Lilo and Stitch (2025) Review: Why Change a Classic?

Stitch is one of the most popular Disney characters, so it was only a matter of time before the entertainment giant remade Lilo and Stitch. The live-action remake has come out almost 20 years after the original, but there is no denying that the animated film comes out on top. That isn’t to say that the new remake is horrible. It’s just not as good. There isn’t a reason to go out of the way to see it, but for fans or families that are already going out to the theater, it is a passable, yet flawed, film. 

This review contains SPOILERS for Lilo and Stitch (2025), now in theaters. 

Story – Mostly the Same

Lilo and Stitch follows the story of Lilo, a little girl who is having a hard time finding her place after the death of her parents. Her sister, Nani, is doing her best to keep custody of Lilo. When a cute little blue alien crashes down on the island, their already chaotic life is turned upside-down. 

The story is mostly the same as the original animated film. However, there are two major changes that might ruin the viewing experience. 

Characters and Performances – Good Actors, Strained Characters 

The actors all did a nice job. Child actors tend to face a lot of pressure to perform well (maybe too much pressure), but Maia Kealoha was an adorable Lilo. Chris Sanders returned to give his voice to the little blue alien, so Stitch is very much still the cute and fluffy character he always was.

Lilo and Stitch

There isn’t anything about the acting that stands out as good or bad, but the writers did some damage to the characters. There were many small changes that didn’t ruin the story, but made it a little less charming.

Pleakley in live-action.

Pleakley is a little bleak compared to the flamboyant character he once was. In the original, it was so much fun to see an alien discover his sense of identity and fashion while trying to blend in with the humans. The core of the character is still there, but something just felt like it was missing. This is generally the pattern for the small changes. Most of them are fine, but make this film less fun than the original.

Stitch is still the standout character, and probably the main or only reason to see this version of the film. Jumba and Nani are the two biggest reasons not to watch it. 

Jumba used to be an evil scientist who turned good because of his newfound family. He was a misfit like the rest of them. Now, he is just evil. 

Gantu from the original Lilo and Stitch

Captain Gantu was the antagonist in the original film. This worked well thematically because he was the opposite of this broken, but still good family. Gantu was the organized one. He had it all. Society accepted him. Gantu saw Stitch as an abomination that needed to be eliminated, not someone who needed a family to give him a second chance. 

Replacing Gantu with Jumba robbed the film of having that deeper thematic impact. There is no redemption for Jumba, and there is no misfits vs the ones who only see their flaws. 

Oh, look! A portal. What a wonderful way for Nani to get to class on time.

Jumba’s change is nothing compared to Nani’s. For the remake, Disney decided to add a storyline where Nani really wants to go to college to study marine biology. She is no longer focused on keeping her sister, the only family she has left, with her. She wants to leave Hawaii and leave Lilo. 

Ohana means family, and family means someone gets left behind and forgotten. Unfortunately for Lilo, that someone is her. 

Nani in the Lilo and Stitch remake.

Nani gives up custody of Lilo at the end of the film. She leaves her with David so that she can go to her dream school. They play it off as being fine because Nani ended up with Jumba’s portal gun, so she can visit whenever she wants. Logically, if family meant everything to Nani, then she would use the portal gun to visit college. Go to class, have David babysit, and then primarily stay with Lilo. It is also puzzling to see Nani wanting to leave Hawaii to study marine biology. There are scenes of her going out into the ocean in a place that is known for having tons of marine life. It is almost as if people usually go to Hawaii to study the subject…

This change manages to undo all of the heartwarming progress the characters made up to that point. Even if ohana wasn’t the core theme of the original, it felt like it was supposed to be the theme of the remake. Nani had no reason to leave, so her choice makes ohana seem like a childlike fantasy Lilo is using to cope with losing her entire family. 

Cinematography and Sound – Okay to Not Bad

The film is visually appealing enough. There isn’t anything about the style that stands out in either direction. It would be hard to make Hawaii look bad, and the natural vibrancy of the islands prevents this remake from suffering the same mute color palette as many of the other Disney remakes. 

Stitch remains vibrant and blue.

The CGI in Lilo and Stitch is also fine. The animated Stitch doesn’t look out of place alongside the live action actors. The cartoon designs translated relatively well into live action. As with pretty much everything visual in the film, there isn’t much that stands out. It isn’t exceptional, but it also isn’t bad. At the very least, the CGI does not distract from the overall film. 

The music and score taken from the original still function well. The only noticeable change is the lack of Elvis and inclusion of modern songs. While the change helps to enforce that this film takes place in the modern day, it feels more like change for the sake of change. It doesn’t add any personality or further the plot. It is just sort of there. 

Editing and Pacing – Serviceable 

There really isn’t much to say on the editing or pacing of the film. Like many other elements of the film, it is just there. The recreations of original moments from the animated film sometimes felt rushed. It was like they just needed to hit that point so they could move on. This isn’t so noticeable that it ruins the experience, but it is the only pacing that stands out in any way.