MOVIE REVIEW: LILO & STITCH

 

Lilo & Stitch is a 2025 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, the film is a live-action animated remake of Disney's 2002 traditionally animated film of the same name. 

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Cast: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Hannah Waddingham, Billy Magnussen, Zach Galifianakis, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Tia Carrere, Amy Hill,  Jason Scott Lee

Release Date: May 23, 2025

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action, peril and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

Lilo & Stitch is a perfectly adequate redux of the superior 2002 original which streamlines certain parts of the story effectively but just never recaptures the chaotic energy of the animated film in spite of the cast and crews’ best efforts.  Dean Fleischer Camp bringing his tender hearted, occasionally soulful approach to the otherworldly hijinks here much like he did with 2021's Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.  He's able to give certain characters in the film more depth, making them more three dimensional than their animated counterpart.  Nani, Lilo's older sister, played with authentic earnestness by Sydney Elizebeth Agudong gets a better realized story arch here as she's given more to do throughout the film.  It’s clear that Camp is trying his best to stake out his out territory here but he's held back by having to recreate a bevy of scenes and sequences from the animated film which just reminds you that like the other live action adaptations there's a cynical money grab driving it all.  There are moments that break free a bit to deliver something new and fresh much like the reworked final act which is revamped to focus more on the emotional connection as opposed to more outright cartoonish action.  Maia Kealoha play the Lilo role a bit sweeter and less chaotic than the original which works better in the back half of the film than it does early on.  Chris Sanders reprises his role as the voice of Stitch barely missing a beat as he easily slides back into Experiment 626's skin.  Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis prove to be welcome additions here as Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba respectively.  Magnussen talents are perfectly suited as he can play oblivious goofball in his sleep.  Galifianakis reins his usual impulses here to give his take on the character a slightly more sinister undercurrent.  Courtney B. Vance and Tia Carrere's characters split up Ving Rhames Cobra Bubbles character into two separate characters with Mrs. Kekoa serving as social worker side. It doesn't quite work the way it should since both characters feel underserved by the time it’s all said and done.  This iteration of Lilo & Stitch is perfectly suitable family fun with a solid message about the family we're born with and find but it can't shake the fact that the original film did the same thing more effectively.  

 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: ROAD HOUSE

 

Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor, J. D. Pardo, Arturo Castro, Billy Magnussen, Joaquim de Almeida

Release Date: March 21, 2024

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rated R for violence throughout, pervasive language and some nudity.

Runtime: 1h 54m

Review:

Doug Liman's remake of the 80's cult classic, Road House, is entertaining in spurts thanks to some fun action sequences and solid turn from Jake Gyllenhaal but it doesn't do anything memorable enough to make the redux necessary.  Liman's film uses the basic plot of the original as the scaffolding for this update while only making cosmetic changes to the setting, characters and motivations.  It makes the entire thing feel strangely familiar but missing that 80s goofiness that only feathered mullets and karate kicks can bring about.  It’s replaced by a glossy sort of sweaty griminess that makes you feel every bit of that pre storm humidity throughout the film.  Liman makes great use of the scenery to deliver some visually impressive sequences such as Dalton & Ellie's date on a sandbar or some hyper kinetic fight sequences that border on cartoonish even by the original's standards.  Those action sequences are aggressively brutal and edited like they are trying to keep a caffeinated squirrel's attention.  Some of these sequences work better than others but they could all use some judicious trimming to avoid the pervading sense of overkill that takes over.  There are the ingredients of a fun, mindless, beat 'em up but the film lacks the sort of streamlined efficiency to make it all work with multiple dead spots killing most of the film's forward momentum.  Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a workmanlike, understated performance in the central role as he tries to give the character more depth and nuance than what's on page.  Unfortunately, all the other characters are one note at best with Arturo Castro and Billy Magnussen being the lone standouts who at least have fun with their roles.  Conor McGregor's cinematic debut is an embarrassingly over the top performance, puffed out chest and all, that's more likely to elicit unintentional laughter than anything else.  Daniela Melchior and Joaquim de Almeida both deliver professional if uninspired turns to round out the supporting cast.  When it's all said and done this version of Road House isn't likely to leave much of an impression and will probably be forgotten shortly after the credits roll.

C-