Lilo and Stitch is the latest live-action remake from Disney, and I had a feeling that this was going to be huge! Stitch is easily one of the most popular Disney characters, as every store has tons of Stitch merch and you always see people, both kids and adults, wearing Stitch t-shirts, carrying a Stitch Loungefly bag, or some other kind of Stitch accessory. After the mess that was Snow White, Disney had to have had every finger and toe crossed on Mickey Mouse’s body that this one could turn the tide.
Where to Watch Lilo & Stitch (2025 film)
Lilo & Stitch (2025 film) was released on May 23, 2025. You can expect to be able to stream it from Disney+ several months afters its theatrical release. If you like this one, check out the animated film from 2002.
Lilo & Stitch 2025 Review: A Live-Action Success?
Disney has been pumping these live-action remakes out at a pretty wild pace lately, as Lilo and Stitch is the third Disney live-action remake in the last six months, coming after Mufasa and Snow White. Out of the three, I think that I liked Lilo and Stitch the best, and the movie theatre I was in seemed pretty pumped up about the movie, and the kids and the adults were all having a really fun time.
Plot and Creative Details That Honor the Original
The plot of the movie is very similar to the original animated movie from a couple of decades ago. Jumba created Experiment 626, and the leader of the United Galactic Federation has ordered the experiment to be exiled. I loved this opening scene as there was so much creativity with the aliens on the space station. There was this axolotl one that was a ton of fun, even if they did have a pretty itchy trigger finger!
Stitch’s Arrival on Earth and the Hilarious Duo’s Mission
Before it can all go down, Stitch manages to escape, steal a space shuttle, and crash land on Earth! Special agent Pleakley, who is the Federation’s expert on Earth, and Jumba are sent to Earth to try and capture Stitch. They are given strict instructions that they must do this as discreetly as possible!
Standout Performances in the Cast
Jumba and Pleakley are a great pairing, and I thought that Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen were fantastic in these roles. Pleakley, in particular, was awesome and just like he was in the animated movie, Jumba, on the other hand, looked pretty gross. I was not a massive fan of Jumba in this movie. There was nothing wrong with the performance at all, it was like they needed a villain, so Jumba was forced to kind of fill that role.
Captain Gantu’s Absence: A Fan Controversy
This brings us to a sore point for some Lilo and Stitch fans, and that is the fact that Captain Gantu, the shark looking dude from the animated movie, was not in the movie. In many ways, it kind of feels like Jumba is playing the role of himself and also filling in for Captain Gantu. To be honest, it never bothered me, but I can see why it would bother others, especially if they were huge fans of the original.
Lilo, Nani, and the Emotional Heart of the Story
On Earth, in Hawaii, we have the adorable Lilo. Lilo is just a little kid, living with her big sister Nani after the death of her parents. Both Lilo and Nani are very likable, and you so want these sisters to be happy! They have been dealt a very hard hand, and with social workers involved, things are only going to get tougher.
Stitch Finds a New Family
Plus, through a series of events, Lilo ends up adopting Stitch from the animal shelter, as he is now pretending to be a dog. Lilo and Stitch have a great relationship, and soon, Stitch starts to really care about Lilo as she teaches him all about family. This is just a really good spirited and fun movie, and one that also tugs on the heartstrings. I heard at least three kids crying when they thought that Stitch was dead!
Visuals and Merchandising Potential
Lilo and Stitch also looks great. When I heard that this was going to be a thing, I was very curious how they would do Stitch, but he looks great. Stitch actually looks real, well as real as he possibly could, and I am sure this will help Disney sell even more Stitch merch. This was a lot of fun, and I can see this being one of the bigger hits of the year.
