A Hawaiian girl adopts an unusual pet who is
actually an extraterrestrial fugitive on the run. FAMILY/SCI-FI
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Lilo & Stitch (2002)Written and Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
Starring Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Zoe Caldwell, Jason Scott Lee, Kevin Michael Richardson Oscar Nominations - Best Animated Film |
Lilo & Stitch has been a favorite within my family for its entire 18 year existence. We saw it in theaters back in 2002 and ever since then, my brothers and I have quoted it. It’s a film that my girlfriend and I were super excited to show our daughter and we are equally excited to continue watching it with her. It’s really special to have a journey like that with a film like Lilo & Stitch, which is so damn funny and poignant enough to keep me really engaged as an adult.
A dangerous extraterrestrial scientist named Dr. Jumba gets arrested by the Galactic Federation for creating an illegal experiment, which is a little blue alien named Experiment 626. After escaping his captors, 626 flees to Earth and finds himself in an animal shelter in the middle of Hawaii. Meanwhile, a young woman named Nani is visited by a social worker who questions whether or not she is capable of taking care of her younger sister, Lilo. Nani decides to let Lilo adopt a dog in hopes of harnessing her a bit. Of course, she sees 626 and immediately wants him. Nani agrees reluctantly and Lilo names him Stitch. They don’t know that he’s actually a fugitive alien with chaotic tendencies and that Dr. Jumba and Earth expert, Agent Pleakley are in Hawaii, hunting his ass down. Lilo is such a wonderful character. She’s pensive and reflective, but confused about her place in the world. She’s obsessed with Elvis and the stranger things in life. I didn’t know until just now that Daveigh Chase, who voices Lilo, is also Donnie Darko’s younger sister, Samantha Darko. Holy shit! That sort of blows my mind. Chris Sanders was busy as hell working on this film with writing, directing, and voicing Stitch. Pretty impressive. My favorite voice work in Lilo & Stitch has to be Ving Rhames as the social worker, Cobra Bubbles. I love when he’s standing on the sand with the full suit on, not even breaking a sweat. Feels like a sort of alternate cartoon version of Marcellus Wallace. David Ogden Stiers and Kevin McDonald are pretty fucking spectacular as Jumba and Pleakley, but man oh man those small moments of Rhames are unforgettable. Disney has been dominating the animation game for ages and Lilo & Stitch is most certainly one of my favorites from the past couple of decades. |