Lilo & Stitch

Alright everyone, it’s now time to talk about one of the most original ideas that ever came out of Walt Disney, “Lilo and Stitch,” released in 2002. This is how Roger Ebert had started his review: “Only a week ago I deplored the wretched "Scooby-Doo" as a blight on the nation's theaters. My fellow critics agreed. Checking the Web sites that monitor reviews, I find that at RottenTomatoes.com the movie scored a 26, at Metacritic.com a 27. Passing grade is 60. The American public effortlessly shrugged off this warning cry and raced to the box office to throw away $54 million.” I only saw parts of the “Scooby-Doo” adaptation, and the Nostalgia Critic’s review of it, and I will never bother with it. I love the 80s cartoon, as does everyone, but I cannot fathom the thought of having that horrible adaptation made, with all its horrendous sequels and other adaptations.

However, this is a truly inspired animated feature. How did it do? It’s one of the most charming feature-length animated films in years – funny, lively, amazing, original and with six songs by Elvis “The King of Rock and Roll” Priestly. It doesn’t get all sickeningly sweet until the end, it has as much for adults as it does for kids, and it has a bright out of the ordinary look to it.

Ebert went on his rant about “Scooby-Doo” like this: “If "Scooby-Doo" grossed $54 million in its first weekend, then if there is justice in the world, "Lilo & Stitch" will gross $200 million. But there is not justice. There is a herd instinct. On Monday a man on an elevator asked me what I thought about "Scooby-Doo." I said it was a very bad movie. "My kids want to see it," he said. Yes, I said, because they've heard of nothing else all week. But, I said, there is a much better animated family film opening this weekend, named "Lilo & Stitch," that your kids are sure to like much more than "Scooby-Doo," and you will enjoy it, too. Take my word, I said; I do this for a living. Take the kids to "Lilo & Stitch." I could see from the man's eyes that he was rejecting my advice. How could I possibly be right when $54 million said I was wrong? How could human taste be a better barometer of movie quality than the success of a marketing campaign? Prediction: This weekend, more parents and their children will dutifully file into the idiotic wasteland of "Scooby-Doo" than will see the inspired delights of "Lilo & Stitch." That will be a shame.” “Lilo and Stitch,” made by the same company who gave us the great “Mulan,” is a cutesy fantasy about an alien monster that accidentally gets adopted as a pet by a little girl living in Hawaii. The creature, who she names Stitch, voiced by Chris Sanders, was made by an illegal genetic mutation, and is so shockingly aggressive that he gets locked up by his creators. He escapes to Earth in a space pod, is mistaken for a strange breed of dog, and adopted by Lilo, voiced by Daveigh Chase, who basically uses her innocence and the aloha spirit to confuse and even humanize the alien.

Now everything takes place in a happy background of pop-culture references, including scenes parodying “Men in Black,” “Jaws” and “Godzilla” (if you remember the part where Stitch builds a model of San Francisco, then tramples over it). The film definitely puts itself in Hawaii – both the Hawaii of tourist outlandish behavior, and the Hawaii of the aloha spirit. The plot revolves around the rule of ohana, or family, since Lilo is being taken care of by her older sister, Nani, voiced by the hot Tia Carrere, who is disorganized and not always the sister and mother combination, and is fighting with a disapproving social worker named Cobra Bubbles, voiced by Ving Rhames.

Nani is a waitress in of the “traditional” Hawaiian musical spoofs, where her boyfriend David Kawena, voiced by Jason Scott Lee, is a fire dancer. Lilo takes Stitch to show him the dance, and Stitch is very confused, as Lilo teaches him how to impersonate Elvis (which we have seen so many of nowadays, especially with people saying that they saw Elvis).

Lilo and Stitch obviously have problems communicating, since Lilo is a kid and Stitch doesn’t speak English, but the alien, who is a quick learner, learns a few words and, most importantly, some concepts that challenge his existence as a killing alien. Lilo and Nani are also learning to be a family and take care of one another, but movie doesn’t get all teary at the end and is surprisingly unsentimental for a Disney animated movie. It keeps its edge and its comic enthusiasm from beginning to end, and even though it arrives somewhat unnoticed, it’s a gem.

Do check this one out because I seriously think that if you have kids, they will absolutely fall in love with this movie. It’s very different from the typical Disney movies that we have seen, with the typical love story or damsel in distress. This is one of those movies that I seriously think people will adore. Watch out for more “Disney Month” tomorrow.