It’s been over two decades since the first crash-landing into our hearts with its heartfelt message and offbeat charm. Lilo & Stitch has returned in 2025 as a live-action reimaging under the Disney remake umbrella. It’s directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (known for Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), and it makes a new approach that still captures the chaotic sweetness of the original, whilst updating the visuals for a new generation of storytelling. The results speak for themselves with a visually ambitious, emotionally sincere and mostly respectful of its animated roots, even if it does not quite recapture the full magic of the original. 

The main storyline remained largely unchanged. Lilo is a lonely, imaginative young girl living on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i with her older sister Nani, after the tragic loss of both of their parents. Lilo is misunderstood and struggling to fit in, and after a life-changing wish, Lilo’s life takes a wild turn when she adopts what she assumed was a strange dog, who turns out to be Stitch, an alien genetic experiment designed for destruction.

Galactic forces are pursuing Stitch, and Nani is trying her hardest to keep custody of Lilo, which is not working in her favour. The unlikely trio must navigate chaos and love and ultimately learn what it means to be family. This film sticks closely to the plot of the 2002 film. It adds more depth to some side characters and slightly modernises some things. The heart of the story and theme of “ohana” still has a strong meaning, which is family in Hawaiian.

Maia Kealoha comes in and does a fantastic job as Lilo. She brought the right balance of weirdness, vulnerability, and craziness to the role where Sydney Agudong plays Nani with her grounded intensity, managing the impossible role of sister and mother and barely holding it together, which builds a great dynamic in their relationship in the film.

Zach Galifianakis brings great humour and a surprising role as Jumba, who I was a little on the fence about, as he had that iconic Russian accent in the original film. Billy Magnussen steps into the role of our one-eyed alien Pleakly, who I feel was perfect for that role.

I was a little surprised with the casting of Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles, as in the original, he was this mysterious big dude who never said too much but was super intimidating, which was a little lost with this film. They managed to get the chaotic actor Chris Sanders to come back and voice Stitch, a familiar sound from the original films. Stitch, being fully CGI, looked more textured, cute, and fluffy. 

Visually, the film is a mix of impressive and sometimes awkward. Stitch’s CGI design is more realistic-looking, but not all his interactions with the live-action world were seamless, and sometimes it showed. I was a little on the fence about the character models for Jumba and Pleaky, and Pleaky, more times than not, really did look CGI, which pulled away from the film a little.

Many action scenes and alien confrontations were handled with flair and creativity. Dean did a fantastic job emphasising those emotional moments over spectacle, with the Hawaiian setting remaining lush and beautiful. 

I was impressed with the tone as it remains mostly light and kid-friendly. The film does not shy away from those more emotional scenes and shows the weight of Lilo and Nani’s situation. Those moments hit the hardest, particularly if you are familiar with the original.  I was thankful that some of the Elvis songs made a triumphant return, as did a few of the iconic Hawaiian songs we grew up to love, which keep those beautiful cultural roots. The soundtrack may not be as iconic as the originals, but it beautifully supports the film’s moods. 

Lilo & Stitch (2025) is one of Disney’s more faithful and heartfelt live-action remakes. It does not radically reinvent the story, nor does it need to, but instead respectfully honours what came before while offering a new flavour. Fans of the original will nitpick some things from the original film, and some of us miss the charm that hand-drawn animation brought back in the day, but the film stays true where it counts.

Written by: Hayden Nelson