he Galactic Federation on planet Turo has charged renegade scientist Jumba (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) with creating a genetic abomination: Experiment 626 (co-director Sanders). The six-armed blue creature is "bulletproof, fireproof and can think faster than a supercomputer," Jumba brags. "His only instinct ... to destroy everything he touches."
But as Capt. Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) takes 626 into exile, the wily creature escapes, commandeers a spaceship and punches it into hyperspace. Destination: a backward planet called Earth.
On the idyllic island of Kauai, meanwhile, little Lilo (Chase) is running late to hula class. She was feeding a sandwich to her fish friend in the Pacific, she explains to her exasperated teacher. When another girl in the class makes fun of her, Lilo punches her in the face.
That doesn't sit well with Lilo's older sister, Nani (Carrere), who cares for Lilo now that their parents are gone. But as they argue, a social worker named Cobra (Ving Rhames) appears at the door. He gives Nani three days to get her affairs in order, or else he'll have to take Lilo away.
Lonely and unhappy, Lilo sees a falling star. She wishes on it: Bring me a friend. Bring me an angel.
Little does she know that the star is actually 626's crashing spaceship. When 626 winds up in the local dog pound, Lilo decides to adopt him and name him Stitch.
At first, Stitch resists. But when Jumba and another alien, Pleakley (Kevin McDonald), arrive on Earth to recapture Stitch, he decides to stick with Lilo for protection.
Stitch manages to wreak chaos on Lilo and Nani's household, further raising the suspicions of Cobra. But as Nani is preparing to return Stitch to the pound, Lilo reminds her that he's now part of the family. "Ohana means family," she tells Nani. "That means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten." It's a new concept to Stitch, one that will transform him forever.
An alien imp brings joy to the world
Lilo & Stitch is a charming and unexpected summer pleasure, a mixture of Star Wars-like SF adventure, nostalgic Hawaiiana, quirky humor and a heart as big as an island. Directors Sanders and DeBlois have crafted a touching fable about "ohana" out of the oddest components imaginable, and the result is as refreshing as the tradewinds on a humid afternoon.
In an age of computer animation, Lilo & Stitch reminds us that traditional animation can still dazzle. It's difficult to imagine Lilo & Stitch without its vibrant island palette and lush watercolor backgrounds, aided here and there with a little computer assist. Even the designs of the space aliens and planets take their cues from the fish shapes and marine hues of Hawaii.
But the true joy of the movie is its richly drawn characters, which help ground the wildly fantastical tale in reality and which will appeal as much to parents as to the children who are the movie's target audience. Lilo is no mere adorable munchkin—voiced by 11-year-old Chase, she's a realistic little girl full of volcanic fire, wry wit, deep loneliness and a love of Elvis. Her sister, Nani, voiced by Hawaii native Carrere, is similarly a multidimensional woman with conflicting emotions and a very authentic-sounding accent. And Stitch makes the transition from comic-relief monster to poignant lost child to superhero, all the while retaining his uniqueness as the freshest of Disney's animated creations.
Throughout, Lilo & Stitch finds a strikingly original voice, and directors Sanders and DeBlois more often than not make risky creative choices that pay off. The social worker isn't the expected matron; rather, he's a hulking, earringed man with a mysterious past and the odd name Cobra Bubbles. Instead of the usual Disney musical score, Lilo & Stitch turns to Elvis, whose rock songs are a perfect complement to the warm island images.
The film also resonates with honesty about the true meaning of family. Though it ends happily, the movie doesn't blink from the reality of its characters' situations—as Stitch says at the end, "This is my family. It's little, and it's broken, but it's still good." It's a remarkable thing in a family film, recalling the poignancy of Disney's Toy Story.
