Are you excited for the new live action Lilo and Stitch movie? So was I and I was so thrilled I was invited to a screening to see it. There will be spoilers in this post, but I will make sure to warn you before I say them so you can leave this post if you don’t want any spoilers.
Lilo & Stitch Live Action Review
I’ll keep this short and sweet, I really enjoyed the new Lilo and Stitch movie. I went in expecting it to be different because we know that is what Disney does with live actions, so the changes weren’t a shock and I wasn’t disappointed.
Did I love them movie? No, but it also wasn’t bad. It was a good movie. It was cute, funny, and everyone in the theater seemed to be enjoying it. It did feel a bit rushed, in my opinion, but overall it was a good movie and I would watch it again on Disney+.
Is Lilo and Stitch the Live Action family friendly? Yes! Definitely a family movie and my kids really enjoyed it. It’s not scary or inappropriate.
Is Lilo and Stitch the Live Action the same as the cartoon? No, it’s not. Of course this is my opinion, but it’s not the same exact movie. A lot of the key/memorable scenes were cut down, changed, or removed all together. (I’ll talk more about it below). However, I did like the story change and the new characters are enjoyable. There are still key scenes like Lilo going to the shelter to adopt Stitch, but they change the way it happens.
Does it still have the same charm? Yes, the movie is very big on Ohana. Lilo is still weird (but she was weirder in the cartoon), Stitch is funny and cute, and Nani is Nani. The new characters were also great in their roles and fun for the movie.
Overall, very cute movie and it was really funny, but just go into it with an open mind because it is different. I know this will upset a lot of people, but are we really surprised? All of the live actions have been different from the classic cartoon movie.
Lilo & Stitch Live Action SPOILERS
If you don’t want any spoilers…. STOP NOW.
I’m WARNING YOU.
STOP SCROLLING.
Ok, we good? Let’s get into it shall we? I’ll go over the questions I got asked on TikTok about the movie and this will contain spoilers. I posted about my thoughts on the movie on TikTok and my post ended up going viral (for me).
Is Pudge the Fish in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? Yes! He is, but his scene is short and the peanut butter/tuna fish meltdown was removed.
Is Mertle in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action and do they fight? Yes, Mertle is in the movie. She does not have red hair or glasses. Yes, there is a scene at the beginning, but her and Lilo do not fight. Lilo just shoves her off the stage. She has a few other scenes in the movie, but they’re really small.
Will Gantu be in the Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? No, he is not in the movie, but Disney did announce this. There is no “bad guy” in this version of Lilo and Stitch.
Is the Pickle Voodoo Scene in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? Nope! They removed it. (which is a bummer)
Is Elvis in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? Yes, but not as big as a presence as the cartoon. The scene where she’s laying on the floor listening to him and Stitch being the record player are both still in the movie.
Is the Music the same in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? For the post part from what I remember, yes the music was the same. The most popular songs from Lilo and Stitch the cartoon are in the live action.
Is Cobra Bubbles the Social Worker? Not really. He comes in as a boss, but there is a social worker who is mainly dealing with Lilo and Nani. He is mostly an CIA agent.
Does Stitch put Pleakley’s head in his mouth in Lilo and Stitch the Live Action? Nope! It was removed.
Like I said above, a lot of key scenes were removed. Especially the “controversial” ones like the voodoo and fight. The scenes that are still in the movie are changed. When Lilo goes to the shelter she went with Nani to adopt a dog, but in the live action she goes with a neighbor, finds stitch, and the neighbor lets her get him and then she begs Nani to keep him. While not a big deal, it is different.
Just like Pleakley and Jumba in the cartoon were crossdressers, in the live action they are in human form most of the movie, but Pleakley does wear some women’s clothing items like a flower crotchet top and fishing pants. Pleakley’s character really nailed the role, to me.
The one I really wanted to see was when Stitch built the city in Lilo’s room and then acted like Godzilla and destroyed it. In the live action they’re at the beach when he sees some sandcastles and does his Godzilla thing there. It was funny, but the bedroom scene was iconic.
And I did find the end to be really heartwarming and it got me teary eyed. The ending is different, but big on the Ohana vibes for the movie. I won’t give that away!
I do encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think. Did you enjoy it or hate it? What changes did you like?