Lilo & Stitch

"Lilo" is a young and caring lass who dreams of owning a dog. "626" is the malevolent product of some illegal alien engineering at the hands of megalomanic scientist "Jookiba". He's sentenced to never see the light of day again and his creation to be abandoned on a lifeless moon. Luckily for "626", though, the captain of his transport ship "Gantu" isn't the most competent so he escapes and finds himself on Hawaii. Bemused and befuddled by his new surroundings, and rather hemmed in because he cannot swim, he ends up being mistaken for a stray dog and impounded. That's where he meets "Lilo" who has been promised a mutt of her own. What now ensues is a tale of bonding. "Lilo" is facing some domestic turbulence at the hands of social worker "Bubbles" but "Stitch" is still determined to make their lives interesting and, if necessary, use the people to protect him from the pursuing agents of the "Galactic Federation". The underlying moralising is all the same as usual - teamwork, loneliness, love and the values of family and sharing, but Dean DeBlois manages to dress that all up cleverly with plenty of enjoyable escapades, some frequently pithy one-liners and even the slightest hint of menace from the Grand Councilwoman who must have been inspired by Glenn Close! I didn't love the style of animation, too much eyes - but the colours and general look of the film are vibrant and the characters are engaging til the end.

Cute film. <em>'Lilo & Stitch'</em> is a short and straightforward production, but that doesn't stop it leaving a charming and hearty impression. It's actually rather impressive in that regard, you can't help but feel attached to the main characters. Daveigh Chase (Lilo), Tia Carrere (Nani), David Ogden Stiers (Jumba), Kevin McDonald (Pleakley) and, obviously, Chris Sanders (Stitch) are very good. I love their respective voices. Even some of the minor characters, like Zoe Caldwell (Councilwoman), Kevin Michael Richardson (Capt. Gantu) and Ving Rhames (Bubbles), are memorable too. A real cool set. Animation-wise it isn't actually sensational, undoubtedly pleasant, but not out of this world or anything. As for the music, who knew Elvis Presley's discography would fit so well? An inspired choice, it must be said. Not at the top of my list of Disney animated films, but it's certainly in the 'best of the rest' bracket. You should definitely watch this, if you haven't already.

It's rare that I wish a movie could keep going on and on, but Lilo & Stitch could have added a whole hour to its runtime and I would have welcomed it with open arms. This is a beautifully animated film, one of the best Disney has ever put out. Stitch has become something of a pop culture icon. Much like Jack Skellington and Bart Simpson, Stitch has struck an emotional chord with audiences. Aside from him being adorable, it also must have something to do with how Stitch, a being created to destroy, ends up being the missing link that brings a broken family together. There are times that Lilo & Stitch touches on dark subject matter. Lilo reminds me of many problem children that were misunderstood by parents, kids, and the system. But by the end, Lilo & Stitch will have you smiling by bringing you into a very happy place.