Disney’s animated film, Lilo & Stitch, is a film that, for some reason, has always alluded me for so long. I finally watched the movie one week before the screening of the “live-action” version of the film, and I very much enjoyed what it has to offer. The original movie came out in 2002, and twenty-three years later, as part of Disney’s plan to release new versions of their properties, a live-action/CGI version of the story is now in theaters. While this redo delivers the same level of heart that the original does, there are plenty of scenes and sequences that cannot compare to the magic captured by the work of the talented animation filmmakers that grabbed its fans by the heartstrings twenty-three years ago.
The film is mostly a shot-for-shot remake of the animated movie, with a few unnecessary changes that don’t necessarily make this a better retelling. For those unfamiliar with the original,
Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a young Hawaiian child who lost her parents in an untimely manner. Her older sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong) has attempted and struggled to care for her baby sister but hasn’t been quite capable of keeping steady work, nor has she been able to deal with Lilo’s penchant for acting out. With a social worker (Tia Carrere) keeping track of their lives, it has come to the point where Lilo might end up in foster care if Nani cannot prove herself worthy of the task.
As things are coming to a head, a space alien lands on their island, and Lilo eventually adopts it as it ends up in a local animal shelter. Now dubbed Stitch (Chris Sanders), the wild and destructive creature makes things more challenging for Lilo and Nani, whose only goal is to remain together. Meanwhile, the planet from where Stitch originates sends its creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis), and Earth expert Agent Peakley (Billy Magnussen) to retrieve their escaped “failed” experiment.
Based on the original Disney film, director Dean Fleischer Camp delivers a remake that captures the same level of heart that the original movie delivers; however, plenty of moments and sequences don’t come close to the magic and beauty that animation did so much better. It is another case of bewildering choices that Disney persists in pursuing by doing live-action remakes of properties that were executed well the first time.
I had no problems with the cast, save for Zach Galifianakis’s performance. He just does not give much passion to his performance as the main antagonist of this movie. He also falls flat when it comes to the comedic beats in the film. I actually enjoyed Billy Magnussen’s performance, as he clearly understood the assignment. Lilo and Nani, Maia Kealoha, and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong are both great in their respective roles.
Despite these Disney remakes’ mostly mixed reviews and receptions, they persist in their plans. One of these days, they will hopefully realize that they need to create a much more original movie because they are obviously struggling to redo what has already been done well.