Lilo & Stitch (2002) review

Dir. Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★½

The original theatrical poster of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is one that perfectly compliments the picture itself using very, very few words. It shows many of the iconic Disney characters, from Pinocchio to Aladdin, Beauty to the Beast, staring at poor little Stitch who is firmly planted in the center of the poster, looking at the audience and optimistically smiling. This is one of the first times Disney willingly marketed a character that wasn’t too presentable in quality, but after staring at his unique blue self for about a half hour, you begin to see the beauty in him, and by the end, he firmly clings to your heart.

Lilo & Stitch is one of the brightest, cleanest, and cheerfully different Disney pictures I have seen, and one of the company’s bravest of the decade next to Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Unlike that picture, which resulted in a disappointing performance at the box office because of its different look and crisper, more adult-like style, Lilo & Stitch shot and scored with audiences and revenue, and dare I say, was one of their best films of the decade.

The story begins with Dr. Jumba Jookiba (voiced by David Ogden Stiers), who is on trial for his latest illegal genetic experiment. The creature, dubbed “Experiment 626,” is a pint-sized, blue, dog-like creation, aggressive, obnoxious, and very, very sneaky. After being forced to be executed, 626 manages to escape to Earth, crash-landing on Kauai, a small island of Hawaii.

It is there where we meet Lilo (Daveigh Chase), a likable, yet alienated soul who is taken care of by her nineteen year old sister Nani (Tia Carrere) after her parents’ tragic death. The pair is constantly interrupted by Cobra Bubbles, voiced to perfection by Ving Rhames, a tall, ominous, and intimidating social worker, concerned that Lilo may not be in the best care with Nani, and is planning to move her to a foster home if conditions aren’t up to his standards.

Frustrated when Lilo’s alienation worsens, Nani takes her to an animal shelter, where she finds Experiment 626, who was taken there after being hit by a truck late in the night. She adopts and names 626 “Stitch” and they quickly become best friends. The creature, at first, is ill-behaved and lawless, worse than any dog one could have. But later on, he develops heart and, what was originally intended to be a plan of cunning instincts, being taken under the wing of an innocent girl to be protected from Dr. Jumba and his bumbling sidekick Agent Pleakley (Kevin McDonald), becomes a truly real story of family (or “ohana” in this case) devotion, self-worth, love, and a keenly observant lesson in philosophy. This story is appealing to everyone, and for a while, it seemed that Pixar was light years ahead of Disney, while at this point in time, they were neck and neck.

The animation is beautifully rendered and bleeds classic style. This was, again, the time period where animation was changing. Pixar invented the “full length CGI feature” idea, and it was at this point in time where movies of both the classic, hand drawn vibe were being released, as well as newly invented computer animated features. This proved to many that despite flashy tech-work and glossy colors, that it is the story that matters, and that Disney was still able to deliver a rich, compelling feature of depth and heart.

Lilo & Stitch is simply a wonderful film. It packs in undying morals to accompany its premise, never seems to become more interested in awkward sentimentality married with witty one-liners, and always seems focused, sophisticated, and effervescent in its idea of “doing what it can with what it has.” It has brilliant voice actors, elegance in its art direction, a smooth script, and a touching and sometimes poignant story that serves as a feast for the heart. It is an absolute treat.

My review of Lilo & Stitch (2025)

Voiced by: Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, and Jason Scott Lee. Directed by: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois.