Comedy arrives in the overly extended chaos that Stitch fosters, then mainly in the live-action antics of 2 home-planet alien pursuers of Stitch—Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) and Jumba (Zach Galifianakis)—as they try on the human forms that strike them as so bizarre. Galifianakis is particularly adept at portraying the alien who tries to move and talk like a human (“I’d like a room with a hot tube”).

The crux of the plot is the threat by Social Services (the dreaded “Government,” embodied by 2 ineffective characters) to put Lilo, who has been orphaned (the script doesn’t dwell on that) in foster care. Her 12-years-older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) is hapless at juggling the care of a 6-year-old with earning money at various temp jobs (waitress, hotel room cleaner).

The theme of creating a new family has been done better (the serious foreign dramas “Shoplifters” [2018] and “Housekeeping for Beginners”[2023] are 2 of many), but like much else in “Lilo & Stitch,” it plays out well enough here. “Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind,” articulates the emotionally savvy Lilo.

To the filmmakers’ credit (one of the co-writers is Chris Kekaniokalani Bright), the setting, actors, and plot are effectively Hawaiian, both in accent and values (community, anti-authority, cultural history), and the scary scenes few and far between—although the sudden reversion of Jumba from cloned human to ugly alien caused our 8-year-old granddaughter to throw all her popcorn on the floor as she dived beneath her seat. “It will be better next time when I know what’s coming,” she later explained.

Cute as it is, culturally appropriate as it is, thematically conscientious as it is, sporting comedy as it does, “Lilo & Stitch” is just okay, as in Obama’s notable debate remark, “you’re likeable enough, Hillary.”  From Oscar-nominated director Dean Fleischer Camp (“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” [2021]), this remake has been a blockbuster for Disney (the biggest Memorial Day weekend film in history with $340 million worldwide box office), a success that’s been difficult to explain, given most critics find it merely adequate. Some credit Disney’s marketing, others the timing: it’s been 23 years since the animated film, and parents who saw the 2002 original now can take their children, giving the box office a two-generation target.

The kids will enjoy the newly formed family, the antics of trouble-makers Lilo and Stitch, the toothsome alien-as-toy/buddy, and especially the happy ending (ideal for this anxious generation). Adults will find it all a bit tedious.

She says: Some viewers have compared the live-action unfavorably to the 2002 animation, which was reasonably well-received. Since we didn’t see the original, the 2025 version was fresh for us, and cute enough.

He says: Too much chaos can be irritating rather than funny. And there is no way that Stitch, given his problem with water, would be on a surfboard.

Date: 2025

Stars: 2.5 (out of 4)

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Starring: Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Sydney Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis

Country: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 108 minutes

Other Awards: None to date

Availability: Showing widely in theaters in the United States and internationally. Expected streaming on Disney+ in August or September—about 3 months after theatrical release. For future full streaming and rent and purchase options, see JustWatch here.

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Lead image: The cuteness factor is set to high with both Lilo (8-year-old Maia Kealoha, right) and alien-as-toy Stitch.

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See all Five Cent Cine reviews by 2 Film Critics