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-
