Lilo & Stitch
Grade: B+
Cast: (voices of) Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, and Harry Dean Stanton
Rated PG for scenes of cartoon violence and thematic elements


After last summer's atrociously tedious "Atlantis: The Lost Empire," the Mouse (Disney Studios, course) decided to lighten things up. And I'll be damned if they haven't. An almost feather-light comedy, "Lilo & Stitch" expertly and slyly tugs on the heartstrings and will having you rolling in the aisle with creativity and excitment. In short, I think this is the best film Disney has produced since "The Emperor's New Groove," that spunky, sharply written comedy from 2000.

The plot description of this film may have you rolling your eyes, but it plays out better than it sounds. After being deemed a genetic mistake on his home planet, Stitch is sent to Earth. During his stay on the planet, he meets and befriends a lonely Hawaiian girl named Lilo (voiced with much exuberance by Daveigh Chase, "Donnie Darko"). After a tragic accident that left her parents dead (echoes of Disney's own "Tarzan"), her older sister Nani (voiced by Tia Carrere, "Wayne's World") was made to look after her. But she has job instabilities, and Mr. Cobra Bubbles (voiced by Ving Rhames, "Baby Boy") is sent from the child welfare services to check things out.

His first visit to the dysfunctional household leaves a bad impression. Everything that could go wrong does. Nani has one week to prove herself to Mr. Bubbles, or Lilo will be taken away. Nani decides that maybe what Lilo needs is a dog, something to keep her busy and offer companionship. While at the pound, Lilo decides to get a blue, furry, six-armed "dog" named Stitch. It turns out they both have a love for Elvis. But after Nani is fired from her job because of the animal, Lilo decides to give him a crash course in being a good semaritan. These particular scenes are hilarious and inspired.

But the comedy isn't what makes the film. The film has a huge heart. In fact, the biggest lesson you will learn in this movie is not of tolerance (although it is a major theme), but the importance of family. As is repeated many times in the film: "Ohana means family. Nobody is left behind or forgotten." Nani and Lilo make Stitch a part of their small family. And just as someone is trying to take Lilo away, there are two aliens (Stitch's creators) that are trying to take him away. This creates some nice parallels in the story and maybe makes Lilo realize that she should be more well-behaved because she doesn't want Stitch taken away, and Nani doesn't want Lilo taken away.

And despite what you may think from the previews, the relationship between Lilo and Stitch is just the selling point. The emotional core of the film rests in the relationship between Nani and Lilo. And it works. The film is not overtly manipulative, but it's not so well-hidden that your emotional involvement in the characters doesn't just spring up on you.

The animation is gorgeous. After attempts to do some stylistic stuff with "Atlantis," they're back to the basics with this film. The characters are well illustrated, and the nuances and facial expressions are all there. The backgrounds are paintings, but unless you try hard, you can't really tell. It meshes so well, and it really intertwines into the whole Hawaiian/tropical feel of the film.

The relationship between Lilo and Stich is funny, and cute, but the film only works because of the emotional involvement with the charcters. If you don't want Lilo to be taken away from Nani, then you'll love the film. If you just don't really care, then you most likely won't like it. I happen to be a part of the former group. This film had my laughs and my heart.


-Brian Jones, July 2002