Lilo & Stitch (2025) Film Review: Monstrous live-action remake is another misfire for Disney
- reeltalkin'
- May 22
- 3 min read
In the seemingly endless trend of Disney re-imagining their beloved animated classics into 'live action' form, the latest sci-fi/comedy starring a familiar dog-like, furry blue alien takes the centre stage. Although the filmmakers clearly respect and honour the original 2002 product of the same name, this completely unnecessary remake feels just as hollow and bland as previously failed attempts at re-capturing the magic of their 2D animated counterparts.
Our story follows a lonely, bullied six-year-old Hawaiian orphan, Lilo (Maia Kealoha in her debut performance), who is cared for by her protective older sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong). Meanwhile, a genetically engineered alien (Experiment 626 AKA Stitch) created to be a force of destruction, escapes captivity and is mistaken as a dog on Earth, leading Lilo to adopt him, whilst teaching the creature the true meaning of family and unconditional love.
The film was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, the mind behind the wonderful Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021), with the original's writer/director, Chris Sanders, reprising his voice role as the titular Stitch. There are also other returning names, such as Tia Carrere (original voice of Nani, now playing a social worker in the remake) and Amy Hill.
One of the most endearing and touching elements of the original movie was the believable, heartwarming chemistry between the sisters, with the chaotic Nani struggling to look after her troubled little sister, Lilo. They squabbled and fought like real siblings, however, there was an obvious deep love and support for each other, with the arrival of Stitch offering an intriguing edge to their dynamic. The foundations of this relationship and the core theme of family are present in the new version, with some nice heartfelt moments here and there, however, the screenplay suffers from the same issue as its predecessors have also demonstrated. Unnecessary changes and extensions to scenes and additional characters serve no purpose other than to pad out the runtime and take away more vital screen time for the leads.
This remake modernises the story to generally mixed results, with a generic and overly unappealing visual aesthetic, disregarding any creativity or originality. The hyper-realistic animation of Stitch does not translate well to the silver screen, as any interactions with the human characters always feel off because we know that nothing is actually there. The movie feels more suited to a Disney+ entry, rather than a fully theatrical release. Unfortunately, there is a real sense of detachment from the characters, with the film favouring silly slapstick shenanigans and crude humour, which becomes tiring quickly and fails to capture the dark edge and quirky nature of the original.
Similar to previous live-action remakes, the execution of the narrative and important character beats is generally weaker overall. One striking example comes with the iconic scene of Lilo showing Nani that Stitch can play music through his mouth using their vinyl player, which is a memorable highlight of the original movie. However, in the new version, Nani is too busy on her phone to even pay attention to her sister, and the gag completely falls flat. The film just constantly reminds the viewer that there is a superior version of this story, with more efficient pacing and writing. This version exists as a corporate product in the efficient money-making machine that is modern Disney, profiting off merchandise and nostalgia.
Despite some fun moments and attempts to honour the source material, this modern take on Lilo & Stitch is forgettable, clumsy in its execution, and generally unpleasant to look at. If you are in the mood for a clever, sweet blend of sci-fi and comedy for the whole family, just go and watch the original classic.
Check out the trailer for Lilo & Stitch (2025) below, and please let me know your thoughts down in the comments!
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