Lilo and Stitch

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This was once again a step in a different direction for Disney, but to say that it paid off is an understatement. Lilo and Stitch has a beautiful story, is wonderfully animated has lovable characters and a soundtrack from one of most iconic musicians of all time – it really is one of Disney’s crowning achievements, especially considering the often-muddled era of films it came from.

The plot of a lonely little girl and an alien experiment built to destroy coming together could have been incredibly cheesy, or even bizarre, but instead it is incredibly heart-warming. It works because much of the earlier parts of the story are grounded in a realism not seen in many Disney films. You really feel for Nani and Lilo and you understand how serious their situation is, so it makes the fluffier moments of the film seem less sugary – Stitch’s malicious side, shown throughout much of the film, also helps with this. Additionally, the relationships between all of the characters is built up beautifully and they are all fleshed out enough to make the whole thing seem believable.

Lilo’s strangeness makes her seem like a real kid, Nani’s struggles make her seem real too and Stitch… well Stitch is just cute, there’s not much else to add really. It’s also worth noting that the film is really funny and because the comic relief characters are so heavily involved in the main plot, they don’t feel tacked on the way certain other characters do. The only problem is that the villain is slightly weak due to a lack of screen time, but that doesn’t really affect the film overall.

It is also framed by some fantastic animation and of course a great soundtrack. There is just something so cosy in the rounded shapes and bright colours on display here, which hadn’t been seen from Disney in a while at this point. Lilo’s obsession with Elvis is another way to make her seem slightly odd in a lovable way, whilst also providing the refreshing and energetic soundtrack the film needs – the original songs written for the film also keep up this energy.

There’s not much else to say really – it’s one of the best experiments Disney ever tried.

Ratings

Good guys: All of the main characters are really fleshed out, so the good guys get 8/10

Bad guys: Gantu is the only aspect of the film that falls a little flat, so the bad guys get 5/10

Animation: This film has a fantastic art style, so the animation gets 10/10

Music: This fun and high energy soundtrack gets 8/10

Plot: A heart-warming and at times heart-breaking tale gets 10/10

Overall score: 41/50

Next review: Treasure Planet