Lilo & Stitch (2002)
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An orphaned Hawaiian girl adopts a genetically engineered extraterrestrial as her pet, leading to an unexpected bond of family.
The story
The film follows two individuals: an orphaned Hawaiian girl, Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her older sister, Nani, after the death of their parents, and Experiment 626, a genetically engineered extraterrestrial whom Lilo adopts as her "dog" and renames "Stitch". Designed to cause chaos and destruction, Stitch initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by an intergalactic federation. Over time, they develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ʻohana, or extended family, leading Stitch to reconsider his destructive purpose. The story unfolds on the island of Kauaʻi, where Nani struggles to care for Lilo while a social worker, Cobra Bubbles, monitors their situation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On the planet Turo, the United Galactic Federation convicts Dr. Jumba Jookiba for creating Experiment 626, an aggressive, indestructible creature. After 626 escapes and crash-lands on Kauaʻi, Hawaii, it is taken to an animal shelter where Lilo adopts it as her dog, Stitch. While Jumba and Pleakley attempt to capture the alien, Stitch's destructive behavior causes Nani to lose her job. Following a series of mishaps, including a house-destroying explosion, Stitch and Lilo are separated. During a confrontation with the Galactic Federation, Stitch learns the meaning of 'ohana' from Lilo. He eventually convinces Jumba and Pleakley to help rescue Lilo from Captain Gantu's ship. The Grand Councilwoman eventually allows Stitch to remain on Earth as part of the Pelekai family. The film concludes with the group rebuilding the house and becoming a family together.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 85
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Sanders; Dean DeBlois
- Writers
- Chris Sanders · writer; Dean DeBlois · writer
- Cast and characters
- Daveigh Chase · Lilo Pelekai; Chris Sanders · Stitch; Tia Carrere · Nani Pelekai; Jason Scott Lee · David Kawena; David Ogden Stiers · Dr. Jumba Jookiba; Kevin McDonald · Agent Pleakley; Ving Rhames · Cobra Bubbles; Kevin Michael Richardson · Captain Gantu; Zoe Caldwell · the Grand Councilwoman
- Genres
- animated; science fiction; comedy-drama
- Themes
- family; friendship; identity
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; heartfelt
- Premise and plot tags
- alien; adoption; sisterhood
- Source material / true-story basis
- original story created by Sanders
- Franchise connections
- Lilo & Stitch
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, characters, humor, charm, and originality.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · scale: percentage · review count: 152; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature · Academy Awards · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's design and aesthetics are based on Chris Sanders's personal art style.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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