I didn't like the live-action adaptation of "Lilo & Stitch". The film's pros and cons

Everything seems to be just like in the original. But on screen — it's just not the same anymore.

The live-action adaptation of the cult animated film "Lilo & Stitch" has earned over a billion dollars at the box office and become the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2025, reports Variety.

But after watching it, I realized: beneath the surface glitter and nostalgic sheen, there's almost nothing inside. This is one of those cases where a remake feels simultaneously too careful and too misguided.

What Actually Works

Stitch is still charming. His behavior, appearance, and signature chaos translate well to live-action.

Visually, the film looks decent enough — especially the Hawaiian landscape scenes. The actress playing Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a bright spot — she captures that same spirit and vulnerability that made us love the animated character.

A laughing girl, a young woman behind the wheel and a blue creature with big ears are sitting in the car's interior — Scene from "Lilo & Stitch"

The music works too — Elvis stays, Hawaiian melodies sound vibrant. Kids will probably have fun. A family movie night with popcorn — that's exactly what this film seems designed for.

Now for the Problems

There are many. And the biggest one? The overwhelming sense that this movie just didn't need to exist. Everything that made the original special is either sterile here or thoughtlessly changed.

Nani (Sydney Agudong) isn't the caring, exhausted but strong older sister we knew. She comes off as irritated and detached instead. Pleakley becomes completely unnecessary, and his design is baffling. Cobra Bubbles, instead of being a charismatic heavy, looks lost. And yes — Gantu is completely absent.

Gone is one of the key scenes with the ugly duckling story that Lilo reads to Stitch, which became the main theme of the entire story. That book was how Stitch begins to understand what family means.

But worst of all — the ending. The original's entire story hinged on "Ohana means family. And family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." In the remake, Nani... leaves Lilo to pursue her dreams. Sweet? Maybe. Logical? Debatable. Emotional? Not at all. It breaks the core message that everything was built around.

What's the Point?

A question Disney itself seems unable to answer. They're too precious about recreating some scenes while mindlessly cutting others.

A girl in a red dress and a blue creature with big ears are lying in a hammock — Scene from "Lilo & Stitch" animated film

They remove the moments that actually connected with audiences. Instead, we get a sterile copy with emotionally hollow filling.

"Lilo & Stitch" 2025 isn't a disaster. But it's not a victory either. It's a remake with too little magic and too much calculation. It works as entertainment for kids and a reason for adults to sigh "things used to be better."

If you want to see the real story about family, love, and an outsider finding his place — just rewatch the 2002 animated film. It's still more alive and warmer than any CGI. Earlier on zoomboola.com, we explained why "How to Train Your Dragon" is the worst remake of 2025. The film's pros and cons.