Movie Review: Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" is a Familiar Yet Empty Remake of a Timeless Classic
By Angela Davis
GUEST WRITER
Editor’s Note: The Advance is pleased to introduce Angela Davis, who will be writing about the summer’s new releases. A long-time writer for ScreenRant, Davis is a graduate of George Mason University.
“Lilo & Stitch,” Disney’s hit 2002 film, has become a household name for the studio. The adorable blue alien has stayed in the cultural zeitgeist for years because of how much fans have loved the franchise.
It was just a matter of time before Disney gave Stitch the live-action remake treatment. However, the new film feels more like a chance for Disney to make money than introduce a new generation of kids to the original’s timeless message.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, this live-action remake follows many of the same beats of the original film. While this might sound like a dream come true for long-time fans, the execution makes the story feel hollow. The intro sequence in particular jumps between lines at breakneck speed. It never slows down to breathe, cramming in as many lines from the original’s intro as it can. The velocity of this first scene gives the feeling that something isn't quite right with this remake, and this carries over to the main story.
When Stitch lands in Hawaii, the film continues to recreate some of the original’s most iconic moments. However, they lack the emotional weight of the original. There’s an absence of quiet moments between the characters, time when the weight of these scenes can sink in. Instead, the remake hops on to the next scene, which leaves it feeling empty.
Though it includes some of the same scenes as the original, the remake also takes its own liberties with the story. Captain Gantu is completely absent, Cobra Bubbles is a forgettable presence compared to his animated portrayal, and the new ending has caused a fuss online, with fans viewing it as a betrayal of the original film’s message.
However, no change is as upsetting as the new direction taken for Stitch’s creator, Jumba Jookiba.
Jumba is treated as an outright villain in this story, completely negating his arc in the original film, where he becomes a part of Stitch’s found family. Everything fans have come to love about the character is gone. It’s a change that’s hard to stomach considering the kind choices his animated counterpart makes—such as choosing to help rescue Lilo from Gantu—to become a part of Stitch’s Ohana.
The best thing about this film is Stitch himself. Chris Sanders does an amazing job returning to the character, and he steals the spotlight in every scene. However, the near-perfect representation of Stitch ultimately shows what’s wrong with this remake. The most marketable character in the franchise gets a ton of focus that makes his scenes worth watching. However, it comes at a disservice to the film itself.
The new remake may look like “Lilo & Stitch” and sound like “Lilo & Stitch,” but it doesn’t remotely feel like “Lilo & Stitch.”
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