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Full Review
The sassy animated comedy “Lilo & Stitch” (Disney) stands out by injecting familiar Disney fare with some bold characteristics and a mildly irreverent attitude. But parents may not consider the cheeky dialogue, rambunctious character behavior or the discussion of genetics appropriate entertainment for the younger set at which this film is aimed.In the offbeat story, Lilo (voiced by Daveigh Chase) is a little Hawaiian girl living with her older sister, Nani(voiced by Tia Carrere), who has become her guardian since their parents died. Lonely and unable to get along well with others, Lilo prays that she be sent a friend, asking for “the nicest angel you have.” Her prayer is “answered” when the next day Nani takes her to adopt a puppy.
Lilo is enchanted by a disagreeable little blue creature she spots and instantly takes a shine to him, naming him Stitch. What Lilo doesn’t know, but the audience has been clued into from the opening sequence, is that Stitch is actually an alien genetic experiment gone wrong who has landed on Earth after he escaped imprisonment on his own planet, Turo.
Created by the rogue alien scientist Jumba (a purple creature with a roly-poly body and two eyes on either side of his nose), Stitch has only one instinct -– destroy everything he sees. Once Turo’s rulers discover that the Russian-accented Jumba(voiced by David Ogden Stiers) had produced such a creature by manipulating genetic factors, Stitch is on his way to permanent exile -- but manages to escape. The bumbling team of Jumba and an effeminate Earth expert named Pleakley (voiced by Kevin McDonald) are then dispatched to Earth to recapture him.
Stitch, with his long floppy ears, claws, penchant for destruction and obnoxious temperament to boot, proves to be quite a challenge for Nani, who is desperately trying to keep her small family together despite attempts by Mr. Bubbles (voiced by Ving Rhames), a Mr. T-like social worker, to take Lilo away. He has given Nani one last chance to prove she is a fit guardian for Lilo, but the blue critter’s vicious, calamitous character may be more than she can handle. Meanwhile, things go from bad to worse as Jumba and Pleakley close in on Stitch, who is determined not to be taken back to Turo.
Director Chris Sanders weaves in lessons on the importance of family. Through her love and unwavering belief in “ohana,” a Hawaiian concept of family which means no one is left behind, Lilo breaks through Stitch’s nearly impenetrable skin to his heart, teaching him the one thing he wasn’t designed to do –- care about others.
Lilo’s unsinkable optimism and hopefulness in the midst of a broken family life make her utterly sympathetic, and though the fearsome blue gremlin never becomes warm and fuzzy, Stitch (whose grunts and few words are voiced by Christopher Michael Sanders) does eventually endear himself, especially when he identifies with the fairy character of the Ugly Duckling, making him feel like even he needs a family.
The animation is completely hand-drawn with soothing watercolor backgrounds, marking the first time Disney has used watercolor since the 1940s. The film’s music also stands out. A combination of pop hits from Elvis Presley and native Hawaiian music sung by an adorable-sounding children’s choir strike the right chord, with both being refreshing and surprisingly on target with the story.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Sanders and his team went back and altered a rescue sequence transforming an airplane into a spaceship out of respect for the victims and their families. However, the mild sci-fi action sequences both at the beginning and toward the end are still quite intense, especially when one considers the target audience. The brazen dialogue is also a concern. For example, when Lilo sees the disheartened David, a young man who has a crush on Nani, once again rejected by her sister, Lilo remarks, “Don’t worry, she likes your butt” as a way of encouraging the suitor.
“Lilo & Stitch” is a spunky change of pace, but the sometimes flippant tone it takes may be off-putting.
Because of several scary moments and some slightly irreverent expressions, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops classification is A-II- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-parental guidance suggested.
These movies have been evaluated for artistic merit and moral suitability by the media reviewing division of Catholic News Service. The reviews include the CNS rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
A-I -- general patronage;
A-II -- adults and adolescents;
A-III -- adults;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.
Note: Some movies previously were designated A-IV. Older films with this classification should be regarded as classified L.