Lilo & Stitch 2025: The Art of Conversation and the Love of Family

 

Lilo & Stitch 2025: The Art of Conversation and the Love of Family

“Now make up with your sister, yeah. If you need anything just ask okay. We're not just neighbors. You know, we're ohana."

“People treat me differently.”

“Aww baby, they just… they just don't know what to say?"

“But you… didn't mean what you said, did you? ”

“No, of course not, you're my sister and I'll always be here for you, got it.”

-Lilo and Stitch, 2025

To be honest, it must be difficult to be a filmmaker, extraordinarily so, in today's popular climate of remakes and reimagining. This has to be exponentially more true when taking into account the legacy of an intellectual property or film studio. Where does one start in reimagining a classic, when from all angles you know in your heart of hearts it will turn out to be a fruitless endeavor. Mocked by fans of the original and chastised by newcomers as simple and uninspired. By all appearances you are trapped in the cycle of unfulfilled expectations and a supposed destruction of childhood memories and nostalgic feelings.

"Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind."

"Or forgotten I..."

"Sometimes family isn't perfect. That doesn't mean they aren't good."

-Lilo and Stitch, 2025

Though these occurrences of unmet expectations and nostalgia are certainly valid, I have to imagine that the creative reality of these remakes is way more nuanced than we ever give them credit for. Money is often cited as the driving force behind these endeavors,. remake a classic film and you are almost guaranteed a return on your investment. Investments however, are not the full story when it comes to a studio's mining of classic catalog films. The creative process is still required to achieve a maximum financial return. You only need to look as far as the films themselves to see this truth bear out.
Before we hit this snag I'll just say it, I'm not saying all remakes are perfect or that they don't have flaws. That is a far longer conversation that requires far more space than we have here. I also want to walk back a little bit and say that I don't like using the moniker of Remake or Reimagining. I think these words become stumbling blocks, barriers to appreciation for both the new film and the original.
Let me put it this way, when you go to a restaurant and order a cheeseburger, you don't say that that burger is a remake of the ones you cook at home. On the contrary, that cheeseburger is completely new, prepared by the chef and not by you. That cheeseburger is made for your enjoyment of course, however its preparatory and flavor profile merits are not determined by your likes or dislikes. They are determined by the kitchen that prepared it. While it is true that you may not like how they prepared it, it doesn't necessarily mean that it wasn't prepared well. It just means that you would've preferred something different.
Creativity is still creativity, no matter if someone is getting paid for it or not. The difficulty of that process still remains. In other words a chef may know how to prepare a dish, he may even have to prepare that dish every day. Though all that means is that he has to be consistent. Every time he makes it, it has to be the best that can be.
All that to say, Lilo and Stitch 2025 wonderfully understands where it has come from and where it is going. This story of two orphaned sisters, taking care of one another, as they figure out what life is like without their parents, is as impactful and meaningful as it is in its original animated film. Lilo and Stitch 2025 doesn't countermand the 2002 original; it complements it in all the best ways. Expanding on the heartfelt meaning of Ohana, while granting our two human leads access to a storyline that was not fully explored before. That is to say, exploring Lilo and Nani as sisters, and the reality that we need not face our struggles alone. This approach especially rings true when taking into account the touching way Stitch closes the 2025 film out.

"Good night sisters."

-Lilo and Stitch, 2025

Remarkably agile and nuanced in its approach, Lilo and Stitch 2025 is able to carve a new path through this deeply impactful story. Surprises abound with this live-action film, one of which is that this film is only slightly longer, excluding credits, then the original. Though it is still able to have a fresh and lively conversation with its elder sister, without ever losing the original's essential heart or its thematic flow.
In the end, Lilo and Stitch 2025 is as much a gem of a film as its animated sibling. There is no need to discount one or the other. The two films are sisters, through and through. Director Dean Fleischer Camp and his team enthusiastically reopen the lines of communication between Lilo and her sister Nani. Revealing a heartfelt truth. The truth that our Ohana might be far bigger than we may have first thought. Acceptance can be difficult, that is true. Though in this case, if you give it a chance you may realize that family is worth it, no matter its size.

Rated PG for action, peril and thematic elements

I found Lilo and Stitch 2025 to be extraordinarily entertaining, charming and deeply meaningful. I hope in some way you do too.

Lilo and Stitch can be streamed on Disney Plus with a subscription. It is also available physically on DVD Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc.