Lilo & Stitch (Live-Action)

[Vlad]

"I Like You As a Mom Too" Official Clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sk-RriOtpU

Gosh, I really like the actress who's playing Nani.

[Sotiris]

We asked Stitch about the 2002 Lilo & Stitch trailer with Aladdin & Jasmine
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hu8_q7TCUx4

[Thumper_93]

"I Like You As a Mom Too" Official Clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sk-RriOtpU

It looks like a TV movie. I understand that it was originally planned for Disney+ but they could have put more effort on it when they decided to release in theaters.

[Kyle]

They probably switched coarse too late to make drastic changes to the budget.

[Thumper_93]

They probably switched coarse too late to make drastic changes to the budget.

Then it's going to give the same feeling that Moana 2. A cheap product released in theaters to make more money. Do you know when they decided to release in theaters?

[Kyle]

I'm not privy to that info, I doubt anyone in here would be. They probably knew a bit before it was officially announced, but who's to say how much sooner?

I will say though, movie that only uses CG sparingly is going to be a lot easier to pass as a theatrical movie than a fully animated from the ground up one. The biggest tells here will be in the writing though I imagine.

[Sotiris]

Disney tried to replicate one of the teaser trailers for the original.

At tonight’s performance, the role of Baby Simba will be played by… Stitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ2lQJsJ9XA

[Thumper_93]

I'm not privy to that info, I doubt anyone in here would be. They probably knew a bit before it was officially announced, but who's to say how much sooner?

I will say though, movie that only uses CG sparingly is going to be a lot easier to pass as a theatrical movie than a fully animated from the ground up one. The biggest tells here will be in the writing though I imagine.

Sorry I mean the date when it was announced that it was going to be a theater release. However this wouldn't be the first time that they make improvements with the CGI or with any other technical problems months before the release. They've been doing it with Marvel all this time. But it seems that they decided to not spend more money becase they know that it's going to be a huge success no matter how bad it looks.
It seems that a sequel could be possible

https://geekculture.co/disney-eyeing-li ... g-weekend/

[Vlad]

We asked Stitch about the 2002 Lilo & Stitch trailer with Aladdin & Jasmine
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hu8_q7TCUx4

I love this

Also, I found this nice video explaining why these teaser trailers worked so well in marketing the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8htFfAnLYas

[UmbrellaFish]

That interview clip with Stitch is great.

I’ll probably see the remake next week, but I think I’ll watch the original first. A great, great film and Stitch might be Disney’s best comic creation since the Fab Five.

[Vlad]

I purchased my tickets for Saturday, super excited to see it. I think that by next week, I'll also receive the original on 4K.

[Thumper_93]

I've seen a post on X about the changes made for the LA version.

https://x.com/Tsuru_kun2/status/1925673514448634001

Snow White had much more controversy for the changes. If this is true the they have removed the soul of the film.

[PatchofBlue]

I'm sorry, Nani does WHAT?

[Mooky]

^^ They make that specific plot point sound more egregious than it really is, it's actually very well done within the context of the movie. I would also argue that some of their other remarks/complaints are also wrong: there's more emphasis on effects of colonialism than there is in the original.

I just saw it. It's a cute movie but obviously neutered and overproduced compared to the original (just as I expected). Stitch is less evil/chaotic and destructive. Jumba doesn't get a redemption arc and is the de facto villain of the movie. Cobra Bubbles is a joke now. Billy Magnusson's grin gets to ruin yet another Disney movie. Some of the humor falls flat.

However, where the movie excels for me is the acting of Sydney Agudong (Nani) and Maia Kealoha (Lilo). They really sell you these characters and their bond. I haven't seen Agudong anywhere before, but I hope she has a great career ahead. Lilo is less "weird" in this version, but still an outcast. I don't think her original personality would have worked in a live-action film anyway.

Stitch is... mostly still Stitch. There's some shifting of the events of the original around, so his character arc is not fully believable, but that was to be expected.

The concept of ohana is a bit more expanded upon and also physically as their "chosen family" by the end of the movie also includes the Pelekais' next door neighbor Mrs. Tutu. I was kind of iffy with this at first, but in the context of what family and community mean to everyone and to indigenous groups in particular, it made me appreciate this approach/deviation from the original.

And it was great seeing the cameos from two of the original cast! Well, tbh, one of them is more of a full cast member in this remake as well.

[Farerb]

I'm sorry, Nani does WHAT?

Nani goes to college while Lilo is adopted by their neighbor, who is also David's grandmother. She also gets to do some of the stuff that Nani did in the original, like taking Lilo to the Dog shelter.

[Vlad]

I just saw it. It wasn't bad, there some things that were changed that I did not care for, but all in all, it was a decent remake.

I loved the actresses who played Lilo and Nani, they played their parts really well, and they had great chemistry together. The actor who played David was super funny, I especially loved how he delivered the "You sure that's a dog?" line. Stitch was pretty much the same, and he was super cute throughout the movie. I loved that they kept the entire "Does Stitch have to go in the ship?" moment. When he said "Thank you", I was like "awww". I wasn't too fond of Pleakley at the beginning of the movie, but I began liking him as the movie went along. The Grand councilwoman was pretty much the same as in the animated movie, and I liked how Hannah Woddingham portrayed her (I'm a huge fan of hers). Oh, and Tia Carrere was great as well.

Now on to the things I didn't like - the alien characters didn't look so good in CGI as they did in the animated movie, even though they had the same design, some things were off about them. I also didn't like what they did to Jumba - his character was so awesome in the animation, but turning him into the movie's villain was such a weird thing to do. He wasn't likeable at all, and his relationship with Pleakley wasn't as funny. . I missed his deeper voice and his Russian accent. I also didn't like the neighbor character, even though I really like the actress. Her addition ruined Lilo and Nani's relationship. Also, the ending didn't make sense. If Nani was able to travel through the portal, why couldn't she stay home with Lilo and go through the portal at school?

Also, did anyone else have the impression that the first 40 minutes of the movie felt a bit rushed? It's like they wanted to finish with the introductory scenes for each character really quick, and then move on with the story.

As I said, not a bad adaptation, I'd give it an 8/10.

[Disney's Divinity]

I thought the beginning was rushed, too. They went hard and fast. I didn't mind Jumba being the main villain. I didn't mind the addition of the neighbor woman as a maternal figure either for the most part, plus I love the actress. It allowed you to feel more of Nani's grief and pain that way, and not just Lilo's. The only problem is it took the stakes away as far as you can't help wondering why she can't simply take in Lilo herself (and that did end up happening at the end). I enjoyed all the actors, but Lilo's was the highlight. Didn't really have any complaints at all aside from the beginning being rushed (which reminded me of Aladdin, its weakest portion was the rushed intro, too), except the Grand Councilwoman looked a bit odd. Well, I did miss the part from the original where Stitch is in the woods and cries, "I'm lost!" And Pleakley felt like a bit of an afterthought; Magnussen reminded me of Martin Short for some reason. One of the best remakes for sure.

I think a sequel is a lock, andrehabbing Jumba will probably be its main plot, I expect. I always did like Stitch Has a Glitch, so wouldn't mind if they ended up borrowing from that + Angel, too. I expect a TLK 2 (3?), Aladdin 2, and Moana 2 will all happen. It's really odd to imagine a Moana 2 (remake) though... That's the problem with remaking a film with an original franchise that's still ongoing, I guess.

[DisneyFan09]

I just saw it today and I must say that I liked it. Whether it should be regarded as the best Disney remake yet, is simply irrelevant. But it was still a good enough remake. Just as with remakes of the early Renaissance quartet, it felt like a carbon copy of it`s prdecessors. But still distinctive enough to make the movie it`s own. Just like with everyone else, I agree that the first part was rushed. But that`s always been the case with most of the remakes, actually. Maia Kealoha was charming enough, despite how she felt like an inferior version of her animated predecessor (sorry to say). Sydney Agudong was a big surprise, as she managed to have some presence and shined in her role. Billy Magnussen was delightful as Pleakley and frankly superior in that role than he was as Prince Anders in Aladdin. But to make Cobra Bubbles an CIA agent and divide his role with another social worker felt gratituous and unnecessary.. The CGI on the characters were a mixed bag, as it looked good on some characters (Jumba and Pleakley) and lackluster on others (The Grand Councilwoman).
Frankly, while I didn`t have any gripes with the movie, it`s remarkable how the heavy and wistful undertones of the subject matter of the first movie was treated in a less heavyhanded way, in my opinion. Despite how I disliked how Lilo and Nani`s fight scene was played for laughs and was only a fun and frivolous scene. But since how the remakes have been accused of fixing the mistakes of their predecessors, I liked the improvement of having the events playing out differently in the climax: Of how Stitch doesn`t causes Lilo`s life in jeopardy and how Lilo becomes more proactive in the climax (which frankly was one of the gripes I`ve always had with the original). Which made Stitch`s arc more satisfying. And how Lilo`s tantrum towards Nani is due to the misunderstanding of her being late. I disliked how they made Jumba the villain, as he was a member of the squad.
Just as with the original, the introductory scene of Lilo to the song He Lei Pāpahi No Lilo a me Stitch was a big highlight, as was the other song Hawaiian song played at one of the montages (and no, I don`t mean Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride, which unfortunately was too brief in the remake). While I liked that Nani basically got to have her cake and eat it too, it was still a little contrived. The end credits was also a little rushed. But all in all, a good enough remake.

[PatchofBlue]

My overall impression was that this was one of the better remakes, but not particularly special. My favorite individual aspect was Lilo and Stitch bonding over the spray gun fight.

I also agree the movie had a pacing problem, which was most notable in the first third. I thought at first it was because they wanted to fast forward through the awkward alien designs, but even when we landed on earth, I still had the idea that they had cut certain scene transitions which made the experience a little jumpy.

The acting overall was solid. Sydney Agudong was probably the strongest player, and I hope she gets her due for this. Maia Kealoha was darling, but yeah, she lost some of that weird girl energy that was so signature to her character. Billy Magnussen was having the time of his life and took us along for the ride. Zach Galifianakis was probably the least impressive to me. I felt like he brought nothing to the role which had already been stripped of its motor.

I didn't feel like making Jumbaa the endgame villain landed at all. It was already swimming upstream against the context we had for this character, and Gantu was just the better character to carry out the events of the climax. He's already the perfect face for the unfeeling, brutal, empiricism that was judging the family unit generally and Stitch specifically. Jumbaa is not that at all. One of the best moments of the animated movie is Gantu's "You're vile! You're foul! You're flawed!" to which Stitch returns with, "Also cute and fluffy!" I don't even remember what Jumbaa says in the remake, but Stitch's response just isn't as cathartic against someone like him.

I had kind of a mixed reaction to them remixing the events of the climax. The entire purpose of that episode is to give Stitch the opportunity to break Lilo's family to its foundation--when the house explodes after he leads Jumbaa and Pleakely to it--and seemingly prove that he's bad for the family, only to have him really pull through when he rescues Lilo from Gantu and prove that he was actually the best thing the family could have asked for.

My first thought was that having Lilo sneak on the ship to save Stitch kind of undid all that, BUT Stitch did still have the opportunity to play hero when he had to rescue Lilo from the water--facing his worst fear in the process, no less--so I guess they balanced the equation. I also liked Nani having a specific culminating moment in the climax. Letting Stitch die for a moment only to be brought back by the love of the family was nice. I guess it worked as a valid alternative, though I feel like the arrangement of the animated film was just the simpler way to phrase the same ideas.

I was also missing Stitch's "I'm Lost" or some equivalent moment. I didn't really catch the turning point in Stitch's arc when he became invested in Lilo as a person. In the source material, he is notably surprised when Lilo speaks up for him as Nani is trying to take him away, and he also asked Lilo to explain the Ugly Duckling story to him. By the time Stitch ran away, I was left scrambling trying to figure out when it was that Stitch decided he actually liked it here, where the sacrifice was.

Nani going off to college worked better in execution than I was expecting, but I still don't know that they did all the heavy lifting to make that work. There was a lot about Nani getting to self-actualize and whatnot, but they didn't spend enough time specifically mulling over what would have happened if Lilo and Nani were separated for us to decide if this relationship would survive if Nani left for school.

[Kyle]

was this already shared here? regarding the whole pleakly not wearing a dress thing.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TPRNKO-14tg