लिलो एंड स्टिच: द सीरीज

The original concept of "Lilo and Stitch" is simple, yet bursting with genius. Take the old "boy and his dog" routine, except replace the boy with a lonely girl, the dog with an evil, yet huggable blue alien, and set this all in Hawaii. Add fun music, play your cards right, and you have one of the best Disney movies of the new century. Naturally with this movie's success, a sequel was bound to happen. Now we all know Stitch is Experiment 626. What about the other 625? What can they do? You have the basis for a good story that turned into nothing but a simple marketing ploy with little thought put into it. And unlike most Disney flicks, the sequel set the tone for a possible TV show.

Like the movie, the plot of the series is for Lilo and Stitch to hunt down the other 623 experiments floating around the island before Gantu can get his greedy paws on them, convert them to good, and find the one place they all belong on the island. I admit, although I was skeptical of the movie, I was virtually ecstatic that Disney was making a TV show on this idea. I love the oldies: "101 Dalmatians," "Raw Toonage," Tale Spin," "Timon and Pumbaa," yada yada yada, and thought to give it a shot. Like the movie, this series is too bland to satisfy my taste for something as likable as the original.

First of all, it's too predictable. They confront a creature and turn it to good, learn a moral in the process, done. However there have been a few times, emphasis on few, that Gantu has succeeded against them. Secondly, a lot of characters seem out of character. In the first movie, Gantu was a strong, important, and disciplined military leader. Now, he's bumbling, clumsy, silly, and lost my respect. Pleakley and Jumba, who had very good comedic value to add, are now repetitive and boring. The only characters who remain virtually the same are Stitch and Lilo. Also, for such a grand saga that Disney created, you think they could have a bigger, better, more menacing villain than the small alien rodent, Dr. Hamsterveil. In plain words, he's downright annoying.

Now throughout my ranting, there are a few things I love about the series too. 625, the "sandwich-making freak", has lasting appeal and is actually very funny in my opinion, and gives the show a little more reason to watch. Also, it's fun seeing all those experiments run amuck on the island. They're all lovable. And of course, Stitch. How can we forget him? He's still that evil, loving creature and always will be, no matter how much Disney destroys him.

In conclusion: "Lilo and Stitch: The Series" is nothing more than a simple sequel to the sequel that will only be loved by small kids and hard-core fans of the blue UFO, and even a few of them choose to tune this one out. Like every show, it has its moments, but not enough to do justice to the first movie. It's like the Disney version of "Pokemon", predictable and too kid-friendly. I love Stitch and his mysterious, funny babbling to death, but Disney fails us again.