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: ISLE OF DOGS

When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham, Frank Wood, Yoko Ono.

Release Date: March 23, 2018

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images

Runtime: 1h 41min

Review:

Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson’s 2^nd foray into stop motion, is a charming and thoughtful tale of mans best friends.  Wes Anderson’s film is filled with his usual hipster hallmarks which people either love or hate.  Its all here in spades so if you’re not a fan of his distinct style this won’t change your mind.  Those who do enjoy his style will find plenty to love here.  The direction and craftsmanship is top notch throughout making it one of the most visually arresting films of the year.  The voice cast is filled with Anderson regulars and a few newcomers like Bryan Cranston.  Cranston provides the emotional center of the film and really gives the story its heart.  Like most of Anderson’s films there’s a streak of sadness through the entire story.  Isle of Dogs does have a slightly bleaker outlook than usual and the story has a fairly obvious allegory to current events which makes it more dense than expected and one of Anderson’s best.

A

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Mummy

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the opening act in Universal's new Dark Universe, The Mummy.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you haven't seen already in trailers and advertising.

 

Tom Cruise unleashes an ancient curse...on his box office, apparently.

 

Well, friends, by now I'm sure you've heard that The Mummy is terrible. A Facebook friend and fellow movie reviewer--not generally one who just parrots the opinions of "real" critics--called it the worst movie he'd ever seen, and many headlines have proclaimed it, at the very least, the worst picture Tom Cruise has ever made. I'm here to argue that, while the Mummy is not Oscar material, nor is it rocket science, it is a perfectly passable way to spend a couple hours at the cinema.

 

It goes without saying The Mummy's chief positive is Cruise, who always seems to be having the time of his life, no matter how good or bad the project. His character is nothing new, a morally ambiguous rogue pressganged into heroics by circumstance, but Cruise is so delightful it matters not how many times you've seen it before. The Mummy's leading ladies, Annabelle Wallis and Sofia Boutella, are solid enough as cookie-cutter characters, but it's Russell Crowe who steals the show in...erm...let's just say a "dual" role. The Mummy boasts decent effects, fun action sequences, a few nice jump scares, and it's quite amusing when it wants to be. It's also smart enough not to wear out its welcome. While The Mummy is certainly no unforgettable piece of cinematic brilliance, it does a fine job kicking off Universal's new Dark Universe, and I look forward to watching that play out (though I do wish it still included Luke Evans. *sigh*).

 

The Mummy clocks in at 110 minutes, and is rated PG13 for "violence, action and scary images, and some suggestive content and partial nudity."

 

If you're especially skittish about spiders or rats, or so deeply in love with Brendan Fraser you simply can't abide the prospect of this reimagining, maybe take a pass on The Mummy; otherwise, if you're in the market for some fun summer brain candy, you'll likely find it a good time...and suffice to say reports of Tom Cruise's career demise have been greatly exaggerated. Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Mummy gets six.

 

Until next time...