‘Lilo & Stitch’ live-action remake is a flawed retelling | Movie review
“Lilo & Stitch” (2025) can’t decide if it wants to be a shot-for-shot retelling of the original or something entirely new. While it’s not hard to fall in love with some of the characters all over again, it is hard to overlook the glaring absence of a few iconic moments.
The 2002 “Lilo & Stitch” means a lot to me. For as long as I can remember, it has been my favorite Disney movie. I think that has a lot to do with timing — I was born at the perfect moment to grow up with it, being just two years old when it was originally released, and I know I’m not alone in my love for the original.
I also know I was not alone in my skepticism toward a “Lilo & Stitch” remake based on the last few Disney live-action retellings. I saw a speculative statistic recently that claimed the Lilo & Stitch brand generated over $2 billion in sales in 2024. That number might be wildly inaccurate, but honestly, it’s believable. Like the 2019 retelling of “The Lion King,” there’s no doubt in my mind that “Lilo & Stitch” (2025) will be an incredible box office success. But as we’ve seen before, box-office success doesn’t always translate to brand success. Take “The Lion King” again: the 2019 remake was such a massive financial hit that Disney greenlit a sequel, “Mufasa.” But because the remake was poorly received, “Mufasa” ultimately earned less than half of what its predecessor made. While “Lilo & Stitch” (2025) is far from a disaster on that scale, I do fear that the changes made to the story may leave fans upset in a similar way.
This new “Lilo & Stitch” doesn’t work without, well, Lilo and Stitch. Chris Sanders — creator and original voice of Stitch — returns to voice the character, making for a seamless transition from animation to live-action. Sanders’ return is a gift. Stitch doing Stitch things is delightful. But the real star of the film is Maia Kealoha as Lilo. Kealoha doesn’t just capture the character — she owns it. Her performance bursts with energy and sass, perfectly embodying Lilo’s unique spirit. The casting team at Disney truly nailed it.
While most of “Lilo & Stitch” (2025) feels like a near 1:1 retelling, there are some baffling changes. For example (this isn’t a spoiler because it’s in the original): there’s a montage of Lilo and Stitch causing trouble while Nani searches for a job. The montage is still there in the remake, but when it ended, I realized one of the most iconic moments from the original was just … gone. Later in the film, there’s also a massive moment of character development for Stitch that’s completely missing in this version. Honestly, that one feels unforgivable. Well, maybe not totally unforgivable — because the film compensates with some added development for Nani and Lilo that works surprisingly well — but still, I was disappointed.
There’s also a major character missing in this version of the story, whose absence affects the development of three other characters. But that’s a topic best saved for a spoiler review.
Despite my issues, it’s hard not to fall in love with these characters all over again. At the end of the day, the heart of the story still delivers a good time.
Score: ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2025) – 3.5/5 Stars
“Lilo & Stitch” is rated PG and opens in now in theaters. There is one mid-credit scene.
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