Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Cast: Hannah Waddingham – Maia Kealoha – Tia Carrere – Sydney Agudong – Zach Galifianakis – Chris Sanders – Billy Magnussen
Duration: 108 min
Release: 21/05/2025

The live-action version of Lilo & Stitch largely follows the original storyline. Some may find this less appealing, but for me, it was actually refreshing. My sense of nostalgia undoubtedly plays a role in that. While I found the changes and modernizations in other Disney and Pixar live-action remakes important to make those stories fit today’s society, this story is universal enough to remain mostly untouched. Maia Kealoha delivers a wonderful performance as Lilo.

Story

Lilo is a six-year-old girl who lives with her older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) after the death of their parents. Nani is doing her best to get their lives in order, as they are under the supervision of a social worker. She’s trying to find and keep a job while also managing all the paperwork and responsibilities—health insurance, paying bills, and so on.

Lilo feels different from others. She’s often left out and lonely. More than anything, she longs for a friend.

And then comes Stitch,Experiment 626, who crash-lands on the island. He’s an alien created for destruction, about to be terminated, and has escaped from another galaxy. But the two find each other. Lilo adopts him from an animal shelter and quickly grows attached to him. Two outsiders who connect. Stitch gradually becomes part of the family.

In this version, a few changes have been made, but it stays close to the original. Nani’s role has been expanded, beautifully portrayed by Sydney Agudong. Most of the Elvis songs have been replaced with indigenous Hawaiian music, which serves as a lovely tribute to Hawaiian culture. The characters Pleakley and Jumba can transform into human forms in this version. This takes away some of the humor, as their distinctive comic disguises are no longer necessary.

Stitch is also less destructive than in the original version—why this is the case isn’t entirely clear to me.

The theme of ‘Ohana’ is central. The famous line from the original:“Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten”,is echoed multiple times throughout the film.

The need for friendship and the longing for connection, no matter how different you are, are themes that remain deeply relevant in today’s society.

Conclusion

As a big Disney-Pixar fan, it was a joy to watch this film.
The story remains heartwarming and carries a beautiful message. The wonderful performances by Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Sydney Agudong as Nani make the story truly tangible. What stands out, however, is that the film is less humorous than the original 2D version….
A delightful movie recommendation for both young and old!

Rating: 8

Text: Esmeralda Wolf