Lilo and Stitch (2002) is a childhood classic. I saw this back in 2002 and have seen it multiple times since.
People around my age in their 20s know and love this movie, but it does not get the same fanfare across generations. This is widely considered Disney's low point in animated films even though it produced this and the likes of The Emperor's New Groove (2000). Then, you see they made The Wild (2006), and you kind of understand. I think the 1990s Disney films were so amazing that they set a difficult standard to follow. That decade produced The Lion King, Tarzan, Pocahantas, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and more.
Stitch the character has become an absolute icon. I still walk into Walmart and see Stitch pajamas. I've been to the now-defunct Stitch's Great Escape at Disney World. The lovable yet destructive alien has movie fans by his four arms.
The story has a timeless message. Everyone wants to belong. Some of us are lucky enough to be born into a loving family, and others are not so lucky. The "Ugly Duckling" story moves even Stitch who was made to be evil. While the duckling was just physically lost, Stich is emotionally lost. He does not have anywhere to go or anyone.
He finds it in the unlikeliest of places in a little girl named Lelo. A moving quote is when she asks her sister if they are a broken family. The parents had since passed. That's a sad reality of some people's lives. Somehow the two broken people, Lelo and Stitch, find each other.
On the lighter side of things, this movie can be hilarious. Stitch himself is the focal point of a lot of it, but there is a lot more. The alien named Pleakly believes the mosquito to be an endangered animal on Earth. The ice cream dude can never have his cone in peace. A fish is fed a tuna fish sandwich. That's a bit morbid but still hilarious.
The setting of Hawaii is an interesting setup. They believe he is going to hit the open ocean and unlikely lands on the state island. They take advantage of the setting with the beachside atmosphere and music to make it a memorable film.
If you want to laugh and be in your feels, watch Lelo and Stitch! My film rating is an A.
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