I’ve not been a fan of Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated classics, many of which feel like bloated cash grabs — March’s Snow White being Exhibit A — but this one is a happy exception.
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| Bringing her new "pet" to a fancy luau, where her older sister is working, proves to be a disastrous idea ... which Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is about to discover, to her dismay. |
That said, this film’s super power is the sparkling performance by young star Maia Kealoha, graced with impressively natural acting chops. She owns this film ... and that’s no easy feat, given the competition from her manic, blue-furred, deer-eared co-star.
This displaced extraterrestrial is brought to amazing life via visual effects supervisor Craig Hammack’s team, and the finely tuned skills of puppeteer Seth Hays (whose work we’ve enjoyed, as one of Grogu’s puppeteers on The Mandalorian).
Granted, I miss the lush, hard-painted watercolor animation of the 2002 film, which enhanced the lyrical beauty of the story’s Hawaiian setting. But credit where due: Camp and production designer Todd Cherniawsky have carefully given this (mostly) live-action romp its own island vibe, which gets additional dazzle thanks to cinematographer Nigel Bluck.
Even the animal shelter — which plays a key role in this story — was “dressed” in one of the buildings within the lush 700+ acres of Fong’s Garden Planation, in Kaneohe, Oahu.
But the story actually begins far, far away, during a United Galactic Federation tribunal on the planet Turo, conducted by the imperious Grand Councilwoman (voiced by Hannah Waddingham). The accused: egotistical, villainous scientist Jumba (Zach Galifianakis), who has violated all manner of laws by creating a dangerous biological creature known only as Experiment 626, intending it to be the ultimate weapon.
It's indestructible, lightning-swift, ferociously smart and adaptable, and incredibly strong, despite its diminutive size. Alas, it’s too smart; sensing the nature of these proceedings, 626 escapes its escape-proof cage, hijacks a small spacecraft and — by chance — sets the heading for an insignificant distant planet known as “Eee-rth.”
The pragmatic Grand Councilwoman is in favor of vaporizing the planet, once 626 arrives, until she’s reminded that Eee-rth is the sole habitat of a protected galactic species: the mosquito.
She therefore orders Jumba to head to Eee-rth, in order to “clean up his mess.” He’ll be supervised by the overly enthusiastic Pleakley (Billy Magnussen), a mid-level Galactic Federation administrator with unrestrained fan-boy interest in otherworldly life and culture.
Meanwhile...
Six-year-old Lilo Pelekai (Kealoha) and her 18-year-old sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong), are barely functioning after the tragic death of their parents. Nani, once a straight-A student hoping to become a marine biologist, unsuccessfully juggles work, school and the crushing responsibility of raising her younger sister.
Alas, Lilo won’t cooperate. She gets into all manner of mischief: cutting class, sneaking into a posh hotel’s members-only pool, routinely “rescuing” caged chickens — “They should be free,” she insists — and petulantly resists Nani’s hapless efforts to control her.
Granted, Lilo has cause. She can’t begin to process the loss of her beloved Mama and Papa, and also is tormented by some of her peers, notably a posse of stuck-up white girls. Lilo’s responses to the latter sometimes get inappropriately physical.
All of this has come to the attention of social services observer Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the 2002 film). She’s sympathetic and understanding, and tries to help. But the situation’s reality cannot be ignored, and after the latest incident involving Lilo, Nani is given three days to get things in order ... or else she’ll no longer be her sister’s guardian.
At this point, 626 noisily crash-lands near Nani and Lilo’s home, closely followed by Jumba and Pleakley, in a second spacecraft. The latter two quickly adopt human guises, now played by the actual Galifianakis and Magnussen. 626, sensing their presence, does his best to “blend” by slightly altering his form and joining other caged dogs awaiting adoption in the nearby animal shelter ... just as Lilo arrives, seeking a pet.
Naturally, she chooses 626, and names him Stitch.
At first, the two merely amplify each others’ worst tendencies, with chaotic and damaging results. Fortunately, Camp doesn’t slide too far into slapstick or the destruction of personal property.
But the dynamic gradually shifts. Likely for the first time in her life, Lilo embraces the responsibility for another being; Stitch, in turn, gradually learns the Hawaiian concept of ohana (family), and the notion that every living creature belongs to someone ... and that nobody, no matter what, gets left behind.
Kealoha is marvelous throughout. She displays all manner of emotions, often just via expressions and body language: mischievous, curious, crafty and reluctantly respectful. She’s particularly powerful when Lilo allows her true feelings of misery to emerge; Kealoha’s shattering sense of loss is heartbreaking.
Agudong is credibly harried and hapless as the overwhelmed Nani, who recognizes her shortcomings, but is too frequently unable to fix them. Agudong also is gracefully athletic, and handles some of the story’s surfing sequences.
Magnussen is hilarious as Pleakley’s human form, brilliantly displaying puppet-like imbalance and flailing of limbs while (unsuccessfully) attempting to adapt to his new body. Magnussen is the gagster to Galifianakis’ sterner straight man, the latter constantly exuding crafty menace.
Amy Hill is adorable as Lilo and Nani’s feisty 70-something neighbor, Tutu, who has a soft spot for the two girls. Courtney B. Vance is a stich (sorry) as the improbably named Cobra Bubbles, a CIA agent in charge of extraterrestrial events, drawn to the island by the crash of Stitch’s spaceship. Nani’s luau co-worker David (Kaipo Dudoit) is a hunky dreamboat who has long crushed on her ... but needs serious conversational tips.
Camp and his editors, Phillip J. Bartell and Adam Gerstel, move things along at a lively clip. Dan Romer’s score shares time with Lilo’s beloved Elvis Presley tunes, and a pair of Alan Silvestri/Mark Keali’I Ho’omalu hula songs imported from the 2002 film.
Everything comes together quite nicely. As was the case with its animated predecessor, this film is certain to be enjoyed by all ages.
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