Disney’s output of live-action remakes continues to be an underwhelming endeavor overall with the revival of the sci-fi family adventure Lilo & Stitch. Though, with its charming energy and adorable lead performance by 8 year-old Maia Kealoha, its positioning nets out being more on the positive side than its recent remake peers (Snow White).
The CGI reimagining of Stitch works really well and offers a lot of chaotic fun and mischief within real world environments and situations. What doesn’t work well is the refreshed CGI take on the various alien characters that govern the galactic sci-fi aspect of this world. They felt lifeless and didn’t deliver the same zany impact that they did in 2D animation. Expanding on that, the bumbling duo of Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen was a miss. I love Galifianakis, but he just felt like a random actor going through the motions. Kind of bizarre!
But as mentioned, Lilo is the heart of the film and her story of being a misunderstood kid seeking connection while processing loss is an endearing and sympathetic one; something that actually does work better in live action, as the emotional tangibility can be latched onto more easily. Lilo & Stitch doesn’t upend the mediocrity narrative of Disney live action remakes, but it does deliver enough charm, humor, and emotion for a decent family trip to the movies.
