The charm and chaotic energy of the original animated classic persists in this live action remake
Undeterred by the stumbles, the tepid reviews and lackluster ticket sales, the Disney live action program continues. Yet another cherished part of your childhood lifted and put through the process of translating the hand-drawn magic into something more tangible. The process often brings spectacle, but never seems to capture the soul of the original, until now. Lilo & Stitch stands out as perhaps the most successful translation to date, something it achieves by not just respecting the original, but by building out some of its more resonant themes of family and sisterhood.
If you’re unfamiliar, the story centers on Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a precocious six year old girl navigating life in Hawaii after the tragic death of her parents. She’s quirky, lonely, and acting out in frustration at a lost connection and nothing taking its place. Enter Experiment 626, a genetically engineered alien fugitive who crash lands on Hawaii and evades a pair of alien agents tasked with his capture escapes capture by disguising himself as a dog and becomign adoted by Lilo. As if her sister Nala (Sydney Agudong) didn’t have enough to handle with holding down a job, dealing with social services, and raising her sister, now this whirling ball of chaos is planted firmly in their lives. A destructive element that somehow helps to drive the process of healing and pulling the family back together.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp’s Lilo & Stitch isn’t just a remake. It’s a thoughtful reimagining that retains the charm of the 2002 original while refocusing the lens on what made it so enduring in the first place: family, grief, resilience, and the healing power of a chaotic little blue alien. This 2025 version builds on that, not just recreating beats but reshaping the narrative for live action. In doing so, it makes one significant and welcome shift in expanding on Nani’s part of the story.
Played with a real sense of authenticity Sydney Agudong, Nani isn’t just the beleaguered big sister struggling to keep custody. She’s a young woman in her own right, not just trying to hold down a job and care for her sister, she dares to have a dream of a career in marine biology. The loss of these girls parents takes on new depth as we see how her future might be derailed by the tragedy. It’s a modern update that doesn’t feel like an agenda, but reflective of a truth about the lasting impact of loss.
Newcomer Maia Kealoha shines as Lilo, balancing mischief with a quiet sadness. The bullying aspect of the original film is somewhat tempered (aside from one casually cruel comment near the start) and she’s not quite as eccentric as her animated counterpart, but the portrayal does the necessary job of grounding the film. As for Stitch, he’s still voiced by original co-director Chris Sanders, and is perhaps more cute than chaotic here, part of this stems from a better developed arc for Stitch himself as the film is set to not just leverage his presence into helping heal the two girls, but to also give Stitch room to grow too. Even with this expansion, Lilo & Stitch remain the emotional core of things and their (mis)adventures remain the most delightful portions of the film.
Camp, who showcased his ability to charm tug on the heartstrings with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, brings that same sensitivity to Lilo & Stitch. The landscapes are lush, the lighting warm, the textures tactile, with Hawaii beautfully rendered in the film. The live-action setting plays well with the overall story, the contrast of Stitch and other aliens with our world add more of an absurdist comedic vibe than you’d get in an animated feature. The alien hunter subplot is where more of these CGI beings are spotted and still feels a little tacked on. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen add much of the slapstick, fish out of water humor as Jumba and Pleakley. Magnussen brings a cheerful cluelessness to his role as “Eearth Expert Pleakley while Galifianakis injects some late-stage menace as his efforts to capture Stitch go to extremes. Courtney B. Vance carves out a space as CIA agent Cobra Bubbles, although with the other story changes his presence doesn’t feel as essential to the film.
The screenplay, by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, wisely avoids a shot-for-shot rehash. Instead, it expands character arcs, adds new layers, imaginative elements (playing with portals!), and brings a stronger sense of cultural and emotional grounding. Nani also has a romantic subplot that isn’t just filler, again it adds to illustrating the changes within her life and the loss of her identity now she is a caregiver. Tia Carrere (who voiced the original Nani) returns as a social worker who gives weight to the real-life pressures on the sisters, and a counter comes in the form of Amy Hill’s Tutu, a neighbor and extended family member who adds warmth and wisdom.
It turns out that for Disney live action adaptations the the formula for success is to not follow the formula, instead it’s to take some creative choices to set it apart from the original. Lilo & Stitch stays true to the charm and playfully chaotic vibe of the original, but takes steps to make the story more resonant and relatable to modern day. In doing so it makes for a deeper story, one that holds true to the underlying message, about the importance of Ohana, whether it comes in the form of a sister, or a salivating blue alien with impulse control issues.
Lilo & Stitch is releases on May 23rd
