Stitch the Movie
Year: 2003
Director: Tony Craig & Bobs Gannaway
Starring: Daveigh Chase & Chris Sanders
Runtime: 64 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 09/05/22
Director: Tony Craig & Bobs Gannaway
Starring: Daveigh Chase & Chris Sanders
Runtime: 64 mins
BBFC: U
Published: 09/05/22
Lilo & Stitch is one of, if not my all-time favourite Disney film. The tale of a troubled young Hawaiian girl adopting an alien and teaching him how to fit in with humans is endlessly endearing and brings me indescribable joy. In fact, Lilo & Stitch is one of the few Disney IP’s where I have consumed almost everything (aside from the Japanese & Chinese exclusive anime & animated series). So, I remember being eight years old and getting Stitch the Movie on DVD for my birthday and being ecstatic about the idea of a new Lilo & Stitch film. Back then it was more than enough for me, I loved it. But can I say the same almost twenty years later?
Sometime after the events of the original film, Stitch (Chris Sanders) is still trying to fit in and control his bad actions with the assistance of Lilo (Daveigh Chase). But when Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) is hired by the nefarious Dr. Hamsterviel (Jeff Bennett) to capture Jumba (David Ogden Stiers), new secrets are revealed. Jumba has been keeping the other six-hundred and twenty-five experiments locked away, and Hamsterviel wants to unleash them to help him in galactic domination. With an experiment on the loose, Lilo & Stitch must track it down before it causes havoc on the island, and also stop Hamsterviel’s devious plan.
Sometime after the events of the original film, Stitch (Chris Sanders) is still trying to fit in and control his bad actions with the assistance of Lilo (Daveigh Chase). But when Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) is hired by the nefarious Dr. Hamsterviel (Jeff Bennett) to capture Jumba (David Ogden Stiers), new secrets are revealed. Jumba has been keeping the other six-hundred and twenty-five experiments locked away, and Hamsterviel wants to unleash them to help him in galactic domination. With an experiment on the loose, Lilo & Stitch must track it down before it causes havoc on the island, and also stop Hamsterviel’s devious plan.
Stitch the Movie is reasonably good. For a direct to DVD film it’s perfectly satisfactory, but it doesn’t reach the same heights of Walt Disney Television Animation’s best films like Return to Neverland, The Tigger Movie, and The Lion King II. But what Stitch the Movie does do quite well is act as the pilot for the Lilo & Stitch TV Series. Unlike other Disney TV Animation films that were either comprised of episodes from series or acted as specials for the show, Stitch the Movie can stand apart from the show as well as has better production values than it. For some the lack of a concrete ending may irk them as it of course sets up the events of the show, but this is a small problem in an otherwise generally good film.
It doesn’t have the same high-quality humour as the original Lilo & Stitch film, but it’s still funny. Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) in particular is his usual comedy gold, but the rest of the humour in the film is aimed more at younger viewers than whole families. As a pilot to the show it does feel like it overstays its welcome slightly (despite having a brief runtime of just sixty-four minutes), though I feel this falls down to the pacing being slightly off as the ending to the film feels as though it comes ten-fifteen minutes before it actually does.
The film also looks perfectly fine for a straight to DVD release. It’s not as highly polished as the original film and there are definitely some shots where you can see the budgetary restraints, but its far from the worst that the studio has shuffled out thanks to it retaining a similar art style to the original film.
On the whole Stitch the Movie is fine. It’s not bad, it’s not great, but it’s acceptable for what it is. It kicks off the series with gusto and remains true to the messages of the original film. It is weakest of all the Lilo & Stitch films but that shouldn’t put you off watching it, though I’d only really recommend watching it if you’re intending to check out the series too.
It doesn’t have the same high-quality humour as the original Lilo & Stitch film, but it’s still funny. Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) in particular is his usual comedy gold, but the rest of the humour in the film is aimed more at younger viewers than whole families. As a pilot to the show it does feel like it overstays its welcome slightly (despite having a brief runtime of just sixty-four minutes), though I feel this falls down to the pacing being slightly off as the ending to the film feels as though it comes ten-fifteen minutes before it actually does.
The film also looks perfectly fine for a straight to DVD release. It’s not as highly polished as the original film and there are definitely some shots where you can see the budgetary restraints, but its far from the worst that the studio has shuffled out thanks to it retaining a similar art style to the original film.
On the whole Stitch the Movie is fine. It’s not bad, it’s not great, but it’s acceptable for what it is. It kicks off the series with gusto and remains true to the messages of the original film. It is weakest of all the Lilo & Stitch films but that shouldn’t put you off watching it, though I’d only really recommend watching it if you’re intending to check out the series too.