Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Directed by

Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

Genre

comedy film, science fiction film, buddy film, comedy drama

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 25m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.6 of 10 from 7,140 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An orphaned Hawaiian girl adopts a genetically engineered alien as her pet dog. The alien, designed to cause chaos, learns about family and friendship from the girl and her sister.

heartfeltplayfultouchingquirkywarmgentle comicemotionalwhimsical

What happens

Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, based on an original story created by Sanders. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and stars Daveigh Chase and Sanders as the voices of the title characters, alongside Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, and Kevin Michael Richardson in supporting roles. It was the second of three Disney animated feature films produced primarily at the Florida animation studio in Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida. The film follows two individuals: an orphaned Hawaiian girl, Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her older sister, Nani, after the death of their parents, and Experiment 626, a genetically engineered extraterrestrial whom Lilo adopts as her "dog" and renames "Stitch". Designed to cause chaos and destruction, Stitch initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by an intergalactic federation. Over time, they develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ʻohana, or extended family, leading Stitch to reconsider his destructive purpose. The film is based on an idea by Sanders, who originally conceived Stitch in 1981, and the film's design and aesthetics are based on his personal art style. Stitch was initially at the center of a children's book Sanders had conceptualized, but later abandoned. A feature-length film starring the character entered development in 1997 when Thomas Schumacher, then the president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, approached Sanders with the objective of producing "the Dumbo for our generation." The use of watercolor backgrounds hearkened back to early Disney productions such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The film and its accompanying soundtrack made extensive use of the music of Elvis Presley, while Alan Silvestri composed the film's score. Lilo & Stitch premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 16, 2002, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 21. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, characters, humor, charm, and originality. Produced on an $80 million budget and promoted with a marketing campaign that played up its oddities, it was a box-office success, grossing over $273 million worldwide. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, but lost to Spirited Away. The film's success made it a highlight of Disney's post-animation renaissance era in the 2000s, spawning a franchise that includes three direct-to-video film sequels, three television series, and a live-action adaptation that was released in 2025. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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