STILL cute and fluffy, Stitch takes centre stage in the live action Lilo & Stitch remake.
Young audiences will be charmed with the expressive CGI alien as he becomes part of Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and Nani’s (Sydney Agudong) family while on the run from the Galactic Federation.
Nostalgic fans of the 2002 2D animation may be left wanting for the depth of character and nuanced commentary, but there are enough homages to the original to keep them in their seats.
The original plot remains intact – audiences meet the newly orphaned sisters while they are in the throes of figuring out their new family dynamic and Nani struggles to provide for Lilo.
Lilo is desperate for a friend, alienated by her peers and misunderstood by the adults in her life, and adopts the loveable Stitch.
Stitch has made an explosive escape from destruction after being dubbed an abomination, and narrowly avoided the expanses of the Pacific Ocean in a crash landing on Hawai’i’s Oahu.
His creator mad alien scientist Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis) has been sent to capture him, alongside mosquito enthusiast Pleakley (Billy Magnussen).
The additions of some new alien technology soften the alien duo’s personas and offer opportunities for visual gags.
A DNA-replicator to camouflage the aliens puts Galifianakis in the stead of Jumba’s giant body for most of the film.
This time Jumba is armed with a portal gun that lowers the stakes and, in the hands of rebellious Stitch, can be used to wreak non-violent havoc.
Pudge the fish makes an appearance, nibbling on the salad sandwich Lilo delivers before her hula recital and, audiences can assume, continuing to control the weather.
The detail and respect given to the hula onscreen is maintained, honouring the time animators took to recreate a hula performance frame-by-frame so as not to miss a movement in the 2002 film.
While the live action remake has fleshed out details of Lilo and Stitch’s island life, it could be seen as taking from time to develop the complex characters that made the original so impactful.
Elvis and folk music keep the beating heart of the film intact, including a fresh choir rendition of Queen Lili’uokalani’s 1878 legendary song Aloha ‘Oe.
The song, written to Hawai’i by the queen after she was illegally overthrown by the US government, represents Nani’s commitment to Lilo and their Ohana with a promise to meet again.
Lilo & Stitch is screening now at Showtime Cinema for a fun family outing or a chance for fans to critique every scene before going home to rewatch the original.
