Spoilers Lilo & Stitch live action

[Phroobar]

Since I'm seeing this in a couple of hours, let's talk about it. I didn't see a spoiler thread yet.

 

[Figments Friend]

It’s a fun movie that was better then I expected.

Saw it yesterday, and enjoyed it.
The animation for Stitch himself is very well done, and there is a lot to see and hear within the film.

As far as spoilers go, I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the changes made to the story when compared to the animated original.
The decision to remove Captain Gantuu and instead make Jumba the main ‘villian’ in the end for example.
My guess is they removed Gantuu and a few other elements to avoid ‘scaring the kids’…?
Jumba was never the villian of the original film, more a comic relief character…but nearing the end of this current version of the story we find out he has sinister plans and becomes an enemy.
Not really a fan of that change.
Other changes were good and benefited the new backstory for Nani wanting to go and study Marine Biology at a school.
The neighbor next door was a great character and added a lot to the film.


Like most of the Disney live action films, there are lot of scenes that basically just visually recreate many scenes from the original animated film.
A lot of the dialog is also lifted directly from the original animated film script.
In the past, this can be annoying and tedious….but in this film it actually works in most segments that are obvious.
There are familiar scenes that are direct copies, and then there is some nice new moments that keep your interest.
The blend works better here then the live action ‘Beauty & the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King’ where many times word for word dialog was duplicated.

The opening first ten minutes of the film is very fast paced.
Breakneck paced…not sure why the director felt this was needed.
If you were not familiar with the animated film, a lot of important info related to the story and character of Stitch wizzes by.
The film slows down a little bit later on once we meet Lilo and Nani which is needed.
Near the conclusion the pace picks up again and then settles into a satisfying ending.

The music is terrific, and the remakes of the two main songs from the film are well done and sound fantastic to hear in a theatre.

There are some little nuggets fans of the original animated film will spot, and there is plenty of Stitch highjinks to keep even the most unfocused toddler riveted to their theatre seat.

Adults, teens, and kids will enjoy this.
Naturally, the Stitch fans will enjoy it as well…maybe even more so.


-

 

[Phroobar]

Just got back from the movie. Loved it! I have this weird craving to play Portal.

 

[Phroobar]

Finished watching the original. The original is much tighter, smarter story because it's animated. It did more with less characters and time. However the new one still has heart and is good movie.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Just saw it! Our entire family loved it! True to the original while adding enough new content to make it feel fresh. Loved that they gave the older sister a dream to go to school, love that the dialogue felt different, and the CGI of Stitch is visually impressive. He is adorable!!!!!! And I think it was smart to allow Pleakley and Jumba to disguise as humans so they weren't distracting as CGI aliens the whole time. Also love how Tia Carrere had a large part, and it made sense why the social worker and Cobra Bubbles were not the same person.

My only two small issues were I wish there was more of the romance between Nani and David. This felt absent. And even though I enjoy Zach Galifianakis, he seemed not right for Jumba. Just not very inspired in his acting.

Overall, looooooooooooooooooooooooved this movie!!!!!!

 

[DisneyHead123]

Saw it today. I went into the movie mostly wanting to see Stitch acting like a deranged toddler-cat, but was surprised at how appealing the human storylines were. Lilo and Nani were great and human Pleakley was really charming, I thought the actor who played him nailed the subtle comedy needed for that character. All of the actors were appealing and had good chemistry as a group. Stitch was super cute as expected.

As others have noted, the pace seemed really fast and I’m not sure why, as it covered the same (fewer probably) plot points as the original, more or less, with a similar runtime. Maybe animated scenes move faster. My son laughed a good bit but otherwise seemed to forget about the movie as soon as we left (no surprise I guess as he typically only cares to watch media about vehicles and video games.)

Overall I thought it was really good. The hectic pace and number of things going on made the narrative a little all over the place, but that was from the source material they had to work with. There will inevitably be a sequel and I’ll be curious to see what they do with the characters if they can start with a novel script.

 

[FettFan]

Just got home from seeing it...I've got mixed opinions.
The things that worked really worked well. In fact, I would say it's the best live action remake since Jungle Book.
Which means that Disney finally got a second halfway decent live action remake.

Because all the others are trash. Just trash.

But the things that didn't work make me wish that whoever wrote it would be blacklisted so hard that they wouldn't even be allowed to write their own name.

What worked:
- 90% of the casting was spot on, especially for Lilo and Nani. They hit it way out the park. Courtney B. Vance is a suitable choice for Agent Cobra Bubbles....but more on that in what didn't work.
- I actually didn't mind the human "clone" disguises for Pleakley and Jumba (made me think of the various alien disguises from Men in Black), though I think having them just as aliens wearing human clothes would have been funnier, showing off how nobody really pays attention to things that are obviously off right in front of them. I chalk it up to things you can get away with in animation that you can't in live action.
- Gantu being absent wasn't a major loss. Not sure why he wasn't at least given a cameo, but it is what it is.

What didn't work:
- The movie is missing a lot of the heart of the original. Look at this scene:

Boom. That is emotional gravitas, and in just those few seconds you *know* Lilo's character.
In the live action, we do get some emotional scenes, but nothing comes close to this.
- Hated the nosy neighbor character, and I especially hated her lame advice to Nani (and, by extension, the audience) at the end. Essentially "Do what makes you happy! Live for YOURSELF!" and promoting the idea that a college degree is a necessity. "Ohana means leaving your sister in someone else's custody while you do you, girl."
- Courtney B. Vance is a great casting choice, but he's essentially given nothing to do. Most of Bubbles' role from the original is divvied up between Nosy Neighbor and Social Worker, and his scenes are mostly in the background with them. Even the gag that it was HIS idea to protect the earth by claiming mosquitoes were an endangered species never pans out. I don't think they mention mosquitoes aside from that one scene in the beginning of the movie.
- Zach Galifianakis' voice doesn't match Jumba's character design. The late David Ogden Stiers was spot on with the blustering faux-Russian accent, but Galifianakis' nasally whine didn't really scream "mad scientist" to me.
- How Stitch got his name in this version was really lame, and made me think of the terrible "Han....Solo" scene from bargain bin Star Wars.

 

[DisneyHead123]

What didn't work:
- The movie is missing a lot of the heart of the original. Look at this scene:

Boom. That is emotional gravitas, and in just those few seconds you *know* Lilo's character.
In the live action, we do get some emotional scenes, but nothing comes close to this.

Controversial take from an Xennial incoming. I thought the original Lilo was a bit obnoxious. I know, I know, I’m a terrible person. She was somewhat better by the end of the movie, but I thought her character at the beginning of the movie could be played as comical and over the top as an animated character, but would have been unbearable if faithfully reenacted by a real kid. So I think it was a good idea to make the live action Lilo more mischievous than aggressive, less whiny, nicer to her sister, and more reflective. YMMV, of course, just my take.

- Hated the nosy neighbor character, and I especially hated her lame advice to Nani (and, by extension, the audience) at the end. Essentially "Do what makes you happy! Live for YOURSELF!" and promoting the idea that a college degree is a necessity. "Ohana means leaving your sister in someone else's custody while you do you, girl."

This is the most common criticism of the movie that I’ve seen. I’m not sure why they had Nani giving up Lilo, vs. them moving in with the neighbor and Nani taking online classes. It seems like a happy ending with everyone staying together and Nani still following her dreams would have been just as easy.

 

[Figments Friend]

Industrial Light and Magic I see are the folks responsible for the excellent CGI animation for Stitch.

Saw the film again today, and noticed this.

Also enjoyed the film even more the second time around.

Still disagree with the filmmakers choice to make Jumba turn quasi ‘sinister’ near the end and become the villian.
Just doesn’t fit for me…

-

 

[FettFan]

Controversial take from an Xennial incoming. I thought the original Lilo was a bit obnoxious. I know, I know, I’m a terrible person. She was somewhat better by the end of the movie, but I thought her character at the beginning of the movie could be played as comical and over the top as an animated character, but would have been unbearable if faithfully reenacted by a real kid. So I think it was a good idea to make the live action Lilo more mischievous than aggressive, less whiny, nicer to her sister, and more reflective. YMMV, of course, just my take.

I once thought as you do…then I became a public school teacher.

Original Lilo is one of the most realistic depictions of children dealing with trauma in fiction, and I think that’s why the story resonates with so many people.

In the original, Lilo and Stitch needed each other to grow and develop but in the remake, Lilo’s trauma is dialed down so much that it’s essentially only Stitch that has to change anything. Lilo is just “kids being kids”.

And because of this, Pudge the pufferfish controlling the weather turns into a jokey member berry, when if you pay attention to the original, Lilo was afraid of another storm that could take away the only family she had left.

 

[mickEblu]

Just got home from seeing it...I've got mixed opinions.
The things that worked really worked well. In fact, I would say it's the best live action remake since Jungle Book.
Which means that Disney finally got a second halfway decent live action remake.

Because all the others are trash. Just trash.

But the things that didn't work make me wish that whoever wrote it would be blacklisted so hard that they wouldn't even be allowed to write their own name.

What worked:
- 90% of the casting was spot on, especially for Lilo and Nani. They hit it way out the park. Courtney B. Vance is a suitable choice for Agent Cobra Bubbles....but more on that in what didn't work.
- I actually didn't mind the human "clone" disguises for Pleakley and Jumba (made me think of the various alien disguises from Men in Black), though I think having them just as aliens wearing human clothes would have been funnier, showing off how nobody really pays attention to things that are obviously off right in front of them. I chalk it up to things you can get away with in animation that you can't in live action.
- Gantu being absent wasn't a major loss. Not sure why he wasn't at least given a cameo, but it is what it is.

What didn't work:
- The movie is missing a lot of the heart of the original. Look at this scene:

Boom. That is emotional gravitas, and in just those few seconds you *know* Lilo's character.
In the live action, we do get some emotional scenes, but nothing comes close to this.
- Hated the nosy neighbor character, and I especially hated her lame advice to Nani (and, by extension, the audience) at the end. Essentially "Do what makes you happy! Live for YOURSELF!" and promoting the idea that a college degree is a necessity. "Ohana means leaving your sister in someone else's custody while you do you, girl."
- Courtney B. Vance is a great casting choice, but he's essentially given nothing to do. Most of Bubbles' role from the original is divvied up between Nosy Neighbor and Social Worker, and his scenes are mostly in the background with them. Even the gag that it was HIS idea to protect the earth by claiming mosquitoes were an endangered species never pans out. I don't think they mention mosquitoes aside from that one scene in the beginning of the movie.
- Zach Galifianakis' voice doesn't match Jumba's character design. The late David Ogden Stiers was spot on with the blustering faux-Russian accent, but Galifianakis' nasally whine didn't really scream "mad scientist" to me.
- How Stitch got his name in this version was really lame, and made me think of the terrible "Han....Solo" scene from bargain bin Star Wars.

I didn’t mind the ending. Doesn’t the portal gun kind of make any issue with Nani’s choice a moot point?

 

[DisneyHead123]

I once thought as you do…then I became a public school teacher.

Original Lilo is one of the most realistic depictions of children dealing with trauma in fiction, and I think that’s why the story resonates with so many people.

In the original, Lilo and Stitch needed each other to grow and develop but in the remake, Lilo’s trauma is dialed down so much that it’s essentially only Stitch that has to change anything. Lilo is just “kids being kids”.

And because of this, Pudge the pufferfish controlling the weather turns into a jokey member berry, when if you pay attention to the original, Lilo was afraid of another storm that could take away the only family she had left.

I do understand that Lilo is supposed to be going through a lot, and possibly neurodivergent according to many internet theories. That said, watching a real child beat up a peer, torment and sabotage the sibling who is trying to help them, whine, argue, and blame others for their behavior is not a family popcorn movie kind of experience (I say that as parent to an ND child.) I think you can get away with that in animated form, but it would be too gritty and realistic with live actors for what is supposed to be a relatively fluffy family film. Again, just my opinion of course.

Edited to add - if Lilo is seen through the lens of trauma or neurodivergence, I of course wouldn’t call her obnoxious. I still think a realistic portrayal of her behavior would be too heavy a topic to tackle in a live action Disney movie though.

 

[FettFan]

I didn’t mind the ending. Doesn’t the portal gun kind of make any issue with Nani’s choice a moot point?

That was bad writing, as the portal gun became a deus ex machina and broke its own established rules.

The gun has two modes: shoot a single portal to open a hole on a surface, as seen when Jumba and Pleakley accidentally reveal themselves to shaved ice guy, and when Jumba sends Pleakley through the floor to the hotel’s laundry room/basement.

Or shoot two portals to travel between them, as seen during the fight between Stitch and Jumba.

Either way, there would need to be some degree of proximity or line-of-sight for the gun to work, simply so the shooter would know where the second portal is going.

For that final scene to happen, Nani would have had the gun aimed from her dorm room in California directly at the house in Hawaii, while at the same time taking into account the curvature of the earth and having the knowledge that there were no intervening obstacles between point A and point B; Nani could have easily wound up accidentally porting herself to a tuna fishing boat instead.



Either that or there were actually two guns linked together so Lilo could fire a portal in Hawaii while Nani did in California, but that obviously didn’t happen because Lilo was surprised at her appearance.

We've come to know it as the "Magic Bullet Theory"

 

[FettFan]

I do understand that Lilo is supposed to be going through a lot, and possibly neurodivergent according to many internet theories. That said, watching a real child beat up a peer, torment and sabotage the sibling who is trying to help them, whine, argue, and blame others for their behavior is not a family popcorn movie kind of experience (I say that as parent to an ND child.) I think you can get away with that in animated form, but it would be too gritty and realistic with live actors for what is supposed to be a relatively fluffy family film. Again, just my opinion of course.

Edited to add - if Lilo is seen through the lens of trauma or neurodivergence, I of course wouldn’t call her obnoxious. I still think a realistic portrayal of her behavior would be too heavy a topic to tackle in a live action Disney movie though.

Point taken.

 

[mickEblu]

That was bad writing, as the portal gun became a deus ex machina and broke its own established rules.

The gun has two modes: shoot a single portal to open a hole on a surface, as seen when Jumba and Pleakley accidentally reveal themselves to shaved ice guy, and when Jumba sends Pleakley through the floor to the hotel’s laundry room/basement.

Or shoot two portals to travel between them, as seen during the fight between Stitch and Jumba.

Either way, there would need to be some degree of proximity or line-of-sight for the gun to work, simply so the shooter would know where the second portal is going.

For that final scene to happen, Nani would have had the gun aimed from her dorm room in California directly at the house in Hawaii, while at the same time taking into account the curvature of the earth and having the knowledge that there were no intervening obstacles between point A and point B; Nani could have easily wound up accidentally porting herself to a tuna fishing boat instead.



Either that or there were actually two guns linked together so Lilo could fire a portal in Hawaii while Nani did in California, but that obviously didn’t happen because Lilo was surprised at her appearance.

We've come to know it as the "Magic Bullet Theory"

Well it might be bad writing. You seem to know more about how that portal works than I do but my point still stands. In the story she can see Lilo whenever she pleases. So it doesn’t matter that she went off to College. She may as well be in the room next door.

 

[Disney Irish]

That was bad writing, as the portal gun became a deus ex machina and broke its own established rules.

The gun has two modes: shoot a single portal to open a hole on a surface, as seen when Jumba and Pleakley accidentally reveal themselves to shaved ice guy, and when Jumba sends Pleakley through the floor to the hotel’s laundry room/basement.

Or shoot two portals to travel between them, as seen during the fight between Stitch and Jumba.

Either way, there would need to be some degree of proximity or line-of-sight for the gun to work, simply so the shooter would know where the second portal is going.

For that final scene to happen, Nani would have had the gun aimed from her dorm room in California directly at the house in Hawaii, while at the same time taking into account the curvature of the earth and having the knowledge that there were no intervening obstacles between point A and point B; Nani could have easily wound up accidentally porting herself to a tuna fishing boat instead.



Either that or there were actually two guns linked together so Lilo could fire a portal in Hawaii while Nani did in California, but that obviously didn’t happen because Lilo was surprised at her appearance.

We've come to know it as the "Magic Bullet Theory"

You are way over thinking this. Also I don’t think it was established that line of sight is required or that it must be a straight line in order to work. I believe there is zero dialog on how the portal gun works or is limited to only its features shown during the fight scenes, so it works in whatever way the plot needs.

And lastly, because I think someone brought this up, Nani didn’t know about the alien portal gun or knew she could use it when she is struggling with the decision about going to college and leaving Lilo. It’s only after the ending when everyone is friends with the aliens and Stitch gets to stay is that even an opinion. So I think you're again over thinking this and how its a nice thing that is available to allow two sisters to remain close and see each other even though they are hundreds of miles apart.

 

[FettFan]

so it works in whatever way the plot needs.

Disney writers seem to always have that problem as of recent…

At any rate, I still hate the implicit message on putting one’s own wants above a higher calling.

‘Up’ nailed this beautifully: Carl’s final goal in life and his mission throughout the entire movie is to move his house to Paradise Falls and live out his days, thus finally keeping his promise to Ellie.

But when he realizes that the only way to save Russell is to let that dream go, he does it.

In LaS25, Nani doesn’t even seem to want to go to college, except that choice gets constantly foisted upon her by Nosy Neighbor. And if she actually cares about marine biology, there is absolutely nothing in the movie to suggest it.

 

[Disney Irish]

Disney writers seem to always have that problem…

View attachment 861005

Funny, but this isn't a Disney issue, this is a normal part of storytelling going back since the beginning of time. Some pull it off better than others, some not so much. But plot convenience has been a thing for forever. Heck using your "meme", Star Wars is just a soap opera set in space, Lucas said it himself, and soap operas have been bringing characters back from the dead almost since day one.

Also none of that contradicts what I said, there is no actual established set of rules for the portal gun in the movie or in real life for that matter. So the writers can use it however they want.

 

[Disney Irish]

At any rate, I still hate the implicit message on putting one’s own wants above a higher calling.

I don't think that is the message at all. I think the message is actually that one doesn't have to give up ones dreams just to answer that higher calling. That sometimes things can happen to allow both to be achieved, such as relying on friends and family. Self reliance is a powerful thing, but its not the only way. Its ok to ask for help, and that is the ultimate message in my opinion, as not everyone can or should do everything on their own. Also this idea that Ohana means no one gets left behind, well if you take it at the true meaning well then Nani giving up her dreams means she is being left behind because she has to give up so much. Being left behind is not limited to just those around you, but also one's self.

We as society have been trained that its considered weak and a failure if we have to ask for help, and I think this movie does a good job at conveying that is not at all the case. That many times its harder to ask for help but in the end makes one stronger by recognizing one doesn't have to do it all alone. As the saying goes, its takes a village.

‘Up’ nailed this beautifully: Carl’s final goal in life and his mission throughout the entire movie is to move his house to Paradise Falls and live out his days, thus finally keeping his promise to Ellie.

But when he realizes that the only way to save Russell is to let that dream go, he does it.

But you missed the point there, it was his stubbornness of blindly following that dream that lead to many of the issues in the first place. It was by stopping being stubborn is what allowed him to actually realize the dream in the end. Which is not really much different to Nani here, that once she stopped being stubborn and allowed others to help that she could actually realize the dream of going to college and still keep Lilo safe.

In LaS25, Nani doesn’t even seem to want to go to college, except that choice gets constantly foisted upon her by Nosy Neighbor. And if she actually cares about marine biology, there is absolutely nothing in the movie to suggest it.

I'm not sure where you get the idea that she doesn't want to go to college. The movie sets up how she continues to struggle with wanting to go by having the college sprinkled throughout the movie, like the brochure that she looks at.

 

[FettFan]

Also none of that contradicts what I said, there is no actual established set of rules for the portal gun in the movie or in real life for that matter. So the writers can use it however they want.

I still see it as lazy storytelling for a needlessly contrived deus ex machina coda to a perfectly good ending.