Lilo & Stitch probably is not the most forgettable Disney ever made. Not by a long shot, I imagine. However, twenty-three years later, I couldn’t tell you which one was Lilo and which one was Stitch. I -quite honestly- thought this remake would enrich my enjoyment. Unlike, say, Beauty and the Beast where I knew every character and every lyric -hence a live-action remake seems hardly necessary- maybe it was better to be surprised by the plot, no? I could view this film and delight with each “new” plot twist.
Huh.
After viewing this one, “delight” isn’t quite the word I’m looking for.
What’s the difference between “lovable troublemaking imp” and “asshole?” That’s the word I’m looking for. And Stitch, the big-eared blue demon, surveyed the lovable troublemaker
spectrum and made a beeline towards Asshole Valley on numerous occasions. Enough so that I didn’t actually enjoy the film.
Stitch (voice of Chris Sanders, writer of the original Lilo & Stitch) is an alien. A destructive blue alien demonspawn uniquely designed and created for, let’s just say, “purposes.” Starting the film in confinement, Experiment 626 (aka “Stitch”) is exiled by whatever governing body is in charge of the galaxy, but this galactic menace manages to escape to Earth, specifically Hawaii.
Meanwhile, in Hawaii, there are two orphaned sisters, one, Noni (Sydney Agudong), who would be a marine biologist for now if not for having to take care of Lilo (Maia Kealoha), the little girl she ignores. Actually, it’s kind of amazing how little effort Noni has gone to as far as taking up the parenting reins. She may as well be at UCSD studying ambergris or whatever for all the good she’s doing for Lilo.
At the dog pound one day, Lilo -on her own, of course- finds Stitch, the “dog” she just can’t live without. And from the moment Stitch enters the Kealoha habitat right up to the moment where the film decided it needed the audience to shed some tears, Stitch is a whirlwind of chaos, making literally everything around him worse and straining every relationship in the film. If he were a dog, you’d put him down. But Lilo loves him so … awwwww. Right?
There’s a whole Elvis theme going on in this film. I’m reminded of the Public Enemy lyrics:
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Both Lilo & Stitch indulge in Elvis affectation, which seems a little tone deaf in the current era. Maybe it seemed funny in 2002, but as I’ve discussed in Hawaiian documentaries like Cane Fire and Myths and Maidens, to locals, Elvis was just another white guy who exploited Hawaii. Now I’m sure
there’s a legacy of locals who appreciated The King. I’m also just as sure there’s a stronger legacy of locals who resented the man. Disney might have done well to update that particular trope.
I’m not the target audience here, nor should I be. However, I’m not quite sure what lessons we should be learning with regards to this particular film – “ignore adults, get into trouble, it’s gonna be ok?” How about making sure to treat any authority figure from policemen to social workers with contempt? The messages in this film weren’t far away from that. And at the center of this picture is a sad little girl in need of parenting and structure and instead getting a beast of chaos. Sure, let’s let Stitch raise the little girl; it seems to be doing about as well as anybody else. I can see the appeal of a little girl and her pet chaos demon, but -unlike the theater experience- I don’t think this real-life equivalent story wraps up neatly with everybody safe and happy. Some animated films are best left in cartoon form. This is one of them.
There once was an alien named Stitch
Who arrived at Earth on a glitch
He destroyed a whole beach
Making the locals all screech
But he’s lovable; ain’t life a bitch?
Rated PG, 108 Minutes
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Writer: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes, Chris Sanders
Genre: Don’t bring it home, no, no♫
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Troublemakers-in-training
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Their parents
