Maia Kealoha, left, and Sydney Agudong in a still from the film Lilo & Stitch.Supplied
Lilo & Stitch
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp
Written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes
Starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong and Courtney B. Vance
Classification PG; 108 mins
Opens in theatres May 23
More than two decades ago, a small group of Disney animators came together to create Lilo & Stitch, which went on to become one of the studio’s beloved animated features. Its look and feel, as well as the zany story, was a departure from the studio’s usual fare. When I watched it again with my two teens over the long weekend, we noted how fresh the film felt even now – the rounded-out characters and Hawaiian backdrop rendered vividly in watercolours, the still-solid jokes. My kids were in splits with Stitch’s antics and charmed by the precocious, Presley-lovin’ Lilo.
Audiences were so enamoured with the 2002 animated movie that it spawned a series of spinoffs, direct-to-video films and a TV series – all available on Disney+. Now we can add a live-action version to that canon, releasing exclusively in theatres on May 23. And to borrow from the King, you can’t help falling in love with this latest incarnation that brings Lilo & Stitch to life in wonderful new ways.
The story is more or less the same. It starts in intergalactic space, where Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis) is being tried by the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham) for creating the monstrous Experiment 626. Sentenced to imprisonment, Experiment 626 escapes and lands in Hawaii. Jookiba and Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) are sent in to extract 626.
To evade recapture, Experiment 626 pretends to be a dog and gets adopted by Lilo (Maia Kealoha in her debut role), a lonesome six-year-old being looked after by her older sister, Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). Lilo names her new pet Stitch. Both Lilo and Stitch are outsiders seeking love, but also create mayhem, leaving a fair amount of destruction in their wake. When tasked with the responsibility of managing her pet, Lilo tries to teach Stitch how to be good, honouring the Hawaiian concept of ohana, or family.
Does it all work out? If you’ve seen the original, you know how the story ends. The live-action version adds a few more layers to the lovable plotline – fleshing out both the narrative and characters to add depth to the story and excising a few details to keep the structure fairly tight.
There are a couple of new characters – Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere), as a practical social worker who wants to help Nani shoulder her kuleana, or responsibility, as Lilo’s guardian after their parents’ death, and the meddlesome-in-the-best-way neighbour Tutu (Amy Hill).
These actors were part of the original film’s cast, which is a lovely way to pay tribute. Carrere played Nani, while Hill was a fruit vendor in the 2002 fim. Carrere’s role as a social worker invested in helping Nani and Lilo stay together adds dramatic tension as well as a lighthearted touch to the story. Meanwhile, Hill as Tutu, who wants Nani to look after herself even as she’s trying to take care of her younger sister, brings delightful grandmotherly sass to the role.
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Agent Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) is now a CIA agent, who goes undercover as a social worker when suspecting an alien incursion on Earth. His role is shorter and a little less tied to the main plot. But the live-action still manages to keep him meaningfully in the mix.
The casting of Galifianakis and Magnussen was a brainwave. Mercifully, Jookiba’s bizarre Russian accent has been dispensed with. Galifianakis imparts the “evil genius” scientist with the impish hijinks the actor is well-known for. Magnussen’s Agent Pleakley carries the same exuberance for human life of his cartoon predecessor, adding in a few more nerdy tics. The two of them take on human forms in this new version, adding to the merriment. And there can never be enough Waddingham, who is pitch perfect as the Grand Councilwoman who doesn’t suffer fools.
Maia Kealoha, who plays Lilo in the live-action version of the film.Matt Kennedy/Photo courtesy of Disney
The real stars, however, are the titular roles. Newcomer Kealoha shines, truly bringing Lilo to life. In her animated avatar, Lilo carried a world-weariness about her. Kealoha brings that sense of ennui forward but adds the capriciousness and wonderment of a child. Her periodic shrieks will remind you of little ones in your own orbit who love to punctuate with squeals.
Sanders, who had directed the original film and voiced Stitch, returns to voice the furry blue alien with gusto. All the aliens are rendered with CGI precision, which makes Stitch at once more scary and sweet.
Did we really need a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch? Maybe not. The live-action isn’t quite able to capture the ironic undercurrent of the original; remember Lilo taking photos of tourists for her collection? The enchantment of a hula dance in animation gives way to amping up the family drama of Nani and Lilo. But the reboot is sure to delight the young ones in your care, especially over the summer. As for the older ones? There are enough throwbacks to reminisce – and then revisit the offbeat classic.
Special to The Globe and Mail
