Lilo & Stitch Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)July 9th, 2002
LILO & STITCH (2002) / ***
Directed by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders, from their screenplay. Starring Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrerre, Ving Rhames. Running time: 85 minutes. Rated G by the MFCB. Reviewed on July 5th, 2002.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: A destructive alien monster (Sanders) flees to Earth, where he is adopted by a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo (Chase) who mistakes him for a dog and names him Stitch. Lilo is an orphan being cared for by her older sister Nani (Carrere). They are on the verge of being split up by child services, and when the interstellar Federation comes to Earth to recapture Stitch, the ensuing chaos could be the last straw.
Review: Whereas most animated Disney films are adaptations of literary works -- or, in the case of something like "The Lion King", are firmly grounded in the tenets of mythic fiction -- "Lilo & Stitch" is every bit the exception. This is a movie which owes more to "E.T." than to the Brothers Grimm. And that's not a bad thing. "Lilo" is a refreshing change of pace for Disney, a tongue-in-cheek parable about the importance of family firmly rooted in modern-day pop culture. It's funny, it's touching, but it's smart too -- "Lilo" rarely goes for the obvious laughs, opting instead for a combination of slapstick and wordplay which should leave kids from five to ninety-five rolling in the aisles. Only the plot itself comes across as more than a little cliched, but at least it's pulled off with style and wit. Lilo and Nani are intriguing characters, rather more flawed and believable than typical Disney protagonists. Stitch is an adorable rogue: a perfect mix of the grotesque and the endearing. Also notable is Rhames as child services agent Mr Bubbles, one of Disney's most unique characters ever. A mix of Hawaiian music and Elvis Presley tunes creates an eclectic but entertaining soundtrack. The animation -- slightly more cartoonish than a regular Disney film -- nicely suits both the bizarre alien settings and the lush Hawaiian sequences.
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | [email protected] | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
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.
