I LIKE FLUFFY!!!

Lilo and Stitch was a film that looked cute, but held no real appeal for me, until I watched it! What a wonderful, wonderful movie! Adam and I both really enjoyed watching this film. It was a lighthearted treat, and I would absolutely recommend it- here’s why:

Plot

Experiment 626 (later known as Stitch) is created on another planet by a “mad scientist” alien. He is tiny, fluffy, has six legs, wide eyes, antennae, and claws. He is smart, indestructible, incredibly strong, and was bred for pure mayhem and destruction. Though meant to banished to exile for showing no sign of goodness, he accidentally ends up on Earth- in Hawaii, to be exact. After some mayhem upon his landing he ends up in a local dog pound- all of the dogs are terrified of him, I should add. The mad scientist is taken from prison and sent off with a more rational one-eyed alien to capture Stitch on Earth. Our one eyed friend is very interested in Earth, as there is a mosquito colony here- and mosquitoes are an endangered intergalactic species.

Okay, now flash over to Lilo. She is a charming, adorable little girl who lives with her older sister, Nani. The two are clearly having a hard time with each other from time to time- having a difficult time making the adjustment from sister/sister to mother/daughter. You later learn how Lilo and Nani lost their parents, and I have to say, that scene made me cry like a baby. Anyhow, Nani decides to adopt a pet for Lilo- to keep her company so that she’ll have a friend. Who does Lilo pick? Stitch, of course.

The story unfolds, and you see Lilo and Nani become stronger people, Lilo gains confidence, and Stich has the biggest transformation of all. You see, there are no cities to destroy on the small island he has landed on, and so Stitch must find another purpose. In the end, he learns to love, and he learns the importance of family.

What I Loved About This Film

The look of the characters has to be mentioned upfront. Kudos to Disney for finally drawing a woman who looks like a woman. Let’s face it- most of the women Disney has drawn over the years would not physically be able to remain upright if they suddenly became real. The twiggy legs, minute waist, and improbably large breasts would have them taking a faceplant the moment they were realized. This is not the case here, and the best example is Lani. She is a very attractive woman- with a tummy, and some thighs and a butt! Woo hoo! Lilo is also non-typical and absolutely adorable- she looks like a well -fed child who’s got a bit of baby fat in all the right places. Adorable!

The realization of Stitch is very impressive. When the film begins, you really don’t like him- he’s nasty and wacky but in no way is he lovable- or cute. As the film progresses, Stitch as a character just keeps getting better and better. At the end you absolutely LOVE him!

The concept of family in this film was strong and non-traditional. These girls lost their parents, and were struggling to make their life together work. There is no question that they love each other very much. They fight like sisters fight- like my sister and I used to fight—but they always make-up. They are dealing with visits from social services, and the problems that that brings, and they are barely managing. Stitch complicates things in many ways for them. The most important message in this film is that family is the most important thing, no matter what. And family means “no one is left behind, or forgotten.”
Stitch is welcomed into their family, even though he is, well, insane. They stick together through the good times and the bad, and they do the best they can, which is what families are all about, right?

Character Development throughout is strong. You like and dislike characters for a reason. Many of the characters are hilarious- this is a very, very funny film!


The Things I Didn’t Like As Much…

The only real “con” I can think of for this film is that it is, at one specific point, heartbreakingly sad. Granted, I cry easily, and I don’t know if I’ve ever not cried at a Disney film, but this scene is particularly gut wrenching.

Other than that, there really aren’t any cons to speak of. I think that both children and adults will love this film. We certainly did !