Over two decades since its initial release, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders’ Lilo & Stitch (2002) has rightfully earned its place as one of the most beloved Disney animated movies to come after the studio’s ’90s renaissance period. In the time since 2002, the character of Stitch has also become one of the studio’s most iconic and lucrative mascots outside of the mouse himself, spawning direct-to-DVD sequels, an animated series, and a strong presence in Disney’s merchandising empire. Mind you, this massive popularity was born from the single original film 23 years ago, which was the only time Stitch graced theater screens… until now.
Taking into account Stitch’s universal appeal and notoriety, a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch feels like an inevitability designed for success. However, due to the financial and critical failure of Snow White (2025) — which has reportedly led to Walt Disney Studios putting a pause on live-action remakes, including a previously planned Tangled reimagining that was to be directed by Michael Gracey (Better Man) — Lilo & Stitch (2025) has been burdened with a large responsibility. Not only does it have to be enough of a mainstream hit, but it also has to win back goodwill from the Disney audience who have since lost faith in the company’s live-action remake strategy.
The Emotional Core of the Original Lilo & Stitch Remains as Strong as Ever
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, best known for his A24-distributed stop-motion film, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021), the live-action Lilo & Stitch faithfully follows the familiar plot points of the original movie. However, a few minor additions and tweaks have been made to modernize the story for younger audiences. We open on Experiment 626 (once again voiced by creator Chris Sanders), a superpowered lifeform who is deemed a wanted fugitive by the leader of the United Galactic Federation, the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham).
Experiment 626 crash-lands in Hawaii, and in an attempt to hide from his mad scientist alien creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis), and UGF Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), he pretends to be a dog and wins over the heart of a little girl named Lilo Pelekai (Maia Kealoha). After adopting him as her new pet, “Stitch” must face Lilo’s older sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong), and learn the true meaning of family, or as it is known in Hawaii: Ohana.
Lilo & Stitch (2002) is just as relevant with audiences today because it doesn’t shy away from openly tackling complex subjects with sensitivity and care, more so than how other children’s movies did in the early 2000s. Lilo and Nani are grieving the loss of their parents, failing to meet the needs of Children’s Protective Services, and desperately searching for stability. Fans will be glad that this aspect of the story is still intact. At times, the remake succeeds at delivering a satisfying amount of character depth and pathos because of this timeless narrative. Yet, this all comes at a huge price. No matter how well-intentioned it may be, the original animated film’s charm and personality are ultimately lost.
Stitch Looks Great, the Rest of the Film… Not So Much
While Stitch himself has translated well into a CG-animated character, the cinematography of this Disney live-action remake is very forgettable and pedestrian. When held up to the original animated movie, which boasts a beautiful watercolor aesthetic that serves as a love letter to its Hawaiian setting, there is absolutely no competition. There is almost no visual identity here; every scene is shot in broad daylight, compositions are haphazardly put together, and despite some decent production design, 2025’s Lilo & Stitch feels strangely cheap whenever alien characters are not on screen. Perhaps, this is a result of the movie originally being produced for a direct-to-streaming Disney+ release. Or, maybe, this just speaks to the studio’s increasingly lazy production quality.
Courtesy of Disney
Jumba and Pleakley notably stick out as characters whose shared charm has been sucked dry. In the original Lilo & Stitch, the duo disguise themselves as humans among the public by wearing unconvincing outfits to hide their alien features. In the new movie, they simply have a device that cloaks them as humans via cloning. Billy Magnussen (Road House) does his best to play Pleakley with a hilariously stilted and queer vibe, but Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) gives the film’s worst performance due to a supreme lack of effort. Alien form or not, Galifianakis offers nothing to his Jumba. This is especially disappointing as Jumba takes the main antagonist role in this remake away from an absent Gantu.
Heart-On-Sleeve Director with a Mixed Cast
Another character that is unfortunately miscast is Nani, played by Sydney Agudong. Even if you disregard the colorism controversy and speculation that the actress’ lighter skin tone was tanned during production, she falls short at portraying Nani with the needed nuance and intellectual maturity that the role requires. Nani’s adolescence is highly emphasized in the remake, especially when interacting with AANHPI social worker Mrs. Kekoa (played by Nani’s original voice actor, Tia Carrere). Despite this effort to ground the character, Agudong focuses too much on the chaotic side of Nani and not enough on her warmth.
In contrast, newcomer Maia Kealoha impresses with her ability to portray Lilo’s messier side. We get to see this early on in the film, when she shoves her bully at a hula dance recital and is shown making a ruckus around the beach resort. There are admittedly times when Kealoha’s performance feels inconsistent, but that can be linked back to the movie’s overall direction. While director Dean Fleischer Camp wears plenty of heart on his sleeve, Lilo & Stitch (2025) is not a good showcase of how his talents translate into big-budget studio filmmaking. If you didn’t already know going in, there is nothing to indicate that this live-action reimagining comes from the director behind Marcel the Shell.
“One of the Best Live-Action Disney Remakes” Purely By Default
Outside of decentering the Alien element of the story, the changes in Lilo & Stitch (2025) are, for the most part, less irritating and unnecessary than other Disney remakes. Major changes in the third act give Nani motivations and depth outside of caring for her little sister, which builds up to something heartfelt and emotionally true. The great Amy Hill plays a brand new character, the sisters’ neighbor Tutu, whose plotline culminates in a genuine reflection of community that aligns with the story’s familial themes. As sweet as these moments are, they are hardly crucial or justify remaking this tale into live-action. As messy as Snow White was, it at least had a vision unique from its source material.
Lilo & Stitch (2025) is a safe, disposable time at the movies that barely does right by the original film. If the 2002 animated classic is fresh in your memory, it’s going to be easy to pick apart at the seams. I wish there was far more care put into the rest of the remake, as there was animating Stitch with photorealism, and that the weirdness and punk attitude of the original movie were better preserved. Many other critics have praised this as “one of the best Disney live-action remakes.” If that is true, then it is purely by default rather than any clear vision or metric of quality.
The 2025 live-action Lilo & Stitch remake hits theaters on May 30!
Release Date: May 30, 2025.
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp.
Screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright & Mike Van Waes.
Based on 2002’s Lilo & Stitch created by Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois.
Produced by Jonathan Eirich & Dan Lin.
Executive Producers: Louie Provost, Ryan Halprin, & Tom C. Peitzman.
Main Cast: Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, Hannah Waddingham, Kaipo Dudoit, Tia Carrere, Amy Hill, & Jason Scott Lee.
Cinematographer: Nigel Bluck.
Composer: Dan Romer.
Production Companies: Rideback & Walt Disney Pictures.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Runtime: 108 minutes.
Rated PG.
