Lilo & Stitch

Yes, it's a sad fact that Disney, the family favourite for close to a century, have fallen into decline. All the same, it annoys me no end when people go on about how 'The Lion King' of 1994 was the last truly great film that the company produced, because, in their period of decline and lack of success, the House of Mouse still surprised us all by churning out one cracking exception - the sassy and heartwarming 'Lilo and Stitch'.

In the Stitch of the title (and face it, he may have shared his title logo with Lilo but Stitch has always been the undisputed star of this empire) it really feels like Disney have found that very likable and very different kind of hero to break them out of their rut. To begin with at least, he has none of the noble or high moral qualities that Disney usually attributes to its lead characters. And the circumstances in which he comes about are, for a family film, startling - the result of an illegal extra-terrestrial experiment to produce a creature that is both destructive and indestructible. When Stitch finds himself seized by the Intergalactic Council to be punished for his inbuilt wickedness, he escapes - it wouldn't be much of a movie if he didn't - and flees to planet Earth, with the alien authorities in hot pursuit. Though the film's anarchic spirit owes a fair bit more to 80s creature films like 'Gremlins' and 'Critters', I suppose you could look at it as a inversion on the plot of 'ET', in which, this time round, the humans are harmless and it's his fellow aliens who pose greater threat to Stitch.

Finding himself stranded on Hawaii, our little anti-hero has no choice but to disguise himself as a dog and take refuge with Lilo. Lilo being a lonely young orphan living with her older sister Nani, and who may be taken away in a matter of days if Nani doesn't prove herself to be a more responsible guardian. The merging of these two very troubling story lines shows a lot of tenaciousness on Disney's part and in the end they produce a film that is fun and funky enough for the younger audiences, but also heartwrenching enough to touch even the most cynical of adults. It's also helped by a good line secondary characters, the most successful of which are Jumba and Cobra Bubbles, because, like Stitch, they're unconventional in the roles they fulfil. Jumba is an evil genius with a heart. Bubbles is a social worker who, fittingly since he's voiced by Ving Rhames, looks like he walked straight out of 'Pulp Fiction'.

It ain't perfect though. Considering that Stitch is one of Disney's most engaging heroes, it really blows that Gantu should have to be one of the stuido's flatter villains. He isn't drawn very well and he isn't developed as a character much further than being ruthless and bad-tempered. There is also one pretty big plot-hole that older viewers may be troubled by - if that lady at the pound really thought that Stitch was dead, why did she put him in with the dogs? And wasn't she alarmed by his six legs and his antennae?

It may be flawed, but in the end it's the merits that triumph. And it's a good example of just how dazzling 2D animation can be when given the right attention to detail. Once you get past the pretty pale opening scenes in outer space and enter the world that Lilo inhabits, visually this is beautiful stuff, employing the technique of watercolour backgrounds for the first time in decades. And the soundtrack too is one of the most memorable in Disney's canon. I believe this is the first time they've based its score around the pre-existing songs of a familiar artist - in this case the immortal Elvis Presley. Needless to say, it's great music.

(Sadly, we also had to tolerate the likes of Gareth Gates and A Teens doing sugary covers over the end credits, but at this stage you can always switch off or leave the cinema.)

Too bad that Disney are now really on the wane, or they could have tried doing these themed soundtracks more often with the Beatles and Pink Floyd...oh well, I can dream.

To sum up, Stitch is the best. Watch him.

Grade: A-

I don't know why the animators decided to use the ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast to advertise the film. It did put me off seeing it, but when I eventually decided to do so, I am glad I did. I thought Lilo and Stitch a warm and entertaining film, with beautiful animation with the Hawiian coast. The characters were engaging and funny, especially Jumbaa(wonderful voice work from David Ogden Stiers, in fact all the voice work was terrific, the other standout being Tia Carrere) and Pleakley. Their scenes were hilarious, like Pleakley getting bitten by mosquitoes. This is all helped by a superb script, that mixes hilarious and poignant brilliantly. The music is lovely and quite nostalgic. I thought I would never say that, but it honestly does add to the sense of fun. Both Lilo and Stitch are engaging, and there are plenty of bonding scenes with them together, that makes the film often moving(I was genuinely touched by Lilo telling Stitch about her parents and the significance of the Ugly Duckling story). I have two criticisms with the movie, and they are that at times it is a bit slow, and the climax is a tad rushed. But both flaws are redeemed by the film's good nature, emotional heart and spirit. I will award Lilo and Stitch an 8/10, for entertainment and warmth. Bethany Cox

The film, directed by Sanders who also provides the destructive alien Stitch's voice, is a very touching animated comedy which turns Steven Speilberg's original ET movie on its head. The plot revolves around little Lilo, a five-year-old Hawaiian orphan, voiced by Daveigh Chase who unknowingly rescues an alien experiment from the dog pound thinking that she has rescued a dog. Her sister and guardian, Nani (Tia Carrere) is none-too-pleased due to his destructive tendencies, but is soon distracted by young surfie David Kawena (Jason Scott Lee). Unbeknown to Lilo the creature she names Stitch is actually experiment number 626 and has been designed to destroy all that he comes into contact with. Because of this Stitch is banished to an asteroid for the rest of his life but escapes to a blue-green world known as earth. To help with this he has extra thick skin and has been given strength way beyond his means To make the story of family and friendship more alluring Stitch's creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba voiced by David Ogden Stiers, and the one-eyed Agent Peakley (Kevin McDonald) have a different idea. They are despatched by the Galactic Federation of Planets to capture Stitch and bring him home without interfering with the native humans. As the story unfolds Stitch learns what it is to be part of a family, albeit a very dysfunctional one, and feels like he belongs for the first time in his short life. As well as being loosely based on ET, in basic concept only, there are tips of the hat to the Star Trek television series as well as the Star Wars movies. The most obvious is when Stitch, imitating Jedi Master Yoda in Attack of the Clones, catches a laser blast in his hands, forms it into a ball and tosses it back at his attacker. Unlike most Disney films Lilo and Stitch has little music, save for the occasional clip of Elvis Presley which helps punctuate Lilo's obsession with the singer. Like Stuart Little 2, Lilo and Stitch is packed full of family values and emphasises the importance of friendship. Hilariously touching.

There is a little Hawaiian girl named Lilo, she enjoys diving, surfing and folk dancing. And she desperately wants a friend, even not just a friend, she wants to have a soul mate. A flying saucer crashes near her house and a strange creature emerges. Actually it is a hostile alien whose the only aim is to destroy life on earth. Their paths cross. What happens when the little earth girl and the extra-terrestrial maniac meet? A funny, heart-warming story of friendship, love, family ties… To be frank I was not going to see this animated film considering it to be "little kids stuff". But when eventually I saw it I realized how wrong I was. Disney proves its reputation for making "family friendly" films because this is the film in which each family member, whether it be a child or a parent, can find something for him/herself to enjoy and think about. A couple of words about music. Since Lilo is a huge Elvis fan, the soundtrack contains a lot of his songs. It is a hard task to make songs written rather long ago fit in the modern film but the producers succeeded! Recommended to all!

It feels like ages since Disney gifted us with numerous gems like 'Bambi', 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Lion King' etc (to name only a few) but things haven't been going too well for them in the last 20ish years. The other day I saw 'Tarzan and Jane' and I was mortified at how awful it was. Not just in term of its content, but even the animation looked very amateur. 'Lilo and Stitch' is a gem to have emerged from Disney after a long long time. Sadly, Disney has gone back to churning the usual crap and the success of trash like 'High School Musical' can assure us that we cannot expect anything great from Disney for a while longer.

'Lilo and Stitch' presents a very new style of animation with a new story. The characters, setting and music are all very refreshing. It's quite a nice touch of Disney to reintroduce Elvis to the younger generation. I loved most of the songs including Wynonna's version of 'Burning Love'. the only song i hated was A-Teens version of 'Fools Rush In'. Those bitches totally ruin that song. I didn't listen to the rest of the songs during the end credits but i hear that those too have been ruined by non-talents of the current-day. The setting in Hawaii is beautiful. I know it's only animation but it makes one want to go live there. The Hawaiian culture is very nicely portrayed.

The characters are very unique, real and lovable. We can recognize the little brat we once were in Lilo. She's a brat and gives her sister one hell of a time but also has a soft spot. She clearly loves her sister and is pretty much a lonely child. The sisters relationship was very real. Nani is pretty much the sole guardian struggling to make a living and raise her sister. This was also another point that 'Lilo and Stitch' lightly tackle, real life situations where an elder sister is trying to be a good parent to her little sis while she is also threatened by a social worker and tries to balance her worklife and life at home (which is clearly dysfunctional). At the same time we also see that she hardly has time for any romantic relationships. Stitch is one of the most unique characters of a Disney film. He is pretty much like an outsider who doesn't get along with anyone in the beginning, mostly through faults of his own but gradually forms a close bond with Lilo and Nani (kind of like me when I was a teen except that instead of Lilo and Nani I had a few good friends). The voice cast (that includes names like Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers Ving Rhames and even Chris Sanders who created the film) do a fine job giving life to their characters.

'Lilo & Stitch' is sheer entertainment. It tackles some relevant themes such as family value, the need to belong and unconditional love but it is well handled and doesn't do it in a way that will bore the kids. It's as much a movie for kids as it is for adults. It all started with Chris Sanders's (who also dubbed for Stitch) idea and he deserves full credit for it. Just think of the beautiful line often repeated in the film. 'Ohana means family, and family means NO ONE gets left behind'. Simple words yet such a powerful line. And it's coming from a Disney film. A real gem indeed.