Over two decades on from the 2002 animated classic, Lilo and Stitch is back on the big screen! With a live-action depiction this time around, does the beloved story still hold up?
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Writers: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes
Starring: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis and Chris Sanders
Warning: This review contains spoilers for Lilo and Stitch (2025). Please keep that in mind if you haven’t seen the film.
First things first, I was an ardent Lilo and Stitch fan growing up. Spanning the film, television series and various spin-offs. So, for that reason, I was very interested to see how a live action version would work.
Like many fans, I had two key questions. Why mess with a cherished favourite? Would the story translate as well?
Speaking to Deadline, director Dean Fleischer Camp opened up about why he wanted to make live-action Lilo and Stitch.
He said: “It’s always been my favourite Disney animated film, and it’s always been the one that I felt like I could do a live-action adaptation of.
“Because when I saw the original in theaters, I was in high school, and it didn’t look like any other animated Disney movie I’d ever seen.”
Having watched the film, I do think it succeeded in certain areas. Other components, however, totally missed the mark.
A solid – although not perfectly cast – ensemble
Credit where credit’s due, the filmmakers assembled an impressive cast to bring this story to life. No question about that.
And it’s clear they took the casting process seriously. Lilo actress Maia Kealoha told Entertainment Tonight that she’d auditioned 15 times for the role.
That, in my opinion, shows a commendable amount of investment in ensuring they found the right lead star.
In many ways, it feels like they did. Although Daveigh Chase’s vocal performance remains iconic, Maia Kealoha felt like what a live-action Lilo would be.
She had the heart, the humour, the personality. Even “chemistry” with fellow title character Stitch.
But, considering the established Lilo and Stitch canon, some of the other actors felt quite miscast.
Zach Galifianakis, for instance, is a top draw comedic performer. But his interpretation of Dr. Jumba Jookiba didn’t seem to fit the character.
Original voice actor David Ogden Stiers brought slightly unhinged “mad scientist” energy to his performance
Whereas Galifianakis’ Jumba simply just didn’t land the same way. The new Jumba came across as more whiny, petulant and narcissistic – but this is clearly for reasons that we’ll address later.
Jumba is a legendary character from the original. But the lack of a Russian-esque accent and the new version’s general demeanour just made it fall flat.
So, overall this element of the film felt disappointing as a viewer.
Lilo and Stitch (2025) Cast
– Maia Kealoha as Lilo
– Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch
– Sydney Elizabeth Agudong as Nani
– Billy Magnussen as Pleakley
– Hannah Waddingham as The Grand Councilwoman
– Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles
– Zach Galifianakis as Dr Jumba Jookiba
– Amy Hill as Tūtū
– Kaipo Dudoit as David Kawena
– Tia Carrere as Mrs Kekoa
To some extent, the film also could have better used Courtney B. Vance’s talents for Cobra Bubbles.
Although he appeared in a different capacity – as a CIA agent rather than social worker – the character felt less naturally involved and more shoe-horned into the story.
Some might argue he filled the role of original villain Captain Gantu. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in the 2002 film, he was omitted entirely from this version.
Rather than a social worker, he became an agent on the sidelines hunting down Stitch. Does that sound familiar?
While I could buy this from the animated Cobra, Courtney B. Vance’s iteration just didn’t come across as intimidating.
Without his presence, however, the filmmakers instead made Jumba into the antagonist.
To some degree, you can tell where the filmmakers are coming from. It somewhat made sense in theory. Jumba is an “evil scientist” after all.
However, crucially, this decision also broke 20+ years of established canon. If any more films follow, it would likely be very difficult to get Jumba into his familiar role.
On the flip side, Billy Magnussen proved very well suited to Pleakley. It’s not the exact same character as before – more of a spin on it. But the essence of the character was very much there.
Longtime fans will no doubt notice the film removed Pleakley’s trademark penchant for cross-dressing.
For their human disguises, Jumba and Pleakley used alien techology as a disguise to appear human.
Sure, on some level, this afforded more screen time for Galifianakis and Magnussen. However, this decision also took something away from the film’s magic.
The character’s true, alien forms appeared sparingly. In fact, the audience may well have spent more time with the disguises.
On the other hand, adding Tūtū (Amy Hill) in this rendition worked really well. Ohana remains synonymous with the franchise. Having someone embody that for Lilo and Nani was a nice touch.
For those unaware, Hill previously voiced elderly Mrs Hagasawa throughout the animated franchise.
Introducing Mrs Kekoa (Tia Carrere) was also a nice twist on the story. Although it did reduce/half Cobra Bubbles’ role.
Rather than Cobra’s imposing figure, Mrs Kekoa’s compassionate behaviour towards Nani proved refreshing.
Not to mention, Carrere actually voiced Nani in the animated franchise. The two characters’ scenes together comprise a nice, full circle, passing-of-torch vibe.
And of course, franchise co-creator Chris Sanders knocked his Stitch reprisal out of the park. From developing the character in the 80s, voicing, writing/directing the original film and now this, Sanders’ ties to Stitch continue to evolve.
Also: Jason Scott Lee (who voiced David in the original) also pops up. Bonus points if you know who he played in this remake.
Story/Plot Changes
Another notable change came with the ending – which differs greatly from the 2002 film.
Having explored Nani at a deeper level, the filmmakers put her on a journey exploring her own ambitions. It allows her to have Nani own menaingful journey, while her love for Lilo remains very much the same.
Although commendable in its efforts, Lilo and Stitch (2025) falls short of the original’s high standards.
It makes for a nice, pleasant time at the movies, but ultimately doesn’t represent the story in the best way.
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on X.
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
Leave a Reply