The Live Action Lilo & Stitch Is Redundant but Enjoyable

Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste

Read our announcement | See the 10 Best Games of 2025 (So Far)

Listen to this article

My 10-year-old son would like you to know he gives Lilo & Stitch, Disney’s latest live action remake, a 10 out of 10. Nicholas wasn’t even born when the original movie came out, but with the advent of Disney+ that doesn’t really matter. The streamer allows him and his peers to easily watch their favorite Disney films again and again and again, regardless of era.

Which begs the question, who are all these live action remakes (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, etc.) truly for? The short answer is everyone. Adult fans of the original who grew up watching the movies. Young fans who have discovered the classics. New fans who have somehow never seen the source material and now can experience all that Disney magic for the first time. Given the current state of, well let’s be honest, EVERYTHING, there is something immensely reassuring about these remakes. A nostalgic cinematic blanket that engulfs the viewer in the comfort of predictability. Lilo & Stitch is not only incredibly well cast, it also brings the movie into 2025 with some smart changes and thoughtful additions.

With that said, much (perhaps too much) of the Lilo & Stitch movie remains the same as the original. The film starts just as the animated classic did, with Experiment 626 escaping Planet Turo much to the chagrin of the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham doing her best haughty voice). Experiment 626 escapes to Planet Earth (which once again is a protected wildlife reserve aimed at rebuilding the mosquito population). Hot on his trail are Jumba (Zach Galifianakis), who created the havoc-wreaking creature, and Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), an expert on all things Earth with a keen interest in fashion.

The spastic blue creature lands in Hawaii (the movie was filmed on location on O‘ahu), where he meets spunky 6-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha making her film debut). After the sudden death of their parents, Lilo is being raised by her 18-year-old sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong). In search of a friend, Lilo adopts Experiment 626 from the animal shelter (where he pretends to be a dog) and names him Stitch.

Most Popular

Some of the changes from the original film are subtle. Lilo now reads her sister’s texts instead of her diary. Some characters have been omitted. (My son might have given the movie a 15 out of 10 if the remake had included the shark-like villain Captain Gantu.) Other alterations are more significant and more in keeping with 2025. Amy Hill, who lent her voice to fruit vendor Mrs. Hasagawa in the original movie, plays Lilo and Nani’s next door neighbor Tūtū. Tūtū is a new character and Hill’s no-nonsense line delivery as Tūtū drives around the island adds levity to the film. Her grandmother-like character also gives Lilo one more kind adult who is looking after her and caring about her well-being. Because, after all, no matter how idyllic the island is, perhaps a 6-year-old shouldn’t be allowed to totally roam free.

Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original, comes on board as compassionate social worker Mrs. Kekoa. Mrs. Kekoa wants to help Nani, but also must balance that with her mandate to make sure Lilo is safe and cared for. “It’s time for you to think about what’s best for Lilo,” she tells Nani.

With his bald head, gold hoop hearing and serious attitude, Courtney B. Vance delightfully brings one of the movie’s most memorable characters, CIA agent Cobra Bubbles, to life. Posing as Mrs. Kekoa’s new boss, he aims to track down the errant alien creature. Galifianakis and Magnussen are likewise clearly having a blast as the mostly incompetent duo sent to bring Stitch home.

Crucially, Chris Sanders, who created the character and co-directed the original, returns to voice Stitch. And although he looks slightly different (the notch on his right ear is missing), this CGI Stitch is even more furry and loveable than his animated counterpart. Sure, he can be scary at times, but Stitch’s desire to be loved and understood (as well as his newfound love of Elvis) is always present.

Of course, none of the movie would work if the young Kealoha wasn’t such an engaging film presence. She embodies Lilo’s spunky spirit while giving humorous undercurrent to all Lilo’s not-so-great decisions. “You’re not bad, you just do bad things sometimes,” her sister tells her.

Perhaps this biggest change is in Nani herself. Now it’s made clear all that Nani, a champion surfer who dreams of being a marine biologist, had to give up to raise her sister. This additional empathetic perspective provides the Lilo and Nani dynamic not only with more understanding but also grounds their story in reality. Yes, there is a spastic blue alien wrecking havoc in their lives, but their struggles are heartbreakingly real. The new characters and context setting also give the movie a much stronger ending, which truly makes the underlying theme of “ohana” ring true.

Most viewers will already know the plot and because there aren’t any big changes that alter the film’s overall trajectory, this can make the film feel slow and redundant at times. But, as Stitch himself might say, this remake is “still good.”

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Writer: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes
Stars: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and Maia Kealoha
Release date: May 23, 2025

Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal®, is a Boston-based freelance writer and a member of the Television Critics Association. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter (@AmyTVGal).