Film Review: Lilo & Stitch
Hold On To Your Coconuts
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film Lilo & Stitch. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
REVIEW
It’s been about two months since Disney last dipped into its vault for another live-action remake, and this time they’ve set their sights on 2002’s Lilo & Stitch, the animated film that’s grown into a deeply beloved classic for much of my millennial generation. Not for me, though. Full disclosure, I’ve always considered Lilo & Stitch to be lower-tier Disney. So, in the interest of fairness, I want you to know where I’m coming from before I dive into what is, essentially, a review of the same movie; or at least, what I wish had been the same movie. Because the 2025 live-action version doesn’t just fail to improve on the original; it somehow manages to make me appreciate the animated version of this tale of found family more, and I didn’t even like that one much to begin with.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the same director behind 2022’s beautiful Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, this live-action take on Lilo & Stitch was originally intended as a straight-to-streaming release for Disney+. But, like Moana 2 and Snow White, it eventually found itself bumped up to a full theatrical release. And right from the jump, you can tell this was never meant to be seen on the big screen. The whole thing looks and feels like a small tube Disney+ original that somehow wandered into a big screen theatre. The pacing is weirdly rushed, like it’s in a hurry to check boxes instead of letting the story breath in ways some of the live action remakes have tried to do. The visual effects, while surprisingly decent in a vacuum (borderline theatrical quality) still don’t sell the idea that anyone would look at Stitch and think, “Yeah, that’s probably just an ugly dog.” The performances are serviceable, but let’s be real, no one seems particularly invested in what they’re doing. And while I try not to be too hard on child actors, I wasn’t especially wowed here. Less than five minutes in, I was already asking myself why a movie Disney clearly expects to print money wasn’t given the time, care, or polish to at least look like it belonged in theaters.
Camp has publicly acknowledged that Disney tinkered with his creative vision during production, and honestly, it shows. Considering the heartfelt, genre-defying gem he delivered with Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, this feels like a textbook case of studio meddling. You can practically feel the committee notes in every odd change made to the story; none of which improve it, and most of which actively dumb down the source material. The most glaring shift? Turning Jumba into the main villain instead of Captain Gantu (who isn’t even the film at all!), a decision that undercuts the entire original dynamic. Then there’s the strange reworking of David and Nani’s relationship, which now feels stilted and regressive, with Nani coming across as noticeably colder and less sympathetic than her animated counterpart, even to her own sister. And as if that weren’t enough, the film spoils the Cobra Bubbles twist within the first act, stripping the character of any intrigue or payoff. It’s like the filmmakers didn’t trust the audience, or the story, to land on its own.
All that said, if you’re a die-hard Lilo & Stitch fan, there are definitely moments here that will scratch that nostalgic itch. The film’s opening sequence is impressively recreated in live action. The soundtrack remains intact too, thankfully untouched, unlike what we saw with the tone-deaf musical overhauls in the Dumbo and Lion King remakes. This version still hits the major story beats, and the core message of found family is present, even if the delivery feels less emotionally resonant.
The biggest win by far is the return of Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch. He’s still the same mischievous, chaotic little alien you remember, equal parts adorable and destructive, and the film gives him plenty of room to shine. They didn’t mess him up at all. I just wish the rest of the movie rose to meet that energy.
I’ve said for years that these live-action remakes often get a raw deal from both critics and audiences. There’s this never-ending debate about whether they should exist at all, and it leads some people to walk into the theater already carrying baggage, ready to write them off before the opening scene. And honestly, that’s not fair. Even though I believe Disney should be investing more in original storytelling instead of constantly mining and risking trampling on its animated legacy, I still think each remake deserves a fair shot on its own terms. I’ve even called myself a “light defender” of these projects over the years. A few have genuinely gotten smiles out of me, enough to land on my “personal favorites of the year” lists.
But lately? They’re making it harder and harder to keep defending them. These films aren’t just creatively stagnant; they’re starting to feel cynical. I’ve got no choice but to give Lilo & Stitch a C+. And that’s coming from someone who wasn’t even the biggest fan of the 2002 original but I still liked it just enough. This version, though? It’s a clear downgrade. It doesn’t just miss the mark; it undercuts what the original got right, almost as if its on a mission to make those of us who didn’t love the original jump on the bandwagon at the expense of what could’ve been an improvement on the source material.
GRADING
