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A new, live-action remake of Disney's Lilo & Stitch is set to reacquaint fans with the cute and fluffy alien. My thoughts ran wild before watching this 2025 take, just like a kid and her otherworldly blue accomplice racing around unsupervised. After viewing it, I can say that while there are some tweaks to the story, fans will know precisely what they're getting into.
The 2002 animated movie about an extraterrestrial befriending an orphaned Hawaiian girl, causing untold chaos and finding family is a great one. This version has the same heartbeat -- and story. If you're all about seeing a realistic-looking incarnation of the unhinged blue furball, and don't mind sitting for a film you've seen before, 2025's Lilo & Stitch may sufficiently entertain you -- like putting on a record you already know you'll like. But it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the source material.
Lilo & Stitch is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who helmed the Oscar-nominated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. The Disney remake touts the same voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders, plus most of the beloved characters you remember from the original (sorry, Captain Gantu fans, the whale-like villain isn't in this version).
The cast includes Maia Kealoha as 6-year-old Lilo and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as her older sister and legal guardian, Nani. The film begins much like its animated counterpart -- introducing the seemingly unsalvageable, mayhem-prone creation Experiment 626. There's also Jumba, Pleakley and the Grand Councilwoman -- aliens bent on capturing him after he easily escapes them for Earth.
Kealoha's Lilo is silly, untamed and incredibly adorable. She sneakily frees chickens from coops, toys with Nani when a social worker comes by and gets into all sorts of hijinks. Stitch, who's traceable to Jumba and Pleakley by his path of destruction, matches her chaotic energy.
Recreations of specific moments could make you feel nostalgic. Lilo's "leave me alone to die" crash-out and Stitch tucking away his extra arms to appear more dog-like happen just like they did in the animation. Elvis songs play right on cue. The iconic Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride surfing scene makes it into the remake.
The film partially follows the comedic odd-couple duo of Jumba and Pleakley -- played by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen -- as they hunt Stitch on Earth. The actors appear in human form thanks to the aliens' use of a cloning device. I didn't mind this, as the CGI versions of Jumba and Pleakley looked unsightly.
Courtney B. Vance stars as Cobra Bubbles, a social worker in the animated original. Tia Carrere -- the OG voice of Nani -- plays a new social worker. More Easter eggs include new live-action roles for Jason Scott Lee and Amy Hill, who voiced David and the fruit vendor Mrs. Hasagawa in the animated movie.
Re-doing the film provides an opportunity for some new gags -- I chuckled when Lilo tried to bring candy into an animal rescue -- and groan-worthy additions: There are multiple mentions of the juice pouch brand Capri-Sun. It notably allows for additional sweet and poignant moments between Lilo and Nani.
Obviously, without Captain Gantu, the ending of this new iteration looks a bit different. Making one character more sinister than they seemed in the animation could divide some viewers. Other than that, the updates made to the ending work well.
Themes of family and forgiveness still resonate, and 2025's Lilo & Stitch could satisfy if you just want to revisit the story. But unlike its two adorable besties, the new film doesn't break rules or test the waters. You're still better off watching the timeless, heartfelt original.
