Lilo and Stitch
No one has learned that lesson, often the hard way, than the animators at Walt Disney Studios. A traditional animation feature from Walt Disney was a celebration of the art form, a reminder of how well the studio could tell a story without flesh and blood characters.
In the late 1960s, the studio’s worst firms were realized. The new generation of flower power children were more interested in “Fantasia” than the latest animated effort. The studio found themselves out of touch, and stayed that way until the late 1980s, when they adopted a new and hip attitude with “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The new animators honored their peers without bowing to them, creating animated masterpieces that will hold up under the auspices of time.
Then it happened again. The new formula was getting old, and looked even more tired after Disney teamed up with Pixar on the computer-animated “Toy Story” and it’s sequel and “A Bug’s Life.”
Shock waves rippled through the animation department when their long-in-the-works Inca epic began to look as extinct as its subject matter. In order to keep up with the times, Disney hired new, younger directors and writers, who turned the stodgy story into the hilarious “The Emperor’s New Groove.”
After stumbling with the laborious animated adventure “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” Disney is back with “Lilo and Stitch,” a wonderfully entertaining comedy that honors tradition with its beautiful, hand-drawn watercolor backdrops and colorful characters, but breaks through with a wicked sense of humor that should capture the whimsy of kids of all ages.
I usually avoid seeing movies aimed at preteens until several weeks into the run as to avoid the expected noise and restlessness (and that’s just from the parents). It’s difficult to get lost in a film when the ten-year-old girl in front of you keeps jumping up and down the stairs, or when the woman with the baby refuses to get up and exit the theater because she might miss something good. That’s why I always bring tranquilizer darts with me. Just kidding.
“Lilo and Stitch” was so engaging that I didn’t even notice all of the noise and child’s play going on around me. I have a hard enough time getting lost in most live action films, but had no problem losing myself in the antics of Lilo, a little Hawaiian girl who adopts Stitch, an escaped alien, as her pet.
Stitch is actually Experiment 626, a ferocious creature designed to destroy everything in sight. When the planetary council becomes outraged and demands that the creature be banished to an abandoned asteroid, 626 escapes and crash lands in Hawaii, where he is captured by animal control.
Lilo is a rambunctious girl who lives with her older sister Nani after the death of their parents. Lilo is always getting into trouble, a fact not lost on social worker Cobra Bubbles, who is looking for a way to get the sisters into the system. When Lilo rescues 626 from the shelter, it’s mischief at first sight.
The directing/writing team of Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois bless “Lilo and Stitch” with a distinguished look and a winning screenplay that tackles mature issues without losing sight of the fact that all of this is supposed to be entertaining.
As writers, Sanders and DeBlois weave familiar elements into the script (the loss of parents) without sacrificing their own vision. I especially liked that both “Lilo and Stitch” come with attitude to spare. They may come from opposite ends of the galaxy, but they share very similar wants and needs. Both feel alone in their respective world, and it’s this universal bond that turns what could have been a one-joke movie into a wonderful story about acceptance and belonging.
There’s also plenty of outrageous humor and some science-fiction thrills as other aliens arrive to retrieve 626. As with all good Disney animated films, the voice talent is excellent. Daveigh Chase is sprite as Lilo, while writer-director Sanders does triple duty providing the voice of Stitch, which can only be described as something like Dave Coulier’s Jack-A-Lope character on “America’s Funniest People.” Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, David Ogden Stiers, and Kevin McDonald are also pitch perfect.
“Lilo and Stitch” is an excellent reminder that in the right hands, the fine art of hand-drawn animation can still be relevant and entertaining.
ALIEN SOUL MATES
Feisty “Lilo” and intergalactic friend leave us in stitches
LILO & STITCH
Voice talents of Daveigh Chase, Christopher Michael Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. Rated PG. 85 Minutes.
LARSEN RATING: $7.00
