By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
While Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible–The Final Reckoning" will do bang up business at the box office this Memorial Day weekend, don’t count out Disney's
"Lilo & Stitch"--the live-action re-imagining of its beloved 2002 animated classic.
"Lilo & Stitch," from director
Dean Fleischer Camp ("Marcel the Shell with Shoes On") and screenwriters
Chris Kekaniokalani Bright ("Tsuru") and
Mike Van Waes ("Dear David"), offers a refreshing counterbalance to the adrenaline rush of Ethan Hunt and his crew.
With its vibrant visuals, a story that's both modernized and true to the original, and the mischievous yet lovable Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, TV's "PJ Masks"), "Lilo & Stitch" welcomes both longtime fans and newbies.
Rooted in themes of friendship, and the true meaning of family, this charming, feel-good film set in Hawaii should keep kids entertained and parents smiling right alongside them. Much of that joy comes from its delightful young stars.
Sydney Elizebeth Agudong ("At Her Feet," and TV's "Ripple") and the irresistibly adorable
Maia Kealoha, who makes an impressive debut. Together, they bring warmth, humor, and heart to the screen.
Since the death of their parents, Nani (Agudong), has stepped up to take care of Lilo Pelekai (Kealoha). But it hasn't been easy. In between looking for work, trying to pay the pile of growing bills, obtaining health insurance they can afford and keeping the house clean, Nani has her hands full. Plus, it doesn't help that Lilo is having a hard time making friends at school. Nani is reminded--rather sternly--by her social worker Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, "The Last Resort"), who often drops by their home unexpectedly, that if she can't get her act together, she may lose custody of Lilo.
Their lives become even more chaotic when Lilo's neighbor, Tutu (Amy Hill, TV's "Magnum P.I."), takes her to an animal shelter where Lilo instantly bonds with an unusual looking "dog" who, as it turns out, isn't a dog at all. He is actually a blue, koala-like alien and illegal genetic experiment known as Experiment 626, who crash-landed on Earth.
Stitch, is being hunted by his creator, the eccentric alien scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis, TV's "Only Murders in the Building"), along with Wendall Pleakley (Billy Magnussen, TV's "The Franchise"), an expert agent from the United Galactic Federation. Under orders from the UGF Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham, "Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning"), Wendall is tasked with keeping Dr. Jookiba in check and ensuring Earth and its humans don’t suffer collateral damage during Stitch's recapture.
Meanwhile, Nani's struggles intensify when she's visited not only by the persistent social worker Kekoa, but also by a watchful CIA agent named Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance, TV's "Grotesquerie"), who suspects there is more to Stitch than meets the eye.
"Lilo & Stitch" delivers some laugh-out loud moments, but a few of the antics Stitch gets roped into are a bit hit-or-miss. Still, the kids at my screening--who are truly the film's target audience--were giggling up a storm. Enough said.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"LILO & STITCH"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
