Reviewing - The Lilo & Stitch Collection
He’s the greatest hit of Disney’s Sunset Era, which is odd considering he is the exact opposite of so many other classic Disney protagonists. Irreverent, gross, and at times psychotic, Stitch struck a chord with an audience that was ready for a Disney film that didn’t take itself too seriously. Spawning a successful franchise and a generation of kids who tried to pull off the “Stitch voice”, these are the adventures of a Hawaiian girl and her intergalactic friend.
Lilo & Stitch (***1/2)
In which a CIA agent decides to become a social worker but can’t fathom losing the uniform so he decides to just run with it
Although it widens the thematic divide between the films of the Disney Renaissance and the following decade, Lilo & Stitch’s popularity signifies an audience ready for something a bit different.
When Lilo & Stitch was released, the animation business was in a state of flux. Toy Story had been released years ago, heralding the rise of computer animation and paving the way for traditional animation’s sunset. Shrek came out just a year before Stitch, lampooning the cinnamon-sweet reputation that Disney had worked so hard to cultivate for decades. Even within Disney’s animation studio, the traditional fairy tale model that had proved so successful in the past was beginning to take a backseat in favor of more unconventional films like Dinosaur or Atlantis. The Emperor’s New Groove in particular showed Disney that irreverence and cheekiness could be just as profitable as earnestness and poignancy.
Stitch’s ad campaign is proof that Disney recognized the changing landscape. If you remember the series of ads, Disney animated brief scenes where Stitch interrupted major moments from their previous films, like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. It was a very on-the-nose way of saying, “This isn’t like the Disney films we used to make”. On one hand, it’s nice that Disney was willing to not take themselves too seriously. On the other hand, it seems like Disney decided to follow a trend rather than create one. Either way, it’s hard to argue with the box office revenue that Stitch brought them.
Love him or hate him, Stitch is an iconic Disney character. He’s wonderfully weird, with an unmistakable contour and a voice that encapsulates just how different he is from his predecessors. Even though he’s not in my top ten list of favourite Disney characters (not that I’ve made one, mind you), I have to admit that he made me laugh out loud all these years later when my wife and I sat down to re-watch the film. The bit where he chucks the book at the social worker is just great stuff. His zaniness is exactly what makes him so fun for kids. He breaks all the rules.
As great as Stitch is, it’s actually Lilo who really defines the film. As a character, she’s thoroughly engrossing. As a role model for kids…she’s a nightmare. Lilo hits her sister, disobeys everyone in authority, makes voodoo dolls of her enemies, and gets in fights at school. It’s precisely these actions that make her a great character, but at the same time I can imagine parents horrified by their children replicating what they’ve seen onscreen. There are always characters in movies we don’t want our kids personifying, but the fact that Lilo is a kid herself makes this possibility more likely. The trouble is that Lilo is a ‘bad kid’ on purpose. She comes from a broken family, where her older sister is struggling to make ends meet and a social worker is threatening to take Lilo away entirely. This movie is ABOUT broken families, so we need to see a kid who’s having a hard time dealing with that. Watching this film as a kid, I just thought that Lilo was ‘bad’. But as an adult and as an educator, I see how much of Lilo’s behaviour stems from the grief she’s had to go through. Lilo needs help, and so does Stitch. They really save each other in the end, and that’s a beautiful thing.
The animation isn’t jaw-dropping, but there’s an artistic simplicity to the way they brought Hawaii to life. The music is authentically Hawaiian, with “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” being one my wife’s favourite Disney songs ever. The character design is charming, and Jumba and Pleakley are both terrific in shape as well as in personality. This isn’t the best Disney film yet, but it’s a charming addition to their library.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch
In which we learn that as long as you love someone who has died, you can inexplicably bring them back to life
While a bit too cheesy – even for Disney – Stitch’s next adventure has everything that made the original a hit.
Just let me complain for two seconds. This is NOT Lilo & Stitch 2. This is the THIRD Stitch movie, so WHY are they calling it Lilo & Stitch 2?! Sure, I guess this film is supposed to be second chronologically, but then WHY are they making it third? Why didn’t you release this film BEFORE Stitch: The Movie?!
And another thing! I’m trying to watch through the ENTIRE Disney animated library, and Stitch: The Movie isn’t on Disney+! Disney, did you not make that movie? Is it not YOUR film? Why can’t I watch it?! And WHERE are Pocahontas II, Mulan II, or Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo? My quest is being FOILED by your inability to release your own bloody content! Get it together!
Sorry about that. I needed to get that off my chest.
Okay, so this movie was okay, all things considered. I’ve seen way too many direct-to-video Disney sequels where the animation took a decisive dip, but this honestly looked to be at the same level of quality as the original film. The characters all sounded like themselves, with the exception of Lilo. My guess is that the child actor they got the first time around didn’t sound right anymore. That said, Dakota Fanning does a good job in terms of conveying emotion as her replacement. Jumba and Pleakley are still funny, and there’s something that doesn’t get old about a one-eyed alien dressing in drag. I can’t recall any jokes that fell flat, which is pretty good.
Here are the two complaints I have with this film. The catalyst for action is that Stitch’s programming has gone a bit haywire. For some reason or other, Jumba didn’t put enough energy (whatever that means) into Stitch when creating him. As a result, Stitch is going berserk. Jumba’s gotta make some weird machine that will fix Stitch, and I’m fine with that. But for the duration of the movie, Jumba and Pleakley DON’T share this information with Lilo and Nani. Stitch just keeps acting out against his will, and Lilo keeps thinking he’s just turning evil for no reason. This puts stress and tension on their relationship. Not only do Jumba and Pleakley keep this information to themselves, they do so deliberately. It’s not like they just never had a chance to do it. They actively avoid telling them for reasons unclear. And at the end of the movie, they explain it to Lilo and Nani without saying why they hadn’t told them from the beginning. That’s a bit sloppy in terms of the writing.
On top of that, Stitch does the whole dying and coming back to life thing that we’ve seen before in Disney movies. Snow White, the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Hercules all had near-death experiences where it seemed clear they were either literally dead or at the very gates of death. Each time, there was something that had been set up earlier in the film that ended up saving them. Stitch tries the same formula here, but it doesn’t quite work out. Lilo keeps saying throughout the movie that “love is stronger than death” – which is of course a nice thing to say but an unrealistic expectation. Each of the characters who cheated death in the movies I previously mentioned had love as a key ingredient, but it wasn’t death that they were fighting against. It was always a curse or a supernatural force that they were trying to defeat with love, instead of death itself. So here, Stitch is dying because of his messed-up programming. There’s no magic or curse on him – he’s just dying. And then Lilo hugs him and he comes back to life. How does that make sense? Love may be stronger than magic, kids, but I have bad news – hugging dead people does not bring them back to life.
That aside, this still gave us more of Lilo & Stitch doing what they did in the last film, and it’s fairly competent apart from the plot errors. And if you’re a fan of one-eyed aliens dressed in drag like I am, you won’t be disappointed.
Stitch! The Movie (***)
In which a young girl sets hundreds of Pokemon loose in Hawaii
Anyone who cares about Lilo & Stitch should enjoy this, but if you’re not part of that fanbase then there’s literally no reason to give this a shot.
Even though this is the second film in the franchise, it’s the third from a chronological standpoint. Much like “Return of Jafar” or “Tangled: Before Ever After”, this film’s main purpose is to set the stage for a television show where Lilo & Stitch can encounter a new crazy Stitch-like experiment every episode. To that end, it does this reasonably well. We get to meet the new central antagonist, and the reason for all of these new experiments is made clear. Sure, there’s nothing particularly poignant or significant to write about, but if you’re a completionist like I am, you can’t really afford to skip it. I’ll admit that I laughed a few times – once again mainly because of Jumba and Pleakley.
The fact that I don’t really have anything to say about this movie should tell you everything you need to know. It wasn’t offensively bad, but there’s not a single thing in it that makes it memorable.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series (**1/2)
There’s nothing particularly remarkable about it, but it’s sure to please fans of the franchise.
At the time of this review, I haven’t yet seen “Stitch: The Movie”, which is the film that basically sets up the plot of the series. The basic idea seems to be that Jumba’s other 625 experiments (Stitch being experiment ‘626’) are wandering Hawaii for some reason or other, and Lilo and her friends are tasked with catching them all. It almost feels reminiscent of Pokemon, if not for the fact that instead of sucking them inside portable prison cells, they’re just finding good homes for each of the experiments.
The individual episodes weren’t all that bad, but the fact that I can’t really remember much after just a few days of watching should be testament to the forgettability of the show. If you like Lilo & Stitch, you’re in for more of the same. Stitch is wonderful and gross, and Jumba & Pleakley are still doing their same old shtick. The individual experiments are kind of neat – each one has a different special ability or set of character traits that makes them difficult for our heroes to catch. It’s a simple formula having a new creature every episode, but none of the episodes were boring, so that’s something.
The one episode that I remember was one where Lilo & Stitch visited a genuine haunted house. One of the experiments had this ability to take the shape of your worst nightmare – which of course is a terrific character to include in a children’s television show. Apart from turning into an evil clown (which will never NOT be terrifying), one scene had the creature show up at Nani’s door as the social worker, come to take Lilo again. Yikes. That’s a very real fear, and it hit a little bit harder than I think the show intended. Nani’s worst fear is losing Lilo – wow!
All in all, absolutely nobody needs to watch this show unless you’re a Stitch superfan.
Leroy & Stitch (**1/2)
In which an ‘Avengers Endgame’ style final battle is interrupted by a ‘The Spongebob Squarepants Movie’ conflict resolution strategy
There’s a lot that’s very cool about this movie, but I just can’t forgive this kind of ending.
Leroy & Stitch is the final chapter in the adventures of our favourite Hawaiian duo. And I have to give credit where it’s due: this movie gives you that bitter-sweet feeling you get at the end of a long and enjoyable story. The moment the movie begins, it already seems like it’s ending. Stitch and Lilo have captured all the other experiments, and they’re being rewarded for their hard work. Part of the result is that Stitch is named Captain of the Galactic Armada, Pleakley gets a professor job, and Jumba gets to go back to his evil lab. Everyone says a heartfelt goodbye to each other, and they all go their separate ways. It’s an emotional ending for the characters…but it’s only the first third of the movie. I admire the filmmakers for not being afraid to put our heroes in an uncomfortable position like this. Endings are natural, but our characters feel a bit torn about it, and that’s great.
The villain from the show, Hamsterviel, jumps in to make a plot out of thin air. He’s made an evil clone of Stitch (Leroy – terrible name), and he’s going to make a million of them to take over the galaxy. Some totally inconsequential stuff happens, and then comes a scene that’s truly awesome. We get to watch a massive battle with Stitch and the other six hundred experiments on one side, and the evil Leroy clones on the other. I only watched five episodes of the show, but I was able to recognize a few of the experiments that I’d see in the fight. I imagine a kid who’d watched the whole show would’ve gotten so much more than I did out of the scene, because the sequence is jam-packed with different experiments doing battle with the evil clones. But hey, even with my five-episode knowledge, this was a great moment.
The thing that keeps me from giving this film three stars is the way the evil clones are defeated. It would’ve been great to have Lilo, Stitch, and the others beat the evil clones in some coherent way, like using the abilities of each experiment to trap the clones or capturing Hamsterviel and forcing him to deactivate the clones of something like that. Instead, they went with a solution that was both totally unsubstantiated and stupid. Jumba suddenly remembers he built a failsafe into the clones that gets triggered when they hear a special song. Lilo, Stitch, and the others get on stage and sing the song, and all of a sudden the clones are all defeated. That’s it. Why didn’t we know about this song earlier? And are you REALLY gonna pick the route to victory where you win with the power of music? How corny is that?!
It’s that ending that’s just too cheesy to forgive. There’s some great moments in this flick, and it’s not bad as a send-off for the franchise, but I can’t get around such a stupid ending. Sorry.