From the Orlando Sentinel
'Lilo' true to Disney form
Spirit of family animates story
By Chris Kaltenbach | Sun Movie Critic
June 21, 2002
Walt Disney and his progeny have made heroes of dwarves, mermaids, fairies, even lions.
But a genetic mutant programmed to destroy whole cities with nary a flicker of conscience?
That's what Stitch is, however, and that's exactly what writer-directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois do in Lilo & Stitch, the 41st animated feature film from Disney studios. It's a neat trick these guys pull off. Their movie is darker than your average Disney, with moments (especially at the beginning) that might not play well with the very young. But it's as firmly rooted in the heartwarming, family-affirming Disney values system as everything from Snow White to The Lion King.
The story begins on the planet Turo, where mad scientist Jumba (voice of David Ogden Stiers) is on trial for creating the genetic mutation known as Experiment 626 - a nasty-looking, drooling, evil-tempered, super-strong beast programmed only to destroy. Jumba is sentenced to prison, and Experiment 626 is put in a cage until such time as it can be destroyed.
But 626 escapes and hightails it to Earth; back on Turo, Jumba is sent to recapture his creation, or face the dire consequences. Accompanying him is Pleakley (Kevin McDonald), an environmentalist sent along to ensure no harm comes to the planet or its inhabitants; Earth, we are told, is home to the endangered mosquito.
Of course, this being Disney and all, there has to be a kid somewhere in the mix. Here, that kid is Lilo, a troubled native Hawaiian girl, quick with both her fists and her temper, living with her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere). The two interact as all sisters interact, fighting half the time, being fiercely protective of each other the rest. The wrinkle here is, their parents were killed recently in an automobile accident, and Nani is struggling to keep what remains of the family together. Making that difficult is an intimidating social worker named Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames), who doesn't think Nani has what it takes to be a mom.
After an especially heated exchange between her and Lilo, Nani takes her sister to the local pound and asks her to pick out a dog. Being something of a misfit herself, Lilo is immediately attracted to this big-eared blue thing with monstrous teeth and not even the social graces one associates with dogs. It's 626, on the lam from Jumba and Pleakley; Lilo names him Stitch, and takes him home.
You'd think that would be a mistake, and at first it is; Stitch's destructive tendencies not only wreak havoc, but they make Nani look even less like a mother figure in Cobra Bubbles' eyes. But Lilo is well-versed in the Hawaiian concept of family ("ohana"), embracing its idea that no one should be left behind. She's determined to make Stitch part of her family.
Lilo & Stitch marks a departure from Disney's reliance of late on stories of huge scope and high-adrenaline action (think Hercules or Atlantis or even Mulan). The action here is kept to a more intimate scale, with gratifying results; the story never overwhelms the characters, and the pacing doesn't exhaust audiences before the movie is half over. It's a sort of forward-into-the-past style of moviemaking that recalls the days when Disney's animated features were used to tell stories, not inspire theme-park rides.
The animation, except for some backgrounds, is all hand-drawn. And there's a crudity to it that's actually a plus; the drawings aren't perfect, but they're done with obvious love and care. The decision to use watercolors for backgrounds - a media not used at Disney in nearly 60 years - adds a depth and warmth that's been sorely missed in animation.
Story-wise, Lilo & Stitch has more than heart; it has a wonderful sense of the real. Characters interact in ways both charming (this is a cartoon, after all) and believable. Ten-year-old Daveigh Chase, the voice of Lilo, continues in the tradition of young Disney heroines who sound wise, but never wise beyond their years.
First-time directors Sanders and DeBlois bring a slyly subversive sense of fun to the proceedings, in details both small (when one of the extra-terrestrial robots is startled, a stream of nuts and bolts spews out of his mouth) and large (trying to teach Stitch to be the perfect man, Lila uses Elvis Presley as a role model).
Lilo & Stitch is the first Disney film in a while (outside of those done in collaboration with Pixar) that unreservedly brings glory to the family name - a celebration of movie-studio ohana that should warm the hearts of moviegoers everywhere.
'Lilo' true to Disney form
Spirit of family animates story
By Chris Kaltenbach | Sun Movie Critic
June 21, 2002
Walt Disney and his progeny have made heroes of dwarves, mermaids, fairies, even lions.
But a genetic mutant programmed to destroy whole cities with nary a flicker of conscience?
That's what Stitch is, however, and that's exactly what writer-directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois do in Lilo & Stitch, the 41st animated feature film from Disney studios. It's a neat trick these guys pull off. Their movie is darker than your average Disney, with moments (especially at the beginning) that might not play well with the very young. But it's as firmly rooted in the heartwarming, family-affirming Disney values system as everything from Snow White to The Lion King.
The story begins on the planet Turo, where mad scientist Jumba (voice of David Ogden Stiers) is on trial for creating the genetic mutation known as Experiment 626 - a nasty-looking, drooling, evil-tempered, super-strong beast programmed only to destroy. Jumba is sentenced to prison, and Experiment 626 is put in a cage until such time as it can be destroyed.
But 626 escapes and hightails it to Earth; back on Turo, Jumba is sent to recapture his creation, or face the dire consequences. Accompanying him is Pleakley (Kevin McDonald), an environmentalist sent along to ensure no harm comes to the planet or its inhabitants; Earth, we are told, is home to the endangered mosquito.
Of course, this being Disney and all, there has to be a kid somewhere in the mix. Here, that kid is Lilo, a troubled native Hawaiian girl, quick with both her fists and her temper, living with her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere). The two interact as all sisters interact, fighting half the time, being fiercely protective of each other the rest. The wrinkle here is, their parents were killed recently in an automobile accident, and Nani is struggling to keep what remains of the family together. Making that difficult is an intimidating social worker named Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames), who doesn't think Nani has what it takes to be a mom.
After an especially heated exchange between her and Lilo, Nani takes her sister to the local pound and asks her to pick out a dog. Being something of a misfit herself, Lilo is immediately attracted to this big-eared blue thing with monstrous teeth and not even the social graces one associates with dogs. It's 626, on the lam from Jumba and Pleakley; Lilo names him Stitch, and takes him home.
You'd think that would be a mistake, and at first it is; Stitch's destructive tendencies not only wreak havoc, but they make Nani look even less like a mother figure in Cobra Bubbles' eyes. But Lilo is well-versed in the Hawaiian concept of family ("ohana"), embracing its idea that no one should be left behind. She's determined to make Stitch part of her family.
Lilo & Stitch marks a departure from Disney's reliance of late on stories of huge scope and high-adrenaline action (think Hercules or Atlantis or even Mulan). The action here is kept to a more intimate scale, with gratifying results; the story never overwhelms the characters, and the pacing doesn't exhaust audiences before the movie is half over. It's a sort of forward-into-the-past style of moviemaking that recalls the days when Disney's animated features were used to tell stories, not inspire theme-park rides.
The animation, except for some backgrounds, is all hand-drawn. And there's a crudity to it that's actually a plus; the drawings aren't perfect, but they're done with obvious love and care. The decision to use watercolors for backgrounds - a media not used at Disney in nearly 60 years - adds a depth and warmth that's been sorely missed in animation.
Story-wise, Lilo & Stitch has more than heart; it has a wonderful sense of the real. Characters interact in ways both charming (this is a cartoon, after all) and believable. Ten-year-old Daveigh Chase, the voice of Lilo, continues in the tradition of young Disney heroines who sound wise, but never wise beyond their years.
First-time directors Sanders and DeBlois bring a slyly subversive sense of fun to the proceedings, in details both small (when one of the extra-terrestrial robots is startled, a stream of nuts and bolts spews out of his mouth) and large (trying to teach Stitch to be the perfect man, Lila uses Elvis Presley as a role model).
Lilo & Stitch is the first Disney film in a while (outside of those done in collaboration with Pixar) that unreservedly brings glory to the family name - a celebration of movie-studio ohana that should warm the hearts of moviegoers everywhere.