Lilo & Stitch Review
by John Sylva (DeWyNGaLe AT aol DOT com)July 2nd, 2002
LILO & STITCH (2002)
Reviewed by John Sylva
Perhaps Elvis Presley's "Burning Love," played over the end credits of Lilo & Stitch, sums up the latter title character best; Stitch, a genetic "abomination" who finds himself in Hawaii after being exiled from his own planet, is certainly "burning." Come within three feet of the curious blue alien, and you're likely to be attacked or growled at. But, as it turns out, he's full of love, too. Introduced to human society and befriending the young Lilo, he grows desperate to find "ohana," the Hawaiian word for family.
Disney's first successful 2-D animated feature since 2000's The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo & Stitch takes a risk in centering itself on such a troublesome pair of characters. Personalities who are endearing because of their genuine flaws, both Lilo and Stitch, while of different species, find themselves in similar circumstances: Lilo (Daveigh Chase), raised by her older sister Nani (Tia Carrere), feels excluded from other girls her age on account of her broken family, while Stitch, a product of experimentation, encounters confusion resulting from his individuality. The risk is young audiences probably don't have the intellectual capacity to identify with many of the film's themes that will likely register much better with adults than children. Most children themselves resemble the title duo but aren't likely mature enough to recognize this and will therefore possibly miss out on why Lilo and Stitch's friendship is so extraordinary.
Driven by a sense of need for acceptance, Lilo and Stitch cling to each other as friends, even if their individual struggles hinder their ability to fully fathom what they're trying to achieve. Lilo knows she may be taken from her home by a brooding social worker (Ving Rhames) but continues her little-sister antics, while Stitch, in an almost shyness, confines himself to his somewhat dog-like behavior despite his ability to speak English. The stubborn attributes of the two lead to a great sense of devotion between them as, in one of the film's few weaknesses (the others also involving the alien creatures), Stitch's alien creator (David Odgen Stiers) and his sidekick (Kevin McDonald) attempt to capture Stitch and bring him back to his home planet, and the duo must struggle to uphold the meaning of "ohana"-that nobody gets left behind or forgotten.
That a Disney animated feature won't necessarily appeal fully to the target audience would usually signal a bomb, but this couldn't be more opposite with Lilo & Stitch. Like 2001's Shrek, Lilo & Stitch works in more than one light: Younger audiences will take delight in the bright watercolor animation and immature antics of Stitch, while older audiences will find poignance and honesty in the relationships. Particularly intended toward those who didn't grow up on Spongebob Squarepants are clever gags involving sibling relationships, the Roswell mystery, and the abundant presence of mosquitoes in Hawaii.
What holds Lilo & Stitch in high regard more than anything is the incredible atmosphere of the production. Directors Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders (also the voice of Stitch) invoke a nonstop sense of joy into their screenplay, creating wonderful surfing and montage sequences, set to both Elvis classics and native Hawaiian music. Scenes of hula dancing and fire tossing further set the mood for the location, which is an unusual, refreshing choice for a film, animated or otherwise.
With The Powerpuff Girls Movie just days away from release in the United States, Lilo & Stitch can be looked at only as a rare, almost daring film that's a handwritten letter in an age of e-mail with more than dollar signs and Happy Meal toys on the brain-although I'm sure both are in the film's future. As many remarked last year with the aforementioned Shrek, only an ogre-or perhaps in this film's case, an alien creature-would complain.
GRADE: B+
Film reviewed July 1st, 2002.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
