really liked the look of the trailer. The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, coming straight off of the wonderful A24 film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which is genuinely one of my favorite films of the decade so far. I also believe the original Lilo & Stitch, while being a movie I love has improvements you can make in it. A movie like Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King are pretty much flawless pieces of cinema- why ever adapt them again? Lilo and Stitch, while a remarkable animated film, has stuff you could further develop- specifically with the bond of the sisters and their straining relationship, which is strong aspect of the first film. However, that juxtaposed with the science fiction subplot involving stitch is a lot to stuff into an eighty minute movie. Maybe a live action adaptation would allow these plot lines to further develop with a longer run time.

To my pleasant surprise, the film actually does make some improvements on the original film - and that’s a first I can say about any of the live action adaptation. This is by no means a perfect movie and the animated film is still overall a much stronger film, but there were aspects of the film I thought were very strong. The best part of this movie is the sisters and their relationship. Maia Kealoha and Sydney Agudong play Lilo and Nani and I believe they give really good performances here. This movie is much more grounded than the original and while that undermines the humor it does give the film a sense of realism that the original doesn’t have. The human emotion in this film comes across strong, this movie is really heartwarming. The social worker here is not Cobra Bubbles but instead a well meaning old woman who wants to see the best for these sisters who are wrestling with tragedy trying to mend the broken pieces together. Cobra Bubbles still is in the movie as a CIA officer- and his presence is interesting to say the least. There’s a new neighbor character in the film as well and all of these people are well intentioned and well meaning. There’s no ill will in the early parts of the film, just characters trying to figure out a difficult situation and I found that to be refreshing. When Stitch is introduced into the family, he does do some wild antics and things you would expect Stitch to do, but it never gets in the way of the emotion of the story. When this movie needs to slow down and have an emotional moment, it takes its time to do so making several scenes resonate. This film has even more moments to breathe in a moment because the film is longer and the film does utilize it’s longer running time effectively.

I love the look of this film, I think the film captures Hawaii really well. The place is just as much of a character in this film as it is in the animated film. While the colors don’t pop as much in the life action adaptation, I liked the approach they took with the aesthetic of the film and making it feel a lot dirtier than the animated movie. It feels lived in which I appreciated. However, like a lot of these live action adaptation, Lilo and Stitch is a deeply flawed film that doesn’t quite capture the magic of the original.

This is mostly. because of the way the film handles it’s science fiction elements. I believe the original film this is the weakest aspect as well. I like the alien and the lore in the Lilo and Stitch universe but when the act three action set piece happens in the animated movie I always loose a little of interest until the very end of the movie. This is no different in the live action adaptation, except here it’s significantly worse. Jumba and Pleakley, two aliens sent to capture Stitch were really funny and eccentric side characters in the original film. In this movie, both of the characters appear as human for most of the film. The film was originally supposed to be straight to streaming on Disney Plus, which means this films budget is smaller than your typical live action remake and this seems like a decision made for that reason alone. Captain Gantu, the big villain in the animated film is not in the new adaptation. Jumba is now the main antagonist of this movie- which is a decisive bold choice for this live action adaptation to go. I do appreciate this movie going in a different direction with its third act since I believe these movies should be reinterpretations and not just repeats of the original, but at the same time Jumba is a beloved character that is pretty mistreated here as the result of this change. I wouldn’t disagree with someone saying this is character assassination. I found the interpretations of Jumba and Pleakley in this movie to be pretty terrible and misguided all around and they unfortunately take a lot of screen time away that could be used to help further develop what this movie is doing so well.

I also believe the character David is undermined in this adaptation of the movie. David, in the original animated film is the biggest green flag in the history of cinema. He’s humble, nice, considerate and always there for Nani when she needs him to be. In this movie, he is still a kind presence but he comes across more as a simp in this movie than in the animated one. He reminded more of Freddie Benson in iCarly than anything else, which made him a little less interesting than he was in the original.

I know I keep bringing up the animated movie and it’s hard not to. This movie will always live in the shadows of one of the most beloved animated films of the last twenty years claimed by multiple generations. This movie cannot capture the goofy chaotic energy that made the original so special because you can only achieve something as eccentric as the original Lilo & Stitch in animation. On it’s own merits however, I liked this movie! It’s a miracle I’m saying that since I usually strongly dislike these live action adaptations but I found that the soul of the lead two performances and the wonderful presentation of Stitch, who is adorable in this movie is enough to recommend it despite it’s flaws.