Lilo & Stitch
|
Our Price: $32.97 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.19 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Lilo & Stitch
Movie Review: A Timeless Wonder and Delight
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw "Lilo & Stitch" in the theatre a week or so after it was released. Initial marketing from Disney didn't inspire me to want to see it much -- to be honest, it looked like the invasion of "cute Disney sidekick run amok," and the "cute sidekick critter" getting his own movie didn't appeal to me. The addition, the commercial's exclamation of "cowabunga!" really turned me off. But then, fortunately, I caught a "making of" short with Chris Sanders. I decided I did want to see it... and before it left the theatres, I'd managed to drag all my friends to see it with me, too, and recommended it across web boards and email lists across the net. I saw it seven times in the theatre and pre-ordered the disc as soon as it was available.The movie itself; well, if you've read the other reviews here, you know the story. A little alien, who is an illegal genetic experiment by an "evil genius," escapes his captors (who have sentenced him to life on a prison asteroid) and crash-lands on one of the islands of Hawai'i. There he masquerades as a dog so as to use the little girl who adopts him, Lilo, as a shield to prevent his re-capture. What he didn't expect -- despite having the brains to "think faster than super computer" -- was that he would come to love his little shield, and want not only to love and protect her from his alien pursuers, but also to be a part of her little family; for Lilo is an orphan, and is as exiled and lonely as he himself is.
That Stitch is a mean and nasty creature is a given; his creator, Jumba Jukiba, says right from the start that his "Experiment 626" was created as a weapon of mass destruction, an unstoppable machine with no other purpose than to destroy. But Lilo, who herself is not your run-of-the-mill individual (she studies "Practical Voodoo" to punish her "friends," who tease her and exclude her from their play; she feeds a peanut butter sandwich to a fish named "Pudge" once a week because he controls the weather; she made her own doll and because the head is too big, she pretends bugs laid eggs in the doll's ears), knows that her "puppy" is the right one from her. She tells him right away, "You ruin everything you touch. Why don't you make something?"
Disney doesn't lay it on too thick with this story, and I suspect that is the masterful hand of Chris Sanders in all aspects of its creation. It's irreverent, but not annoying; it's sweet but not cloying; it's hilarious and silly, but never stupid. That this alien who was "never given a higher purpose" finds one "all on his own" is the true moral of the story. That family is where you find it, and that love is greater than anything, is obvious without being driven home with a hammer.
Lilo is an Elvis fan, so most of the music used in the movie are great Elvis classics -- "Devil In Disguise," "Stuck On You," "Hound Dog," and "Heartbreak Hotel." My only complaint was using a new recording (by country/blues artist Wynonna) of "Burning Love" over the final "year in the life of Stitch & Family" montage instead of Elvis' magnificent recording, but I guess they wanted a few more original cuts (there is also a cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love" over the credits, as well as two brand-new songs) in addition to the nearly all-Elvis soundtrack... but at least Wynonna kicks it into high gear with her cover, and it's growing on me. "Lilo & Stitch" is not a musical -- all the music is made to enhance the story only, used only as background.
The DVD is an overall great buy, as well; containing not only this marvelous film but also a great collection of extras -- lessons in how to do the hula, a study of the islands of Hawai'i, behind-the-scenes with the magnificent Chris Sanders and Dean Deblois, scenes of the vocal recordings with the actors (something that has become my favorite extra on ANY Disney DVD), story and animation development, music videos, and more.
Perhaps I came to love this movie because I've always been a fan of so many of its elements -- animation, Elvis, science fiction -- or maybe it's because I was the sort of child Lilo was -- fanciful, lonely, and excluded -- or perhaps it's all those things and more. "Lilo & Stitch" is a gentle, quiet, timeless little movie (note that Lilo listens to vinyl RECORDS, not to CDs, and there's not a computer in their house), as sweet as it is funny. Disney needs to remember the times when their movies were more about people and problems than hype and selling merchandise (although for the first time since "The Lion King" I went out looking for that merchandise... and found precious little). Or maybe it's just because it's nice to go to a movie (or rent one, or buy one) and just hear good dialogue telling a good story for a change, and not just special effects and "wow isn't this technologically advanced" CG animation. It's just a good story, and it's so nice to see.
Movie Review: So original - I just wish I could have seen it when I was 8!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, please forgive me for going on in this review like I'm writing a college essay - the film is light and fun, and I don't want you to get the impression that it is anything less. I just want to answer the charge that no thought has gone into the issues covered in the film, or that the film indulges in meanness for the sake of a cheap laugh. This is not an attack on the reviewer that made the review I disagree with, but an explanation of why I disagree with the reviewer's points. I've never answered a review directly before, but I liked this film, and feel that the review by "storyboarder" elsewhere on this review page (who no doubt makes points that others agree with) was a little unfair, and that maybe the reviewer and others aren't reading between the lines as well as they should if they're truly choosing to hold this film to its apparent themes as rigorously as they claim.The film did indeed take on a weighty subject as the reviewer says, but I don't agree it was handled lightly - grief is implied, not ignored. We don't need to be shown in a Disney film how people react to grief, and to expect Disney to explain the concept of the death of a parent to children is unfair... Disney is in the business of giving us and our children entertainment. Penny in "The Rescuers" was an orphan, but I don't remember anyone expecting a detailed study of how being an orphan affected her present or future life!
The true theme of the story is, in my view, isolation and loneliness, feelings probably experienced and understood by many children at some point in their lives. Stitch was supplied as a different perspective to the same pain - where Lilo and Nani have lost their family, Stitch never had one. Bringing Lilo and Stitch together combines two characters who are natural companions because they both understand what it is to be lonely and isolated, and almost by definition only have each other as true companions, even if they don't realise it.
The film is light in places - it couldn't be "sad" all the way through otherwise it would grind on and on, either sending children to sleep or into tears. The characters relieve the tension with plenty of fun moments, such as training Stitch to be more like Elvis, or "frolicking on the beach". Who cares where the little Elvis costume came from! I've seen kids on television impersonating Elvis... maybe Lilo bought it from the same place as they did! The fun and companionship in the surfing scene is also a necessary element for Stitch to witness, not just an excuse for a surfing scene, as it shows him what he is rejecting when he fights Lilo's attempts to make him part of her family.
As for meanness in the story or jokes in the film being mean-spirited - well, part of the theme of the film is the redemption of Stitch, just as it is for Ebeneezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol", a character who is similarly mean-spirited, and also a parody of himself. As with Scrooge, Stitch's redemption would have no value if he weren't really bad to begin with! The greater the bad, the greater the value of the change to good at the end, and also the greater the goodness of the good characters for putting up with and persisting with the bad one!
"Lilo and Stitch" is one of the best animated films I've seen in many a long year. It isn't out to force-feed anyone's view of family morality, but is instead a true-to-modern-life story that many, many children will identify with, and also a nice redemption story in it's own right... if it has a fault, it's that the Disney mould for running time is too short for such an original and therefore valuable story, and perhaps it also ends a little too suddenly at the end, as if a better idea for an ending was abandoned at the last minute in favour of a more compact ending.
Chris Sanders, the voice of Stitch, is the person who came up with the idea of the story, did the original design drawings, contributed to the writing of the story, and also co-directed it along with Dean DeBlois. It is my hope that here is another great like Don Bluth in the making (and perhaps a Gary Goldman in Dean DeBlois). I will be watching out for their names in the future.
Well done Disney... I'm only sorry I wasn't able to see this film when I was 8, and had it to enjoy as a childhood memory throughout my life. I'll bet it's a while before we see the like of this film from Disney again. "Lilo and Stitch"'s unexpected popularity will probably cause it to be seen as a 'winning formula', and see it milked for all its worth, but I hope this first film of any future series manages to stay looking as fresh and original as it is now forever!
Movie Review: Magical film, great for you and your 'ohana.'
Summary: 5 Stars
Prior to seeing 'Lilo & Stitch,' I wasn't sure if I wanted to see this film. When I was at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, CA during July 2001, I saw a sneak preview/trailer of this film. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to see it or not. When the film hit theatres, I had failed to see 'Lilo & Stitch.'When the movie saw its DVD release, I didn't buy it. When the movie premiered on ABC a few months ago, I managed to see all but the first 20 minutes or so of the film. I had realized that I was missing a great Disney masterpiece. So, I decided a few weeks later that I wanted to buy the movie. When, I saw the film in its entirety. Wow, man...just...wow. 'Lilo & Stitch' became one of (if not the) my favorite Disney films.
This film is rated PG, so this is a darker film, compared to most other Disney animated films, but this can be enjoyed by all (though the youngest audiences need to watch it with older people). Not every family is fortunate, and the family of Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), is one of those broken families. The two sisters struggle to stay together since their parents were killed in a car accident. They see frequent visitations from the social worker, Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames), and he checks to see if Nani is doing a good job taking care of Lilo. Then, came a monster (which Lilo thinks he is a dog), experiment 626 (created by 'evil genius' scientist, Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers)), arrives on Earth on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Later on, Lilo chose a new pet...which was 626. She renamed him 'Stitch' (Chris Sanders). Lilo never fit in with the rest of the crowd, while Stitch never had a family. Similarly, both had very bad behavior.
Just when you thought things couldn't have gotten any worse for Lilo and Nani, Stitch causes chaos in shops, at the beach, and even at the Pelekai house (Lilo & Nani's residence). Little do Lilo and Nani know, Stitch was being watched and hunted by two aliens, Jumba and Pleakley (Kevin McDonald). The two have trouble capturing the experiment, and end up being fired from the job.
During the middle of the film, Lilo teaches Stitch about love and the meaning of 'ohana' (which is Hawaiian for family, and it means to never be left behind..or forgotten). Stitch's behavior gradually changes throughout the film, and begins to feel sympathy for Lilo. Suddenly, Jumba and Pleakley arrive at Lilo's house, and go after Stitch. Stitch and Lilo get away, until another space creature, Captain Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) arrives, and capture both Lilo and Stitch. Stitch frees himself, but Lilo is still in Gantu's hands. Nani realizes that she may never see her little sister ever again. Things change, as Jumba and Pleakley start to sympathize Nani.
Stitch and the gang go after Gantu's ship, and attempt to rescue Lilo. At the end, things go well for the Pelekai family, and have new members of the family..including Stitch, himself. The ending was great..showing images of Lilo, Stitch, Nani, David (Jason Scott Lee, Nani's boyfriend), Jumba, and Pleakley. During the whole film, I had some really good laughs (Pleakley was very funny, IMO), I nearly cried when Stitch was feeling lost, and when Nani realized that Lilo is captured by Gantu.
The music is really awesome. You won't find many original tracks in the soundtrack. That's because you'll hear many Elvis Presley hits on the movie, which was perfect for the film. The tunes from Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu & Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus were outstanding. Don't forget the tunes from composer, Alan Silvestri (who did the soundtrack for the Back to the Future movies)...they are very good. While I didn't care for the A*Teen's remake of "Can't Help Falling in Love", I did enjoy Wynonna's version of "Burning Love."
Even though "Finding Nemo" and "The Lion King" are the bigger blockbuster movies, I feel that "Lilo & Stitch" beats both of them (though I like the other two films, also). I feel that this movie is somewhat underappreciated, and many people are missing out on a great adventure. Never judge a film by the trailers alone. I did that, and in many cases, my impressions of the movies change. You'll laugh, cry, and be amazed at the same time. This IS a classic film, thanks to Chris Sanders and the rest of the team behind the Disney film. Everyone should see "Lilo & Stitch." You will not regret it at all.
Movie Review: New Delightful Disney Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
A young Hawaiian girl adopts a pet who is actually an alien fugitive from the law. This short description doesn't do this movie justice. This is probably one of the most inventive Disney originals in a long time. Highly enjoyable for both children and adults. The characters are almost real. You can believe that Nani and Lilo have gone through many troubles in their life. The interaction between Nani and Lilo are very close to what real people would actually do. That makes Nani (and thus Lilo) more realistic and more believable. Nani's bit about "gravity increasing" makes you believe that she's just a kid at heart with more responsibilities than she may be able to handle yet. And Lilo reading to Stitch was just precious.
The characters are fantastic. "Cobra Bubbles" indeed. Some of the "in" jokes may go over younger viewers heads, but older viewers in the audience, and certainly the adults, will be laughing along with the kids, just for different reasons. Watch for the sequences about the mosquito - you will absolutely die laughing when you get to the punchline.
Even the main character's name - "Stitch" - suggests something that was sewn together out of parts and pieces. Older adults will appreciate the use of Elvis tunes throughout the movie to illustrate main points. Watching Stitch imitate Elvis was one of the better bits.
And the dialog in the movie is fantastic. The scriptwriters deserve a hearty congratulations for coming up with some of the most memorable lines that have been used in cartoon movies recently. Examples include: "No more caffeine for you." "Nah, the manager's a vampire. He wanted me to join his Legion of the Undead." "Oh, good; my dog found the chainsaw." "So far, you have been adrift in the sheltered harbor of my patience, but I cannot ignore you being jobless. In case you're wondering, this did not go well. You have three days to change my mind."
But it's "Stitch" that steals the show. Even in the commercials for this movie, you knew "Stitch" wasn't going to be one of the Disney heroes we have come to expect. He starts out so bad - whatever he says at the start of the movie was so terrible that it makes some council members faint, and even a robot throws up. But by the conclusion of the movie he grows into the role of a hero - and that makes him one of the more believable Disney heroes in a =long= time. Stitch also becomes more like a person in that time - making him even more believable as a character and as a person in his own right.
And the message is equally important. "Family means never being left behind - or forgotten." Sure, it's one of the messages that Disney is known for promoting. But it is presented the best when Stitch finally realizes that it means something important to him. And the family that Stitch knows is preserved. Perseverance pays. It is -how- that family is preserved by Stitch that makes this move special.
This film is presented in the time honored frame-by-frame animation technique - a technique that often gets forgotten in these days of computer animation. Sure the visuals may look a little simple - but that's part of the joy of the old frame-by-frame animation process. And the characters look more real. Nani looks a -lot- like what a young Hawaiian woman would look like. Lilo looks like a kid. No out-of-proportion human female figures here.
I do not give five star reviews very often - only true classics usually ever get that kind of award from me. But this movie made me rethink that decision. Rest assured that this movie will eventually have a place of honor in my library next to such gems as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Little Mermaid".
BTW, just a quick note here - if you are thinking of purchasing a copy of Lilo and Stitch now, just wait a little while.
Sometime in 2004, Disney will be doing a "Special Edition", two disc DVD release that will be similar to thier recent reissue of Sleeping Beauty.
With all of the features on that, people who buy this DVD recently will be disappointed if they didn't wait.
Disney will be including all of the "Making of", pre-production art, and other features that make their new "Special Editions" great, to the new edition.
There are three other "Special Editions" due in 2004 - Mary Poppins, Pocahontas, and Alice in Wonderland. Alice will be the first released in 2004. Also, there's the "Platinum" edition of Aladdin in October 2004. Worth waiting for in my opinion. You have been warned. :-)
Movie Review: Disney's best!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok let's face it. Disney cartoons as of late have totally lost the heart and appeal that they once had. Other than the Pixar movies, which don't lack heart or appeal at all Disney hasn't really made a good cartoon since the early 90's! It's sad that as of late Disney has been aiming their cartoons towards a more grown up audience and has featured more grown up looking animation that basically is the only thing good about them. Movies like Snow White, Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, Bambi are all legendary films that rank up there with movies with real actors/actreses in them and have more heart and appeal than some of those movies. The late 80's saw Disney cartoon come out of a slump with the mega hit, The Little Mermaid. It seemed that basically everything that would follow in the next few years would also be a hit, and they were. Beauty and The Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin all had the feel of the old Disney cartoons. They were going to be those classics for the next generations of familes to enjoy. Sadly after those films it seemed like Disney truly ran out of ideas. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Pochahauntus, and Moulin were all bombs and were the begingings of Disney's downfall. All of those films seemed to be not totally directed for a child audience and for the first time since The Black Calduron (which happens to be one of my fave. Disney films and the most darkest)a cartoon carried a PG rating which was the given to the huge bomb, Moulin. The somewhat savior of Disney would come with the creation of Pixar. Toy Story was a huge hit, which Disney so badly needed. The sequel went onto to become a huge hit as well. When Pixar created A Bug's Life they had competition with a rip off movie called ANTZ. ANTZ went onto bomb and Pixar was still the champ that was until a little movie called Shrek came out and Disney was left baffeled. Not to be outdone Disney fired back with Monster's Inc. which had just as much impact as Toy Story did but sadly it didn't do as well as Shrek but did better than Shrek's follow up, Ice Age (which is pretty good I might add). Two summer's ago Disney took a huge risk with Atlantis. Atlantis looked like no other Disney cartoon and got the PG rating. Disney's risk failed and once again has failed with the newly released, Treasure Planet. Inbetween those releases though the savior of Disney cartoons was release. Lilo and Stitch has the feel of a old beloved Disney classic with a bit of the Pixar films humor. Sadly the movie didn't do as well as expected even with the cutest Disney character, Stitch and to many was another failed attempt to regain old glory but to me it wasn't. This is by far in my opinion the best Disney film of all time. Anytime a film brings tears to my eyes (and i'm a 24 year old guy)there is something special about it. This reminded me in many way of a cartoon version of E.T. or A.I., both of which brought tears to my eyes and in my opinion are two of the best films in movie history. Lilo and Stitch is like nothing else Disney has done before but it still has that classic feel. I saw that someone said they liked this film but wished that they were a little kid. When I was watching this film I did feel like a little kid again and that's something that Disney only does with Pixar films nowadays to me. If you're scared away for some reason to the recent Disney movies for whatever reason please don't miss this film. This film is just as important to the Disney legacy as Snow White, The Little Mermaid and, Beauty And The Beast The Lion King are. It may have not done well in the theater (only the Pixar films do these days)but i'm willing to bet that when you rent or buy this film you will regret not seeing this film in the theater because it's one of those movies you'll remember. I was lucky enough to see E.T. snd Return Of The Jedi in the theater back in the early 80's and both are two of my fave. movies of all time (i've collected Star Wars merch ever since I was little). I'm thankful for seeing those back then but sadly missed out on Lilo and Stitch in the theater and feel that if I did go to see it theatrically that it would give me the same memories like E.T. and Jedi did over some 20 years ago.