Starring the voices of Daveigh Chase, Chris Sander, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames,
David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Jason Scott Lee, Kevin Michael Richardson.
Directed by Chris Sanders.
Lilo (Chase) is a lonely little Hawaiian girl shunned by the other kids in the village.
She loves to listen to Elvis 45's on her record player, swim with the fishes in the
ocean, and take pictures of tourists. Her parents died when she was younger and she
lives with her big sister Nani (Carrere). They are finding the adjustment difficult,
and not making it any easier is burly social worker Cobra Bubbles (Rhames). He threatens
to take Lilo away unless Nani shows she is able to keep a job and provide a stable
home for Lilo. Lilo wishes upon a star for a friend to arrive and a mean-spirited
little alien, posing as a dog at the dog pound, is the one that catches Lilo's eye
when Nani takes her there. She names him Stitch. He is on the run from the planet
where he was created and programmed to be destructive.
Despite Stitch's peculiar ways, Lilo takes a liking to him. But unfortunately, his
presence leads to Nani losing her job, ruining her chances for a new job and putting
Lilo and Nani's chance at staying a family in jeopardy. And bounty hunters are out
to get Stitch and bring him back to his planet alive. But Stitch begins to change
and discovers he shares Lilo's desire for belonging and Ohana, which means no member
of the family is ever left behind.
Disney is trying to keep traditional animation alive, and Lilo & Stitch is a
credible effort. The promotional trailers have been excellent. I especially liked
the Beauty and the Beast tie in, and the Lion King was great too. In
fact, I liked them better than the movie. They indicated an irreverent quality and
a willingness to poke fun at the Disney brand. Now that's a real departure. The
movie itself is also a bit
of a departure for Disney, with a bit more edge to the story and presentation. Stitch
is not Disney's usual lovable, cuddly creature. He is born to be bad, and for much
of the film he is. As a matter of fact, as he mellows and goes against his programmed
nature entirely by the end of the film, the story loses its oomph. The film has a
difficult time trying to make a believable transition from the destructive little
monster Stitch was invented to be, with the lovable, loving creature it turns Stitch into.
But there are many positives in the film. The part of the story where the girls are
trying to make their family work are poignant and enjoyable. The Hawaiian scenery made
me want to go and visit soon - not Oahu, but one of the less visited islands that
still resemble paradise. Ving Rhames ex-CIA social worker provides just about the
only humour that works, save for a hilarious running gag involving a huge, sunburned,
beached whale of a tourist. And of course there's a happy ending.
With Disney cartoons, there is always a happy ending. This one just seems a bit forced.
I enjoyed Lilo & Stitch, but not as much as I thought I would based on the trailers
I previously mentioned. But it seemed the kids around me definitely liked it, relating
well to the loneliness of Lilo and the crazy antics of Stitch. It is a pleasant and
often entertaining film, not approaching Disney's best, but still a film the younger
members of the family will likely enjoy.
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