Directed by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois
Written by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois
Starring: Chris Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, David Ogden Stiers
Rating: [4/5]
Every family has their challenges, either through a collective issue they face or a particular member that drives the majority of the concern. However, as the prevailing message in Lilo & Stitch boldly states about Ohana in that it means family does not get left behind. A beautiful message and one so eloquently put in the dynamic a destructive alien creature builds with a young girl yearning for connection.
Escaping from a prison in deep outer space, Experiment 626, better known as Stitch (Chris Sanders), steals a ship and crash-lands on Earth, specifically in Hawaii. There in an animal shelter, he is picked out by a young girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase), who lives with her struggling older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere). As the alien task force sets out to recapture Stiitch, the alien begins to bond with his new family while Nani must prove to child protective services she can take care of her little sister.
Lilo & Stitch has many facets of its story operating concurrently that work in varying degrees. Its finest appears in everything happening in the familial dynamic Lilo has not only with her sister but also with the little alien creature. Everything about this works exquisitely, as will be further expanded upon later. However, the other component of this film that just does not have the same juice is everything transpiring with this alien command. This portion of the film is not completely awash, where the presence of Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers) and Agent Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) does add in some humor as they try to blend in as humans. Agent Pleakley, in particular, is truly a delight to watch on screen. With that said, their presence and this whole Galactic Federation introduces all of this rambunctiousness to the story that some may enjoy but ultimately felt like it took away from the true meat of this story, and that is the familial unit.
Stripping away everything from outer space coming down to Earth, this film works as such a touching ode to family and how these bonds, both bound by blood and chosen love, carry so much power. We see this with Nani trying her best to keep a job and care for Lilo, who constantly acts up and needs dedicated attention. Her needing to prove she’s an apt guardian for her little sister brings both a dramatic component to the story in addition to the comedy, where Lilo simply cannot help but make it more difficult for her older sister by her behavior.
That’s what makes the introduction of Stitch so impactful to the story, as both Lilo and Stitch have this prickliness to them that makes them off-putting to others, but instead of offending each other, they find a bond that helps them both. In a way they are a mirror image of each other but from different galaxies. While Lilo’s destructiveness happens in threatening the ability for her to remain with her sister, Stitch’s occurs in a much more outward manner, such as throwing vehicles. They allow each other to heal and learn from each other in the process. Everything about this side of the story works exceptionally well and ultimately is what has audience members continually drawn to this story and the characters.
It also helps that it captures Hawaii in such a beautiful manner through the perspective of Lilo. The first scene in which we see this little girl involves her swimming through the blue ocean waves of the island with the lovely song “He Mele No Lilo” filling our ears. Lilo serves as a wonderful insert in what it looks like to navigate this island through the eyes of a local, where she takes pictures of the sunburnt tourists and faces the hardships that have only been further exacerbated for the locals on the island. The 2D animation used with the watercolors does the beautiful island justice as the colors pop. This looks especially beautiful in the surfing scenes and the wonderment they manage to display in the way the characters experience this natural beauty. It allows for Stitch’s madness to feel all the more destructive in the process as it disrupts this little colorful paradise.
Truly a magnificent and emotionally packed film, Lilo & Stitch lives and breathes by the idea of Ohana, and it remains resolute in conveying that through these lovely characters and the journey they embark on together. It’s got comedy, familial drama, and some valuable lessons for both titular characters to learn from. It loses a bit of its luster when we continually have to check in on everything happening with this Galactic Federation, but everything on Earth has the magic this film sold audiences on, and that is exactly why it maintains such popularity amongst Disney fans and lovers of great movies such as myself.
