Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Funny, bright, ditzy family entertainment
'Lilo and Stitch' is a lively, funny animated movie from Walt Disney Pictures. The animation is not done in the lavish style often associated with Disney. The movie has more of a Cartoon Network look to it. This visual mode fits perfectly with the delightful, ditzy and happily subversive story of an unhappy little Hawaiian girl who befriends an equally miserable creature from another planet. Stitch is banished from his home planet to a deserted asteroid for good reason - he's a mean little critter who was hatched in a test tube. Clever Stitch manages to escape to Earth, where he crash lands in Hawaii. The authorities from back home are in hot pursuit. While hiding out in a local dog shelter, he is adopted by the rebellious, maladjusted Lilo, who takes to him even though he's the ugliest dog ever. At first Stitch does everything he can to wreak havoc on his new owner, her sister and everyone else who comes near him. Over time, though, he and Lilo establish a bond based on their mutual loneliness, which, for Lilo, is caused by the recent loss of her parents and, for, Stitch, by the fact that he never had any. The movie covers familiar ground ' the importance of friendship, loyalty, etc., but it does so in a fun, spirited, and never preachy way. It's a movie that many adults will find entertaining because it's hip and doesn't ram the 'cute factor' down one's throat. Children will be delighted because the movie operates equally well on their level. 'Lilo and Stitch' is great family entertainment.
Rating: - Disney meets Elvis
Lilo and Stitch doesn't quite have that "Disney magic" which is found in Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, and such, but it is nonetheless a very good family movie.Lilo is a lonely girl who is from a broken home (the parents are dead and the older sister tries to keep the two together). She is a social outcast who takes solace in her apparently antique collection of Elvis LPs. Her characterization is the most interesting in the whole film; a small child who has distinctly adult attitudes. She adopts a dog, which is really a funky space creature and an outcast in his own right. Stitch is a drooling, snarling genetic mutant that learns from Lilo, the value of himself and the importance of family. The story line moves away from the standard fairy tale fare that is the cornerstone of Disney films, and follows a dysfunctional family for a change. Indeed, Disney marketing blatantly represented Stitch as the black sheep of the animation family. The Ugly Duckling and the importance of family ("no one is left behind") are the core themes of the movie, and it does an acceptable job of turning these elements into a happy ending. The animation is unique in that the figures are roundish, in sort of a Pillsbury Doughboy fashion, and the direct opposite of what Disney did with Hercules. This non-threatening approach to animation helps offset some action scenes that may be scary for younger children. Nevertheless, this is good entertainment for the family, and a must for anyone who wants to see an animated space alien wear an Elvis jumpsuit.
Rating:  - Disney seems to be making a huge comback...
Disney has their hits and misses, but with the new character Stitch, they have a home run. From beginning to end children and adults can be captivated in this hilarious and beautiful animated feature.
Stitch is an alien created by a mad scientist who escapes custody and blasts off to earth where he meets Lilo, a problem child living with her sister. The story is about keeping families close, whether they are natural or put together, and it isn't too overwhelming a message as most are. The voice talents of Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, and David Ogden Stiers do a great job of bringing the characters to life .
The animation is simply beautiful, really capturing the beauty of Hawaii and the ocean surrounding it. The character's oversized arms, legs, hands, and feet are very reminiscent of Osamu Tezuka's style in the classic Astro Boy comics and recently-released Metropolis feature-length movie. For the first time computer animation was seamlessly placed in with the hand-drawn segments fluidly and wasn't strikingly obvious. A space chase introduction grabs the audience with action and then amazes with the Hawaiian atmosphere on Earth, seamlessly and gorgeously.
This movie deals with broken families and how we can recover a new family from what is left, and does it in a light, Disney way. Serious issues are involved as when Lilo first meets Stitch, he is a mean, heartless experiment because of lack of a family. Also Lilo and her sister live together and take care of each other with the Department of Social Services constantly checking up on them. All of these issues seem very real and I have never seen it made so realistically in a Disney movie. Usually they show issues metaphorically, but in this one they show all, which may be a little too intense for younger children who have had similar experiences.
The comedy is brilliant and will have you laughing out loud. Not one joke seemed corny or contrived and the whole theatre was loud with the enjoyment of kids and adults. Too bad Minority Report seems to be overshadowing this Disney jem. Bring the whole family to this fantastic animated masterpiece and you will not regret it.
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