Lilo & Stitch reimagines the animated 2002 classic about a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien in live-action with chaos, tender moments, and all.

I had completely forgotten that I had seen Lilo & Stitch in 2014. That’s not to say anything good or bad about the original. Anyway, Disney does the smart thing here by bringing back original Stitch voice Chris Sanders. They also bring back Nani voice actor Tia Carrere, but in a different role. And of course, they find a way to incorporate Elvis Presley into the film’s soundtrack. The original film featured five Elvis songs with two additional songs performed as covers. There are five Elvis tunes in the new one alongside a new cover of “Burning Love.” You can’t go wrong with the King!

The original film was 85 minutes long. The live-action Lilo & Stitch is 108 minutes long. On one hand, it’s a question of how much can filmmakers add to the story. But at the same time, there’s the question of what ideas were left on the cutting room floor. That’s the thing when it comes to the live-action adaptations. How many of the additions are really necessary. But then again, how can you say no to that face?!?

Anyway, the gist of the film is that six-year-old Lilo Pelekai (Maia Kealoha) lives at home with eighteen-year-old sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). They’ve been really struggling since the deaths of their parents. Nani steps up as much as she can but it sometimes means not showing up for Lilo when it counts. Everything changes when neighbor Tūtū (Amy Hill) allows Lilo visit the local animal shelter. Lilo thinks she’s bringing a dog home rather than the chaotic Stitch (Chris Sanders). Stitch causes so much chaos but before he knows it, he’s become one of the family. You could say he’s what they needed to become a family again.

Nani isn’t a fan of Stitch–Experient 626–at first. But what neither of them know is that he’s been exiled from Planet Turo and that United Galactic Federation sent two representatives, Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) and Jumba (Zach Galifianakis), to retrieve 626. Pleakley has studied Earth and loves being there. Jumba, not so much.

This is one of those films where you can’t help but feel for the characters. Nani and Lilo have been through so much and the last thing anyone wants is to break up their family. Even though Stitch was fleeing his own world, he came at just the right time to become the alien that brought their family back together again. Stitch is what was needed to remind Nani of what she missed out on by stepping into a guardianship position. She’s 18 years old but she’s still just a kid. She shouldn’t have ever been forced to grow up so fast. But hey, that’s Disney law: killing parents before a reel of film has ever been spooled.

I’ll be curious to see if Lilo & Stitch spawns multiple live-action films like its animated predecessor. I guess it will ultimately depend on what this film does at the box office. There’s just enough here to want to continue spending time with these characters. I guess that’s the humanity of it all, given the film’s storytelling. Plus, who wouldn’t want to admire the stunning Hawaiian vistas?

Lilo & Stitch has it all: comedy, chaos, and tender dramatic moments tugging at the heart.

DIRECTOR: Dean Fleischer Camp
SCREENWRITERS: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes
CAST: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis, introducing Maia Kealoha

Disney will release Lilo & Stitch in theaters on May 23, 2025. Grade: 3.5/5

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