Lilo & Stitch

Firstly, there are some positives. Stitch still elicits some smiles because of his antics and the blend of cute behavior with devilish recklessness. The film looks nice, and some of the actors do a solid job. Throughout the movie, however, it becomes abundantly clear that this will never be equal to the original. It is an echo of something far better. People who make this argument are not merely trying to be sticklers. There is probably not a single new implementation that worked better than what the 2002 film chose to do. The pacing of the movie was problematic, and some of the choices regarding plot points lacked heart and gravitas. Like almost all of these live-action Disney remakes, it is a cash grab (in this circumstance, it is being rewarded unlike others that flopped critically and featured fans not turning out as expected). This review will not contain any spoilers. Yet, I do think I can make the case that if you were expecting the beautiful and rich message of "Ohana means family" being the axis upon which the movie turns you will be soundly disappointed. This movie does not have the noxious messaging that Disney has rightfully been pilloried for recently, and it is not a horrid film, but it is not going to have the grip on hearts and minds like the first film.

Let's start with this: the original 'Lilo & Stitch' is one of my favourite cartoons ever. It's pure magic - quirky, heartfelt, and beautifully weird in that way only early 2000s Disney could get away with. So when I heard there was a live-action remake in the works, I had cautious hope. But after sitting through this 2025 adaptation... I wish I'd never seen it.

This remake is not nearly as good as the original. In fact, it barely feels like it's trying to be. Iconic moments have been cut or warped beyond recognition - smoothed over into something bland and safe. And don't get me started on Stitch himself - still voiced by Chris Sanders, yes, but it feels hollow without the wild energy that made him so lovable.

Some of the changes just make no sense. Characters are tweaked in ways that add nothing, and the emotional heart of the story - Lilo's grief, her loneliness, her oddball charm - has been neutered. The film is both rushed AND drags on, somehow managing to feel overstuffed and undercooked all at once. A true feat, if it wasn't so frustrating to watch.

Ultimately, it feels like a soulless cash grab. Another in a long line of Disney remakes that mistake visual fidelity for emotional resonance. It's got all the polish of a high-budget project, but none of the spirit. I didn't smile, I didn't cry - I just kept checking my watch.

Honestly? I'm at the point where I won't even bother watching the live-action remake of Moana, or whatever else they're churning out next. I'm so over the fakeness. These aren't love letters to our childhoods - they're boardroom products dressed up in nostalgia.

NO MORE. Let our animated classics stay classics. They don't need "updating." They just need to be left alone.

Lilo & Stitch suffers from all the usual problems that make these Disney live action remakes so much worse than the animated originals they attempt to adapt. The film is noticeably longer for no reason thanks to its unnecessary need to add new characters who bring nothing and almost all of its changes do more damage than good. However, it mostly retains the heart of its predecessor and still contains some good laughs so it can comfortably avoid being the worst remake.

Maia Kealoha is a suitably adorable Lilo and Chris Sanders is obviously a great Stitch, who remains the best part. Sydney Agudong is a good Nani but pretty much everyone else is so bland and Courtney B. Vance's Cobra Bubbles is especially screwed over by the changes to his character. Zach Galifianakis & Billy Magnussen as Jumba & Pleakley are a colossal step down in comparison to the original duo and their alien forms are now extremely uncanny.

Dean Fleischer Camp's direction gets the job done in the standard issue authorless fashion. All the technical issues stem from the near total lack of energy which comes from the misguided idea to (kinda) faithfully adapt a film that wasn't even remotely made with live action sensibilities in mind. The uniqueness has gone and it's replaced by something that generally feels a lot more generic. At least the CGI for Stitch is good enough because it would've been unwatchable if it wasn't.

I really wanted to enjoy this, especially given the nostalgia tied to the original, but it just didn't land for me. The pacing felt rushed-like the filmmakers were in a hurry to get through the plot rather than let it breathe. They introduced new characters that didn't add much and honestly felt unnecessary.

What bothered me most was how far the story veered from the original. It didn't feel like a natural evolution or a modern reimagining-it felt like they were actively trying to make it not the classic we grew up loving. On top of that, the casting didn't help. The characters didn't match the personalities or essence they were supposed to represent, which made it hard to stay immersed.

Overall, it missed the mark for me. Sometimes sticking closer to the source material really is the better call.

So gonna make this with no spoilers

I really wanted to like this, but the remake just misses what made the original Lilo & Stitch so special.

One of the biggest issues? They completely lost the heart of the story. The original was about found family, feeling like an outsider, and growing into love and understanding. This version just kind of glosses over all that. They cut out some important characters who brought depth, and the new ones they added didn't move the plot forward at all-they felt like filler.

And then there's Lilo. In the original, her behavior came from trauma, misunderstanding, or just being a kid who felt deeply and didn't know how to express it. Here, it feels like they made her act out just to be bad. It wasn't quirky or endearing-it was out of character and kind of mean-spirited.

What really stings is the lack of emotional growth. The original gave us real redemption arcs and character development. Here, it's like everyone stays the same the whole movie. No payoff, no evolution.

Visually it's fine, and I'm sure some people might enjoy it on a surface level. But for fans who connected with the original's heart? This just feels hollow.