'Lilo and Stitch' Reveiw

[Another Voice]

The “Ain’t It Cool News” website – movie geek central on the Internet – has posted its first full review of ‘Lilo and Stitch’. The full article can be found at http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=12264 . But since it’s AICN the language is R-rated and there are lots of unnecessary bits and lots of plot spoilers.

Here are the salient quotes from the review:

“I love, love, love Lilo & Stitch. ...

Lilo & Stitch is destined to be a masterpiece on the same level as other newer Disney flicks like Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Aladdin... It has that Disney magic to it. You know the stuff... The way it can be sweet, but not so sweet that it makes you want to puke. The characters are funny, but not stupid and lowest common denominator. The animation is top notch, the voice actors are perfect and the characters are interesting.

Stitch rules the earth. I want one! He's very much the character in the first two trailers (Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin trailers) that is just fun as all hell to watch. He's mean, he's calculating, he hungry and he has a wicked sense of humor. I love him. Easily the best character to come out of Disney in God knows how long. Now that doesn't mean he's not going to appeal to the precious, sensitive little kiddies. They're going to eat him up. He's fun to watch and in the end just wants a family of his own.

…I found the stuff involving the little Hawaiian girl, Lilo, and her sister to be terrifically animated and fleshed out. The cultural angle of the movie is well handled as is the character interaction. Lilo and her sister are in a bad situation. Both parents were killed and Lilo's sister was forced with the burden of taking care of her sister when she wasn't prepared for that responsibility.

They are real sisters. They fight, they pull hair, they make-fun, they yell. But they also love each other deeply. The central drama around Lilo and her sister is the ever present threat of having Lilo taken away and put in foster care. Things never seem to go well when the amazingly cool Cobra Bubbles (how cool is that name?!?!?), a huge, bald black dude is around, investigating Lilo's home situation. Cobra Bubbles is voiced perfectly by Ving Rhames. He's also fleshed out and not just the bad guy, which is what he easily could have been. He knows both Lilo and her sister love each other, but he has to do what he feels is best for Lilo, even if it means breaking her heart.

… This movie is fun, it's emotional, it's creative, it's beautifully animated. It has everything I want in a Disney movie. If you can't get into the movie, if you feel nothing at all while watching this movie, I feel sorry for you, ya' cold-hearted [beep]. I'm not saying everyone's going to love this movie, but you'll be hard pressed not to enjoy the film.”


The reviewer’s only complaints about the film are the “too Star Wars” opening scene and the A-Teens & Wynona cover of Elvis over the end titles (your Disney management at work).

This review and several others that I have seen have also picked up on what’s bound to be the line every repeats while leaving the theater. Can anyone resist a movie that contains “It’s alright. My doggie found the chainsaw.” ?

 

[Peter Pirate]

Thanks Voice...What I like is

...but not stupid and lowest common denominator.

My kids are anxious to see it & Ithink it looks fun too...

Voice, if this move is huge (oe even big) is it possible that mangement will actually realize how come it was big (i.e. being made under the radar, so to speak)? Is it a little possible?

 

[Another Voice]

Mr. Pirate, that’s been the hope all along!

The ball really started rolling when ‘Ice Age’ did so tremendously well, ‘Peter Pan 2’ came in as somewhat of a disappointment, and 'Lilo' started to generate great buzz. All of Disney’s strategies got blown up and now they’re scrambling again for yet another plan. According to the rumors (this week) – Feature Animation Burbank will be converted to an all CGI production house. Those few that are going to remain will be “retrained” on comuters. TV Animation (which includes all the direct-to-video and the first-to-theaters sequels and knock-offs) will also continue. “Traditional” animation will be moved to Feature Animation Florida.

This last bit depends on how well ‘Lilo’ and ‘Spirit’ do. The mammoth convinced Disney that there is a market for CGI animation (why they didn’t learn that from ‘Monsters’ is another mystery) and so Disney is scrambling to establish itself in that field. An now they don’t wan to be caught with nothing but ‘Dumbo 4 – Peanuts Over Miami’ if suddenly they “discover” a market for traditional animation.

Then again, a lot of people hoped that ‘Princess’ and ‘Rookie’ would convince them that a market exists for small scale family films, but that doesn’t seem to have worked all that well.

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

So when can we expect Lilo & Stitch II to hit our video stores?

 

[jrgutknecht]

I knew from the moment I saw the first images of Lilo and Stich that it was going to be a hit. The more I see, the more convinced I am.

Who wants to bet that merchandising will drop the ball however (like they did for Groove) and have NOTHING in the way of merchandising for this movie? Every kid in America is going to want a fuzzy little alien of their own. Unlike Atlantis which FLOODED the stores, I get the feeling that Disney is too nervous to make the toys for this movie and as a consequence there won't be any (or a very limited variety.)

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

I've seen plenty of plush Stitches out there.

 

[eeyorefanatic]

My local DS got the most adorable plush Stiches over a month ago. They also had the little dolls that Lilo carries(just like Boo)

I don't know why they didn't see the need for CGI with Toy Story beeing such a success never mind Monsters Inc and Shrek.

I also am glad that they finally have a charachter thats not so sacharine that it makes you sick. I can't wait for opening day!

 

[CM Tinkerbell]

We're getting in more and more Lilo and Stitch items all the time. We just got in a whole bunch of new toys for the kids, we have the plush, we have books, picture frames, snowglobes, clothing, you name it, it's coming in. And people are buying it! (myself included)

 

[jrgutknecht]

Well, I'm glad I may be wrong. I'll have to go back to the Disney Store tomorrow. I used to go there once a week, then it was once a month... now I can't remember the last time I was there. Maybe things are changing.

All I know is I can't WAIT to see this movie. It looks great.

 

[hopemax]

I absolutely *love* the picture frame. Hula Lilo; it's so cute! I was just happy that this time Disney made a few items that adults could purchase too at a reasonable price. The Snowglobe is nice but not everyone wants to spend $60 to have a movie souvenir. I read somewhere there is a mini snowglobe, but my Mom's store didn't have it. I'm also thinking about getting the PVC figures pack (I miss those at the Disney Store).

 

[TinkerPixie]

I'll be buying lots of Stitch stuff.... He's too cute!