Lilo & Stitch 2025 review: A sanitised live-action imitation of its original

Disney's 2002 animation Lilo & Stitch became an instant classic for one reason: its originality.

For Disney, it was a step away from its usual style. It took a sci-fi alien story and transported it to modern Hawai'i, where it explored the everyday struggles of the people who lived there.

With hand-drawn 2D animation in the distinctive style of Chris Sanders (who last year directed the Oscar-nominated film The Wild Robot), it had a fresh look that was new for the studio, including round faces and larger bodies.

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It was also one of the first mainstream films to platform and celebrate Hawaiian culture, putting locals at the forefront rather than using the archipelago as a cheap backdrop.

And, critically, it subtly criticised the ways in which mass over-tourism has affected native Hawaiians.

A live-action remake, set in our time, was a chance to take the elements that made the original so groundbreaking, and add layers of modernity to them.

Maybe Lilo and Nani are surrounded by Airbnbs now? Or perhaps Stitch can attempt his dream of destroying a large city, given how built-up modern Honolulu is? Could Pleakley do a drag rendition of a Chappell Roan song?

But instead of adding to the original's cultural commentary, the new film completely cuts this element out.

It's the latest release to follow the apparent new recipe for a modern kids' movie: sanitise everything that could possibly offend anyone, replace the personalised hand-drawn animation with expensive, photo-realistic CGI, add in a little slapstick and a Bruno Mars song, and you've got yourself a hit.

Both films follow the same initial plot: Nani has been her sister Lilo's guardian since their parents died, but is struggling with the responsibility. Repeated visits from a social worker are not going well, and separation seems imminent.

Meanwhile, far from earth, experiment 626 — who was made in a lab by Jumba the mad scientist/evil genius — has escaped.

He soon lands on the sisters' Hawaiian island, and Jumba is tasked with re-capturing his monster, aided by Pleakley, a self-proclaimed "Earth expert".

When Lilo adopts experiment 626 — and names him Stitch — the real mayhem begins.

We first met Nani and Lilo in 2002, trying their best on their island home overrun by an invasive species: tourists — and then, also, aliens.

In the original's opening scene, Lilo snaps a photo of a sunburnt tourist, and we later discover she keeps an extensive series of these on her bedroom wall.

This was well ahead of the public discourse condemning western holiday-makers who make a habit of photographing foreign children.

We also see Nani and Lilo's rundown house, and how Nani's only employment options are in the service and tourism industry; "I just love to answer phones!" she enthusiastically tells a hotel manager.

But where the original criticised, the remake glorifies.

Pleakley soaks in a lavish hotel bubble bath overlooking the ocean, while Lilo frequently enjoys the beachside hot tub, with the resort's portrayal closer to advertisement than critique.

While Hawaiian culture is still respected — with a local behind the script — none of that cultural commentary remains, and the movie has less impact without it.

The music of the original film has become iconic, with clips of Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu and the Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus in the recording studio regularly going viral online.

And rather than reducing the hula to women in coconut bikinis swaying their hips, the production team took care to reflect the cultural and spiritual significance of the traditional dance, with animators recreating it frame by frame.

The new film brings these elements back, with audiences treated to a real on-screen hula, as well as the bright young voices of today's Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus choir.

The youth chorus's conductor, Lynell Bright, returned 25 years later too, and in a full-circle moment, her son Chris Kekaniokalani Bright is one of the screenwriters behind the adaptation.

Thankfully, they kept in a rendition of 'Aloha 'Oe', which Nani sings to Lilo when they think they might be separated.

This legendary folk song was written in 1878 by Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last sovereign monarch of Hawaii, who dedicated her life to the restoration of rights for Hawaiian people after the illegal US takeover of the territory.

A positive addition to the live-action is the expansion of Ohana, a memorable theme of the original: "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

With added characters in the new film, Ohana is expanded to not just include direct blood relatives, but also a community, which does serve the film's focus on non-traditional families.

The film's key change is, of course, its lack of animation. The CGI version of Stitch looks perfect, while Jumba and Pleakley disguise themselves as humans for the majority of the piece. Jumba is portrayed as a generic evil villain, rather than a screwball scientist, which doesn't quite work.

The setting has been shifted from the original's natural oasis of Kauai, and now takes place on the more built-up Oahu, focusing on locations like Waikiki Beach and Honolulu. The fact that this seemingly contradicts Stitch's struggle to find a big city to destroy on a remote island is glossed over.

Nani's experience as Lilo's carer is explored in greater detail, with dreams of going to study marine biology quashed by her new-found responsibility.

While there's a lot added in detail, there's not a great deal more depth or humour. The softened language of the script means much of the raw emotion of the original is lost, too.

The best new addition to the film is probably Jumba and Pleakley's portal gun, which creates gateways anywhere you shoot it, and soon becomes a fun, non-violent plot device.

But sorely missed by audiences is Pleakley's obsession with wigs, women's clothes and make-up.

This infatuation — which continued throughout the animated franchise's sequels and TV spin-offs — made him a favourite among audiences, with some fans calling the character "a gender-fluid icon".

Queer-coded or otherwise, Pleakley's love for cross-dressing was a key element of the character, and the film's director has hinted at pushback from Disney against its inclusion, responding to criticism with: "I tried."

While the original's run time was just under 90 minutes, the additional characters and plot in the live-action remake put it closer to two hours.

Despite being made for a generation with the attention span of a YouTube video, the film does feel slow in parts, and younger or more energetic children may find it difficult to sit through.

Like many recent live-action remakes of a beloved classic, the new Lilo & Stitch is wholly OK — if a little uninspired — and isn't a difficult watch for parents. It's devoid of annoying characters with high-pitched voices, and would make for a decent outing on a rainy weekend.

Perhaps unavoidably, devout fans are furious at the changes. But, overall, it's an inoffensive film, in every sense of the word.