Lilo & Stitch (2025) Movie: Disney’s Live-Action Remake Capture the Original’s Magic?
Disney brings back everyone’s favorite troublemaking alien in a new live-action version that tries hard to recreate the magic. Maia Kealoha steps into Lilo’s shoes for her first movie role, while Chris Sanders returns as the voice behind our blue furry friend.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp takes on this beloved story with a gentle touch. The man who gave us that sweet shell movie brings his knack for heartfelt storytelling to Hawaii’s sunny shores and family chaos.
What The Story Offers
A lonely island girl finds herself caring for what she thinks is a weird dog. Little does she know, her new pet is actually a destructive alien on the run from space cops.
The movie sticks to the main story we all know but adds some new family moments that feel right at home. It’s still about finding where you belong when everything feels broken around you.
I liked how they took time to show more of Lilo’s daily struggles. Her relationship with her older sister gets more screen time, which helps us understand why this weird blue creature becomes so important to them.
The Hawaiian culture gets respectful treatment here. You can tell the filmmakers did their homework instead of just using the islands as a pretty backdrop for tourist shots.
How The Actors Perform
Kealoha brings real energy to Lilo without trying to copy the cartoon version exactly. She’s got that stubborn kid thing down pat, plus the sadness that comes from missing her parents.
Sanders slips back into Stitch’s voice like he never left. That mix of cute gibberish and chaos-loving personality still works perfectly, even when he’s sharing scenes with real people instead of drawings.
The supporting cast does their job well enough. Sydney Agudong and the others feel like they actually live in this Hawaiian community rather than just visiting for the movie.
I found Camp’s directing style worked better in quiet scenes than action ones. He knows how to make you care about characters, which matters more than flashy effects anyway.
Visual Style and Effects
Making Stitch look real while keeping his cartoon charm was always going to be tricky. Sometimes it works great, other times you notice he’s clearly computer-generated against real backgrounds.
The island scenery looks fantastic throughout the movie. Real Hawaiian locations beat green screen every time, and you can feel the ocean breeze just watching these outdoor scenes.
Computer effects handle the space ships and alien technology reasonably well. Nothing groundbreaking here, but good enough to serve the story without becoming a distraction from family moments.
I appreciated how they kept Stitch’s design close to the original. No weird realistic makeover that would have upset fans who grew up loving his look from the cartoons.
What Critics and Viewers Think
Review scores land around 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it in decent territory for a Disney remake. Critics seem split between appreciating the heart and wishing it had more creative spark.
Most reviewers agree it captures the emotional core better than many live-action remakes. That’s probably the most important thing for a story that’s really about family bonds and acceptance.
Some critics called it 78% as good as the original which feels about right. It’s not going to replace anyone’s memories of the cartoon, but it stands on its own reasonably well.
I think families will find plenty to enjoy here. Kids who don’t know the original will probably love it, while parents can appreciate the genuine emotion behind all the silly alien antics.
Rating: 3.5/5
