Lilo & Stitch is a live-action remake of the classic 2002 animated film. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the film stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and Maia Kealoha. The film is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.

Going into this, I did not revisit the original nor did I watch any of the trailers. There are moments that I remember from the original, but I really wanted to go into this fresh to see what the experience was like. While the original classic is still perfect, this one holds up on its own. I not only felt like a kid again. All of my worries were washed away. I was locked in from start to finish.

The film wastes no time throwing you into Stitch’s story. While it may come off as exciting, it’s one of the film’s greatest flaws. Stitch has become an iconic character for the last few decades. You’d think the film would build you up to get excited to see the character. Instead, the film just casually shows him. Instead of doing something different and giving him more backstory, the film quickly covers it in exposition. It does quickly get exciting though with some impressive action visuals and Stitch’s offbeat humor.

When Stitch’s story is set up, the film takes the time to develop Lilo and her sister, Nani. It’s nowhere near as exciting as what we see happen to Stich, but it’s still incredibly profound. The film takes its time to develop these characters, which helps finally explain why something like this deserves to be made in live-action. By making it live-action, the film finds a way to make it connect more with its audience and fully flesh out its themes.

It’s insanely impressive how good Maia Kealoha is as Lilo. She brings out so much heart and emotion to this story. Her performance is going to be talked about a lot. The casting did a perfect job with the remaining supporting characters. Sydney Elizebeth Agudong is another standout. I’m glad they got Chris Sanders back as Stitch. It just doesn’t work without him. Billy Magnussen & Zach Galifianakis also have a great dynamic that pushes their morals against each other that delivers more on both comedy and drama.

By bringing back Chris Sanders as Stitch, the film knows it can’t work without embracing what worked from the past. It’s been YEARS since I have seen the original, and yet, I can still remember the comedy. Watching this, I felt like I was that kid again embracing the kind of comedy I enjoy. The comedy can be a little kiddish at times, but when it works, it works.

Having director Dean Fleischer Camp helm the film makes sense. With his work on Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, he brings that same energy to this film that makes it feel emotionally resonant. There are close up scenes between Lilo & Stitch that makes it feel like a privilege that we get to see these two interact. I did question how some others didn’t freak out about Stitch. That could have proved more thematic messages about acceptance. I’ll still take what we got with the emotional beats.

Twenty years after the original, seeing this as a millennial hits differently. I don’t have kids, but I do have pets. While watching it, I just felt so appreciative of the pets that I have had and currently have. Having pets changes you for the better.

Overall, Lilo & Stitch works best when it embraces what works with its past while giving the live-action treatment purpose. There are aspects of the writing that I think could have been better. With so much going for it between the performances, direction, humor, and visuals, this feels like a big win for Disney. When this does make a billion dollars, it’s going to be warranted. If Disney continues the live-action remakes, I hope they learn the right lessons here. I’d like to even see them incorporate more of the animation style with live-action with original stories.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)