Lilo et 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.

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.

Disney strikes again with yet another pointless live-action remake with LILO&STITCH. The original came out back in 2002. That movie had edge, great music, a unique animation style, and an emotional story with great themes family and belonging. The remake has... some of those. The story is mostly the same. Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a young rambunctious kid who is coping with the loss of her parents alongside her teenage sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong), who's trying her best to keep guardianship of Lilo. With the threat of social worker Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere) potentially taking Lilo away, the weight of the world is on her shoulders. Meanwhile, an alien creature who was designed to be an agent of chaos and destruction, escapes and crash-lands nearby. Lilo, desperate for a friend, adopts him and gives him the name Stitch (Chris Sanders). I really enjoyed this movie, until I rewatched the original. They mimic most of the best parts, but it's what they changed that annoys me. With the characters, they completely cut one, which change another one, then they added 2 that took away from some of the other character moments that I needed from the original. The added ones should've been cameos that aren't involved in the plot. If you see both movies, you'll know what I'm talking about. This movie feels even safer than the original. Lilo is less of a menace to society. Nani is less connected with her sister, which weakens the core of the whole story. It's so difficult to not compare, but if you haven't seen the original, you'll probably really enjoy this. The theme is still present, but not as vibrant or emotional, especially with how it ends. Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten. This theme may have been left behind just a little bit. This might be one of the best Disney live-action remakes, but the bar is so incredibly low. This might be a harsh take, but I'm just tired of my childhood being ruined. If you have kids, I still recommend LILO&STITCH, but stick with the animated version. Let's send a message to Disney. Remember, no matter how good these remakes are, they'll never be as good as the original animated classics. It still makes me wonder why Disney is still doing them, besides being a cash-grab. Why don't they just re-release the originals back into theaters?

I really wanted to enjoy this, especially given the nostalgia tied to the original, but it just didn't land for me. The pacing felt rushed-like the filmmakers were in a hurry to get through the plot rather than let it breathe. They introduced new characters that didn't add much and honestly felt unnecessary.

What bothered me most was how far the story veered from the original. It didn't feel like a natural evolution or a modern reimagining-it felt like they were actively trying to make it not the classic we grew up loving. On top of that, the casting didn't help. The characters didn't match the personalities or essence they were supposed to represent, which made it hard to stay immersed.

Overall, it missed the mark for me. Sometimes sticking closer to the source material really is the better call.