Lilo
& Stitch
Dan
I didn't know a thing about Lilo & Stitch before Michelle dragged
me into theater. So much for preconceptions.
I was sure the movie was about a cute little girl with a cute little fur-ball
pet. Instead, I saw a film about a cloning experiment gone wrong, a fugitive
chase, intergalactic animal rights and a broken family. There really was quite
a bit going on underneath its sugar-sweet coating.
Stitch is an escaped alien genetic experiment gone wrong. He's been programmed
to destroy everything he sees. Lilo is a troubled little girl who has built
up a fantasy universe to bring order to her life after losing her parents. Nani
(the voice of Tia Carrere) has taken on the ambiguous dual role of Lilo's older
sister and single parent. Her troubles prevent her from having a normal life
and normal relationships. Stitch, the puppy from hell, compounds the problem.
Lilo is a surprisingly sophisticated character who idolizes Elvis, loves Stitch
unconditionally yet can't seem to mind her sister. Stitch is somewhat more predictable
but as a super-smart evil soldier born in a test tube, he becomes infatuated
with the story of the ugly duckling. Together Lilo and Stitch learn what it
means to be a family with Nani.
Lilo & Stitch is a deep film told on a six year old level. Combine
the clever story with a lush Hawaiian setting, an Elvis soundtrack and appealing
animation and you've got a winner.
Michelle
Great family fun!!
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Copyright 2002, 2003, 2004 Dan Dodson
