Review: Lilo & Stitch's live-action remake is better than the original

In certain circles, the term ‘Disney live-action remake’ has turned into something of a dirty word in recent years. And that’s not without reason.

While the ongoing project has been commercially successful, hitting highs with the billion-dollar-grossing The Lion King (2019) and Beauty and the Beast (2017), the films are rarely as warmly remembered as the films they’re based on.

Why do these remakes fail? There’s an old truism for that: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And while moving things into live action can make fantasy stories feel more grounded, it also robs them of the beauty, heart and soul of the original artwork. Changes to the story, meanwhile, particularly from films that are as eminently rewatchable as classic Disney animations, range from pointless to offensive.

But Lilo & Stitch is better than the original, first and foremost, because it’s updated with love and care for its source material. And it makes sense why it would be handled as such – while the original film may not be better than films such as The Jungle Book or Aladdin, it’s decidedly more personal.

Lilo & Stitch, after all, isn’t based on a fable, fairy tale or existing property. It’s the brainchild of Chris Sanders, who not only directed the original, but co-wrote the script, designed all the characters with his own personal flair rather than the Disney house style, and voiced Stitch. Even now, 23 years on, it feels like nothing else Disney has made. And with its watercolour backgrounds, it’s still one of the most beautiful Disney animated films since the days of Dumbo.

If you’re not familiar with the story, it’s a simple yarn. On an alien spaceship, a lab-grown genetic experiment chaos demon is banished from the galaxy for having no redeeming qualities. But before it can be exiled, the creature escapes, crash landing on the island of Hawaii. There, he finds himself in a dog kennel, adopted by an eccentric young girl named Lilo who names him Stitch. With time, his bond with an orphaned girl and her older sister teaches him the meaning of family.

But as fun and heart-warming as the original film remains, it’s easy to see how difficult a task it might be to ground it in our world. In animation, we’re more accepting of seemingly random character shifts and plot points that don’t hold up to scrutiny. A social worker named Cobra Bubbles tasked with wellness checks on a six-year-old girl can also be revealed to be a CIA agent specialising in alien invasions, for example, and no one bats an eyelid.

While the remake makes a litany of changes to the original, each is done carefully to serve the original story and to enhance the characters. I’ll give you an example: early on, Stitch finds himself in the dog kennel. In the original, he meets Lilo, glances at a poster of a dog being adopted and decides instantly to do the same thing. But what would an alien creature see in this little girl? Why would he want to go with her?

In the remake, it plays out slightly differently. Stitch sees that he’s being pursued by his alien creator, who wants to imprison him, bring him to his space lab and potentially destroy him. To avoid being caught, he decides to selfishly exploit the little girl in the dog kennel, who will provide safe cover. It’s a small tweak, but it gives Stitch a clear perspective – and sets up Stitch to be exposed later when Lilo finds out that she was being used, driving a wedge between the two, and adding weight to his transformation and redemption.

All of the character perspectives are as carefully considered and expanded. Lilo and her sister Nani are revealed to be orphaned in the original, but here their relationship with their late parents is heightened – making their absence more potent.

Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong), too, is more fleshed out. Now, the older sister, tasked with taking care of her little sister and working menial jobs, has put her dreams of becoming a marine biologist on hold because of her newfound parental responsibilities.

And while Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B Vance) still makes an appearance, their primary social worker is a caring Hawaiian woman played by Tia Carrere – who voiced Nani in the original. With all they manage to add, it’s remarkable the remake is only 23 minutes longer than the brisk 85-minute animation, and never drags.

Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch, who is faithfully animated to his original cartoonish design with an enhanced blue-furry quasi-realism, but he passes directing duties to Dean Fleischer Camp, who previously helmed the tear-jerking charmer Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

Fleischer Camp proves to be an ideal match for the material – upping on the emotionality thanks to the cracking script, unobtrusive style and the charming, naturalistic performance he draws out of eight-year-old newcomer Maia Kealoha.

One sequence in particular – another smart tweak of a sequence from the 2002 film – seemingly draws direct inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and surprisingly, it’s just as affecting. I was sobbing in my chair, one of perhaps three or four times I cried unexpectedly in the film.

If you love the original, rest assured that this only enhances its legacy. If you’ve never seen it, feel comfortable starting here. This is one of the most affecting family films in recent memory – and will likely delight people of all ages in theatres until Christmas.

Perhaps, even after the Snow White debacle earlier this year, 'Disney live-action remake' shouldn’t be such a dirty word after all.

Lilo & Stitch releases in cinemas on Thursday across the Middle East