Messy but Meaningful: A First-Time Viewer’s Take on Lilo & Stitch

I have a confession to make–I’ve never seen the original animated Lilo & Stitch. Disney movies have just never been my thing, so despite all the love that film gets, I never had much of a desire to watch it. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever have any interest in this IP, but that all changed when I saw the trailer for the live-action remake. I thought it actually looked pretty good, so I decided to finally give this beloved story a shot. I bought a ticket for opening weekend as soon as I got the chance, and I hoped I’d like this new movie just as much as most people like the first one.

Lilo & Stitch was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, and it stars Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and Chris Sanders. In the film, Lilo is a young girl who leads a somewhat troubled life. Her parents died some time ago, so now, the only family she has left is her sister, Nani. To make matters worse, Lilo doesn’t have any friends, and a lot of her schoolmates like to pick on her. All of that stress leads the poor girl to act out, so in the minds of many, she’s a bit of a problem child.

But that begins to change when she meets a furry creature named Stitch. Stitch is a genetic experiment from outer space, and he’s on the run from the alien that made him. Through sheer luck, the little guy’s flight brings him to the island where Lilo resides, and when the two titular characters meet, they become instant friends. They learn to mend their deep wounds through an even deeper love, but before they can live happily ever after, they have to outrun the galactic scientist who wants nothing more than to bring his creation back to his home planet.

Like I said before, I’ve never seen the original Lilo & Stitch, so I can’t tell you how this new version of the story stacks up against its predecessor. All I can do is judge the movie as its own unique work of art, and from that perspective, it’s a very mixed bag at best. Let’s start with the good.

As I’m sure many of you know, this film is essentially a tale of two troubled individuals who learn that you don’t need to be perfect to be worthy of love. Despite the bad things they do, Lilo and Stitch still deserve a family that will love them and accept them for who they are, and as a Christian, I love that. It’s a beautiful allegory for the way God loves us and the way He calls us to love one another, so on a thematic level, this is easily one of the best movies of the year.

But as I’ve said in other reviews, a film can’t get by on its message alone. It has to bring that message to life in an enjoyable way, and that’s where Lilo & Stitch falls short. Take the plot, for instance. It’s the same “person befriends an alien who’s being hunted” story we’ve seen numerous times before in movies like E. T., Sonic the Hedgehog, and Bumblebee, so even if this wasn’t a remake, the plot still wouldn’t win any points for originality.

That being said, a cliched story doesn’t automatically doom a film to failure. It can still win us over if it executes its familiar plot well, but unfortunately, Lilo & Stitch doesn’t do that. See, this movie isn’t just a heartwarming sci-fi adventure. It’s also a gag-a-minute comedy, and in my opinion, it’s simply not very funny.

Sure, there are a handful of truly knee-slapping moments–like an early scene where Nani tries to secretly coach Lilo through a brief conversation with a social worker–but the vast majority of the jokes just don’t land. To be fair, I think young children will probably find this brand of humor absolutely hilarious, but as an adult, I found myself yawning and rolling my eyes way more often than I would’ve liked.

In fact, the unfunny comedy is so pervasive it makes Lilo & Stitch feel like a chore you have to endure with clenched teeth, and that’s a real shame. Like I said, at its core this story is really touching, and when the titular characters aren’t trying to make you laugh, they’re actually quite likable. But for me, the unamusing humor completely overpowered those good elements and kept me from enjoying them, so at the end of the day, I’m sad to report that I wouldn’t recommend Disney’s latest live-action remake.