Um, I really wanted to like Lilo & Stitch.
And on many levels, I did.
But I didn’t love it.
Bummer.
I was also hoping that just maybe it would match the comedic level of THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE.
But no...bummer!
Going in to the movie, I already had two things working against me. I’ve never liked Hawaii…the music, the look, the culture. Granted, my bias is based solely on what I’ve seen in movies and TV, but it’s never appealed to me.
And as I am constantly mentioning, I don’t like Sci-Fi…especially spaceships, etc.
So the movie that’s about a runaway alien that crash lands in Hawaii just isn’t gonna fly with me. But it’s Disney, and I tend to love Disney’s animated flicks, so I had to try.
And I’m glad I tried. There’s plenty to enjoy about this movie.
Stitch, (voiced by Chris Sanders, one of the film's directors) the alien that looks sorta like a scary koala is a cool character, and he’s sorta cute and funny looking at the same time…
Lilo,(voiced by Daveigh Chase) the little Hawaiian girl that befriends him is a great character. Actually, she’s pretty deep for a Disney character, and I applaud them for not just making her an adorable little moppet, but sort of a misfit who’s not all that interested in fitting in.
Her relationship with her older sister and guardian, Nani (voiced by Tia Carrere) is also a little deeper than I would have expected, and it’s what I found most interesting about the film.
Lilo & Stitch has a more old fashioned, traditional cell animation look to it, and I appreciated that in this era of "all CGI all the time". I did think that it was ironic that a movie that featured futuristic space ships was rendered with soft watercolors, but I guess it worked. And the movie did have it’s funny moments, and it’s poignant moments, but as a whole, I was a little disappointed.
But I have to recommend it…I fully realize that there are people out there with much more open minds than I, and I think they will enjoy Lilo & Stitch quite a bit.