I am not checking into the “Heartbreak Hotel” after watching the new live-action remake Lilo & Stitch. My initial thought…was of fraternal twins trying to look like identical ones, highlighting the remake’s attempt to mirror the original while being its own experiment. The remake keeps much of the original plot, but the tone for me felt different. However, I do believe that thinking of the film as its own, without comparison to the original, the face lift makes for a fun family movie night.
Lilo and Stitch (Dean Fleischer Camp) is a movie that follows experiment 626, Stitch, as he seeks to escape the sentence handed to him by the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham). During his escape he crashes on Earth, in Hawaii, where he meets Lilo (Maia Kealoha). Lilo is an orphaned child living with her sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong), who is at risk of being taken away by Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere),a Social Worker. It becomes a story of two lonely beings looking for someone else to understand and relate to in life. Lilo and Stitch become a force on the island, but will their impact be too much for all the eyes on them?
The live-action and CGI elements are the things I enjoyed most about this movie. However, this is where I believe the tone of the story makes a drastic shift from lighthearted to serious. We see Lilo and Nani being played by real actors, so their body language and facial expressions help add to the severity of the social worker situation. The original film, in contrast, simply allowed you to believe a happy outcome was inevitable regarding Lilo’s living situation. In this version, the audience is given more tension regarding the final outcome of Lilo’s living situation. This is something I appreciated because I almost felt that it was too obvious that “Ohana” would win in the end, which is not to say it’s a bad thing, but just a bit predictable.
What do live-action and CGI bring to the audience? They serve a visual feast for 108 minutes. The performances by Kealoha and Agudong were great, and I felt more of an emotional connection with them to the story than I did with the animation. Zach Galifianakis gave Dr. Jumba Jookiba the right amount of comical mad scientist. This is coming from a person who has always been more of an Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) fan. While Pleakley was entertaining in the film, there was just something lacking in his overall character. This might simply be due to his constant proximity to a big personality like Galifianakis.
When Hawaii is the primary backdrop for a movie, I anticipate the setting being more memorable. What was refreshing, however, is that it provided audiences with a more realistic day-to-day view of island life. While those of us that live inland, like Texas, might tend to think of Hawaii as an endless beach vacation, here, however, we witness the daily routines of Lilo’s town, far from any big city, alongside some beautiful surfing footage. The moments the ocean and beaches are shown always remind viewers of the beautiful nature Hawaii has to offer.
This live-action remake is one that I would recommend to fans who love the characters of the original film. It is joyful to watch the animated characters you love come to life and honor their animated predecessors. However, keep in mind that some of the changes to the story might come as a bit of a surprise to you. For audiences with no prior emotional investment to the franchise, I believe they will be pleased with the film. Do you believe the movie truly embodies “Ohana,” or does it struggle to ensure everyone gets a happy ending?
3/5 Stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% / 93% (At time of posting)
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