By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
A touch heavy on gross-out humor and a touch light on Elvis songs, the (mostly) live-action relaunch of Disney’s famous “Lilo & Stitch” nevertheless won the hearts of the preteen-heavy preview audience I watched it with earlier this week.
The youthful set, chaperoned by moms, dads, and other responsible adults, for the most part, giggled at the gross-outs, took the Elvis movies in stride along with the Hawaiian songs on the soundtrack, and cheered whenever the rebellious blue alien Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, who co-wrote this film and co-wrote the original animated film, from 2002) did something naughty. And Stitch, a true agent of chaos, obliged over and over, leaving broken glass, overturned furniture, collapsed homes, and scratched Elvis LPs in his wake.
Stitch, who began life as Experiment 626 in a galaxy far, far away, escapes from Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis), the alien scientist who created him; and the alien councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham) who demands his annihilation. The runaway furball shreds his getaway spaceship like he shreds anything else around him—but not before he lands on Hawai’i and goes looking for shelter.
Alien hijinks abound in the new movie, especially after Billy Magnussen’s Agent Pleakley joins Dr. Jookiba in an undercover operation to get Experiment 626 back in alien hands. But the core of the story lies in the family Stitch finds. Two newcomers stand out: Maia Kealoha as the impish little girl Lilo Pelekai, an adorable troublemaker very much in Stitch’s mold; and Sydney Agudong as Lilo’s older sister, Nani. Together against the world since their parents died in an accident, Nani often grows weary of Lilo’s antics, and even more weary of cleaning after her. She dreams of going away to college, but doesn’t see any way to take Lilo with her.
Kaipo Dudoit chimes in as the handsome David Kawena, who nurses a crush on Nani, but can’t find the right moment to confess his feelings—even though he works alongside her at a lūʻau, performing the fire knife dance; and sometimes surfs alongside her, too. Amy Hill as Tūtū, neighbor to the Pelekai sisters and grandmother to David, drops in often, dropping wisdom and sense into the turbulent household, and reminding us how important older people are to family in terms of structure, continuity, and learning.
Last but not least, Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original film, returns as Mrs. Kekoa, a social worker. It’s her job to assess the Pelekai family home and determine if Nani’s doing a decent job as a mom, to Lilo. She wants the household to work out, but with first Lilo, then Lilo and Stitch, ripping up everything in sight—to the point where the family home, itself, stands in jeopardy—she’s torn between separating the sisters, or letting Nani struggle on where she’s clearly overextended, exhausted, and desperate.
And beneath all the comic mayhem, however hilarious, lies the crucial message of the story. Stitch, on the run from aliens who want to destroy him, struggles to master a kinder, gentler approach to life. Lilo struggles right alongside him, taking inspiration from Stitch’s underlying compassion. Project 626 was created to attack and devastate, but with Lilo’s love, Lilo’s belief in him, and more than a little help from the others, he learns self-control, discipline, and the importance of listening and respecting others.
It’s an imperfect and strained concept of family, but it succeeds by the last reel. If everyone pays attention, listens, and reacts to everyone else—if everyone learns to put family first and their own selves second—then everybody wins. Everyone prospers, and improves. Love wins, if you know how to let it. I watched the parents (and other responsible adults) corralling the kids out as the credits rolled, and remembered that.
“Lilo & Stitch” opens May 23 at theaters in and around Seattle. Check local listings for venues, prices, and showtimes.