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I'd like to give Lilo & Stitch a label. I'm often hesitant to label films. There's always a certain amount of subjective nature to any piece of art. What you love, I may not and vice versa. Such is the conundrum of the reviewer. That said, I'd like to label Lilo & Stitch with with a word you might not expect, controversial. Now, this is a Disney movie, for sure. So, how can I use a word like controversial to describe this film? After all, it's no Passion of the Christ, or Fahrenheit 9-11 now is it? No, definitely not. The controversy comes not from the general movie going public, but resides in the Disney fan public. The latter half of the film's namesake is the controversy here. You are either in the Stitch camp or you are not. No other Disney character has such opposing factions.
Some people adore Stitch. Others despise him. I know people on both sides of the war. I, myself, tend to straddle the line. I think Stitch has been a bit overexposed, and I'm glad that his saturation level has been hit and that the "Stitchification" of Disney has started to wane. That has to happen if Lilo & Stitch is going to survive as a true Disney classic, and I do feel that this film has Disney classic written all over it. I think I just needed a little Stitch- free time in order to be able to come back and appreciate what a great little film this really is.
At its heart Lilo & Stitch is a "girl and her dog" film and the directors could have been satisfied to stay totally in that vain. Thankfully, there is a lot more to this movie. Co-directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois certainly filled the film with many unique characteristics. Lilo & Stitch takes place in our time, yet there's a futuristic science-fiction outer space subtext. It's filled with classic Elvis tunes, the first time I'm sure several of the young ones in the audience heard them. There's the lonely kid at the center of the film, Lilo. She is an interesting character, a product of, in her own words, "...a broken family." Lilo marches to her own drum for sure, but she is very likable and has a kind heart. There's the gorgeous backdrop of Hawaii in all its subtle, pastel splendor. Hawaii itself is a character in this film, the way Manhattan is a character in the films of Woody Allen. The decision to paint Hawaii in this subdued manner was truly inspired. The film looks like no other, a delicate blend of floral patterns and watercolors. I think it's beautiful. As a surfer, I find the scenes of Lilo, Nani, David and Stitch surfing to be wonderful and very representative of the sensation of riding a wave. There was a surfer involved with these scenes somewhere.
There's the Abbott and Costello relationship of Jumba and Pleakley, the aliens sent to retrieve Stitch from Earth. There's Cobra Bubbles, an ex-CIA social worker. Just say that sentence again. That's one original and out of place character. And, of course, there's the controversy, the other main character; everyone's favorite genetic experiment, Stitch. Stitch is a trouble-maker for sure, genetically engineered to be so. He's also a character looking for his place, and he finds it with the two orphans struggling to get by on their own. That's a pretty poignant plot. I think that plot point is often overlooked when it comes to the perception of this film and the marketing of Stitch may have contributed to that.
The brilliant ads placing Stitch into recent Disney classic scenes from, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King certainly are memorable, and certainly caught the public's attention. Perhaps, they also pigeonholed Stitch as a pain-in-the-neck, and left out the more poignant aspects of the film. Stitch arrives in each famous scene and wrecks everything. That's followed by the thumping metal chords of AC/DC's Back in Black and the title of the upcoming film. It certainly paints Stitch as a nuisance at best, and the antithesis to the beloved Disney classics at worst. The ads are included here in the Special Features. You can be the judge if they predetermined Stitch's image and whether that image has justifiably turned people off to Stitch or not.
All in all, after some time away from Stitch, revisiting this film was a real pleasure. It's an interesting mix of a film. The strong science fiction of the film's opening 10 minutes is contrasted to the serene Hawaiian backdrop. There's funny characters, chase scenes, and more tear jerking moments than you would imagine. Lilo & Stitch was a big hit for the company and has certainly found its odd place in the line-up of Disney animated classics.
There are many extras contained in the two discs. Some are new, some were included on the film's s original release. Some extras from the original release were not included here. There's certainly enough to keep everyone busy, especially the chock full documentary on Disc 2.
I like the fact that this piece is untitled. It's almost like they just wanted to get down to business and tell you what the making of this film was like, and boy do they. This feature clocks in at just over 2 hours and is packed with interviews and behind the scenes footage and it really delivers. This may be one of my favorite behind the scenes features. It's very informative and yet very informal. Many of the interviews are conducted in everyday environments like in Chris Sanders' car or in a park with Dean DeBlois and his dog. It's very conversational. There are some typical interview setups, but most are very atypical to what you're used to seeing in this type of feature. The passion and commitment of everyone involved with the film really shines through in these settings. It seems like people are being more real. I think it's a fascinating look at the making of a film that really wasn't so high on my list. I became more involved and intrigued by the film as I watched this documentary. To me, that's a successful behind the scenes feature.
Wow, that was a lot to cover. Unlike other special features I have come across, each one of these features was interesting and appealing to me. In my opinion, if you're a Lilo & Stitch fan (or if you're an animation fan at all) Disc 2 makes the set worth purchasing. It's a job well done for sure.
The film sounds great and looks great. This is not an old Disney classic that needed any restoration, so what you saw on the screen is what you saw on the initial release and is what you see with this version. The menus are easy to use and feature more of the muted watercolor backgrounds that give the film its unique look.
According to HiddenMickeys.org, there are many classic Mickey shapes throughout the film, too many to list. There are however some other cool Hidden Disney things in the movie. After Lilo adopts Stitch, she walks by a restaurant called Mulan's Wok. As she stands by a souvenir shop, there is a stand of postcards and you can briefly see one for Orlando featuring Cinderella's Castle. In Lilo's room there is a picture of Mickey on her wall and a Dumbo toy near her easel.
It should be mentioned that, oddly enough, Lilo & Stitch: 2 Disc Big Wave Edition is not being offered in the Blu-ray format.
So, how does my theory on Stitch being an agent of controversy play out after viewing and reviewing Lilo & Stitch: Big Wave Edition? Like I said earlier, some Stitch-free time has passed and I felt like I was ready to revisit with Experiment 626, admittedly, a character I was less than enamored with since his inception. The verdict is, I have a renewed appreciation for this film and for the character himself. The watercolor backgrounds and style of the film are beautiful to behold. I enjoyed watching Lilo & Stitch and really formed a deeper appreciation for the film after watching the extensive special features. If you haven't bought it before, this is certainly the one to buy. If you do own the original release, give it to the kids or sell it at a garage sale and make this the one copy that you own.
(Send an email to Chris Barry)
Chris Barry lives on Long Island in New York with his wife and three kids. He has had a lifelong love of cartoons, comics and animation. Those who know him well say he has truly, "earned his Disney PhD." Chris has been involved with Television Production for 20 years and began his career working with The Muppets at Jim Henson Productions in NYC. Currently teaching TV Production to high school students, Chris has been writing about many different facets of The Walt Disney Company for several years now.
