Lilo & Stitch

Firstly, there are some positives. Stitch still elicits some smiles because of his antics and the blend of cute behavior with devilish recklessness. The film looks nice, and some of the actors do a solid job. Throughout the movie, however, it becomes abundantly clear that this will never be equal to the original. It is an echo of something far better. People who make this argument are not merely trying to be sticklers. There is probably not a single new implementation that worked better than what the 2002 film chose to do. The pacing of the movie was problematic, and some of the choices regarding plot points lacked heart and gravitas. Like almost all of these live-action Disney remakes, it is a cash grab (in this circumstance, it is being rewarded unlike others that flopped critically and featured fans not turning out as expected). This review will not contain any spoilers. Yet, I do think I can make the case that if you were expecting the beautiful and rich message of "Ohana means family" being the axis upon which the movie turns you will be soundly disappointed. This movie does not have the noxious messaging that Disney has rightfully been pilloried for recently, and it is not a horrid film, but it is not going to have the grip on hearts and minds like the first film.

Let's start with this: the original 'Lilo & Stitch' is one of my favourite cartoons ever. It's pure magic - quirky, heartfelt, and beautifully weird in that way only early 2000s Disney could get away with. So when I heard there was a live-action remake in the works, I had cautious hope. But after sitting through this 2025 adaptation... I wish I'd never seen it.

This remake is not nearly as good as the original. In fact, it barely feels like it's trying to be. Iconic moments have been cut or warped beyond recognition - smoothed over into something bland and safe. And don't get me started on Stitch himself - still voiced by Chris Sanders, yes, but it feels hollow without the wild energy that made him so lovable.

Some of the changes just make no sense. Characters are tweaked in ways that add nothing, and the emotional heart of the story - Lilo's grief, her loneliness, her oddball charm - has been neutered. The film is both rushed AND drags on, somehow managing to feel overstuffed and undercooked all at once. A true feat, if it wasn't so frustrating to watch.

Ultimately, it feels like a soulless cash grab. Another in a long line of Disney remakes that mistake visual fidelity for emotional resonance. It's got all the polish of a high-budget project, but none of the spirit. I didn't smile, I didn't cry - I just kept checking my watch.

Honestly? I'm at the point where I won't even bother watching the live-action remake of Moana, or whatever else they're churning out next. I'm so over the fakeness. These aren't love letters to our childhoods - they're boardroom products dressed up in nostalgia.

NO MORE. Let our animated classics stay classics. They don't need "updating." They just need to be left alone.

So okay, we watched this basically because there was nothing better on (the alternative was Mission: Impossible, lol). I expected nothing - and that's exactly what I got. This is just Lilo & Stitch with actual actors (some of them really bad too).

It feels like a film made completely devoid of emotion, trying way too hard to simulate it with some cute animations, desperately poking at that little nostalgia button in your heart (aka Disney: Operation Nostalgia).

Honestly, I hope this remake trend dies soon. I genuinely don't get the point of these kinds of productions - or maybe I'm just not the target audience.

So gonna make this with no spoilers

I really wanted to like this, but the remake just misses what made the original Lilo & Stitch so special.

One of the biggest issues? They completely lost the heart of the story. The original was about found family, feeling like an outsider, and growing into love and understanding. This version just kind of glosses over all that. They cut out some important characters who brought depth, and the new ones they added didn't move the plot forward at all-they felt like filler.

And then there's Lilo. In the original, her behavior came from trauma, misunderstanding, or just being a kid who felt deeply and didn't know how to express it. Here, it feels like they made her act out just to be bad. It wasn't quirky or endearing-it was out of character and kind of mean-spirited.

What really stings is the lack of emotional growth. The original gave us real redemption arcs and character development. Here, it's like everyone stays the same the whole movie. No payoff, no evolution.

Visually it's fine, and I'm sure some people might enjoy it on a surface level. But for fans who connected with the original's heart? This just feels hollow.

What to say about this remake? The kids will love it. Stitch is spot-on animated, the cast is great, especially for Lilo and her sister Nani. And that's about it about the good stuff.

For hardcore fans of the original as myself this remake will be a disappointment.

The story at the beginning is rushed, iconic characters are missing, there are some new characters that add absolutely nothing to the story, iconic story elements are missing, the main villain is changed, the reference to Elvis Presley is barely in it, the reference to "ohana" is completely changed thus changing the messaging of the movie (because you know, we live in "modern" times now), the third act is a mess and I literally hated the ending.

But it is still watchable and the kids will enjoy it.