Day 42: Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Starring: Christopher Michael Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carerre, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Kevin Michael Richardson, Zoe Caldwell. Jason Scott Lee, Liliana Mumy, Kunewa Mook, Amy Hill, Susan Hegerty, Frank Welker

Songs: "He Mele No Lilo," "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" 

Lilo & Stitch is the forty-second Disney animated feature.  Set in Hawaii, it tells the story of an offbeat little girl who lives with her older sister and ends up getting what she thinks a dog but is actually a destructive alien.  

This movie was sparked by a desire to do an animated feature that wouldn't require a huge budget, like the studio had done with 1941's Dumbo, after the large budgets on Pinocchio and Fantasia. The movie's director Chris Sanders created the character in 1985 with the intention of publishing a children's book about him, but the book never came to be.  This seemed like a good use for the character, and when the studio made the realization that they'd never done a film set in Hawaii, the story turned in that direction.  Part of this film's unique look comes from the fact that they took inspiration from Hawaiian art and architecture, and unlike previous Disney films, the backgrounds were all done in watercolors.  

This movie is a lot of fun.  It's so pretty, it's got awesome music, and the animation is really skillfully done.  The character designs are even fantastic.  Nani is nothing like any of the other Disney women in the way she looks and the way she's built, and that's awesome.  I like this movie a lot and I always have.  This was the first Disney movie of my teenage years, but I did go see it in theaters.  I believe this was the last one I owned on VHS though before everything became more about DVDs.

What I Liked: The relationship between Lilo and Nani.  They're believable both as sisters and as a tight, loving little family.  It's really touching.  And despite the fact that diehard fans of a certain later Disney movie about sisters will claim otherwise, this is the first Disney movie that focuses on the love between siblings -- two sisters who have a great bond.

What I Disliked: When the lady at the animal shelter told Lilo that "Stitch" wasn't a real name.  Like, c'mon lady, let the girl name her weird alien dog what she wants to name him.

Should You Watch This Movie: Yes, I would recommend it.