In Lilo & Stitch, “Ohana” means “no one gets left behind.” It’s a great theme about family and change and it’s complete BS because the climax of the movie is about Lilo getting left behind.
While Lilo & Stitch may be Disney’s best live-action remake since The Jungle Book (2016), that’s not saying much. The remake works because Maia Keoaloa makes you care about her. She’s witty, endearing, and capable of showing incredible depth for such a young actress.
Stitch is kind of a lot. He’s like your five-year-old after a Frappuccino. He’ll make you laugh but his frenetic destructiveness eventually wears on you. The good news is, he does change. He’s given a solid character arc.
Unfortunately, no one else has an arc. And the remake removes the components from the 2002 version that drove them to change. There are visual representations of them in the remake, but their meaning is absent.
One example is why Lilo feeds a fish every day. She says it’s to control the weather. The remake uses that to show us Lilo is a little bonkers. In the 2002 version, we find out bad weather killed her parents.
That kind of depth is missing from much of the remake. Things are happening. You’re hit with danger and melodrama instead of building emotional resonance to make you feel the suffering that draws star-crossed best friends from across the galaxy to redefine what a family is.
The new Lilo & Stitch will score some laughs with your kids. And there’s a shallow emotional payoff. So – pour a mai tai. Let your kids laugh. Try to enjoy it through them. Though you may need a second mai tai.
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Where to watch
Rating: PG (4+)
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Starring: Maia Keoaloa, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Zach Galifianakis
Run time: 1h 48m
Post-credits scenes: The story moves forward during the credits.
Bathroom breaks: According to RunPee:
- 23:20 as Jumba and Pleakley head out to find Stitch
- 46:30 as Stitch destroys Nani’s kitchen
Sequel? No word yet. But given it’s banking, I’d bet on Disney saying yes.
If you liked Lilo & Stitch, check out these films:
- Lilo & Stitch (2002) (4+)
- The Iron Giant (1999) (6+)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (5+)
- Bumblebee (2018) (6+)
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