Lilo & Stitch (2025)

 

Ignore the calendar. 

The rising temperatures and the fast and furious new releases at the box office say summer movie season is upon us. This week I took to the theater to check out the latest Disney live action film release, Lilo & Stitch (2025). 

First, a small bit of housekeeping. When the original film came out in 2002, I thought it was cute and enjoyed it, but it never held a particular place in my heart. Still, being a Disney “kid” and having seen all their other live action takes, I didn’t want to miss seeing this one on the big screen. 

Onwards.

Like the other Disney live action releases, Lilo & Stitch (2025) takes heavily from the original, tweaks, and expands it and I for one found myself loving every minute of its 1-hour 48-minute runtime. 

Solid casting pays off.

Chris Sanders once again works his magic not only as writer but as title character Stitch. His fleshing out the character of Nani (Sydney Agudong) and adding Tutu (Amy Hill) brings new depth and richness to the story which ups the "feels" quotient. Tia Carrere returning to the film this time in the role as the social worker Mrs. Kekoa is a special bonus. Billy Magnussen (you can tell he had a blast) and Zach Galifianakis are delightful as Pleakley and Jumba. Courtney B Vance’s Bubbles isn’t as intimidating but nonetheless works fine since his role is now split with Carrere. 

Then most importantly is the casting of Maia Kealoha as Lilo. Not all child actors are equal and having the right on will often make or break a film. Kealoha makes this one. She's the perfect blend of sweet, sassy, infuriating, and heartbreaking. 

Missing is the character of Captain Gantu, but I didn’t have an issue with that choice. Unpopular opinion I’m sure, but with the tweaks and changes to the story his presence was neither required nor missed.

Great CGI work, beautiful cinematography, and kicking soundtrack all mesh together beautifully to bring this film to life. Lilo & Stitch (2025) feels more grounded and organic yet remains heartfelt and fun. 

I laughed. I had fun. I got verklempt and ended up fighting back tears. 

Dammit.

My theater was packed with families, many with young kids and all of them along with the adults had a good time. It was a rowdy viewing for sure, but the fact that I was so into the film that the clamor not only didn't bother me, but actually added to the experience, speaks volumes. 

I’m sure Disney “purist” will take exception to this version of the film, but I actually liked it better than the original. It captures the spirit of the original and adds the right amount of freshness to keep it entertaining, energetic, and relevant. Lilo & Stitch (2025) is still very much a touching story about love, loss, and the meaning of 'ohana

Far from broken, Lilo & Stitch (2025) gets an 8.5 from me.

#liloandstitch