*** "LILO AND STITCH" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Lilo and Stitch". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of "Lilo and Stitch" should be posted to this thread.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I posted my review for Lilo & Stitch in the appropriate thread, but here's the general gist:
Me no likey.
...and I usually dig animated flicks!

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I don't like Disney movies. I find them unoriginal, uninspired, and the only good part about them is the quality of the visuals.

Overall it was OK. I lost interest halfway through and really didn't like the characters. The ending just seemed to much like they tried to pull off all the tricks they wanted to (like Ving Rhames' character being what he was and such) but it just fell flat and didn't work. The message of the movie was important, but I didn't care because I didn't like Lilo nor her sister. Stitch was cool, but the trailers portrayed him as more of a little troublemaker than a death-machine.

They also kept switching between Stitch being bad and being good. One second he's dancing with Lilo, the next he's eating all the food he can. I don't get how that at all is entertaining.

I must say that the little fight in the beginning between Lilo and that one girl was the funniest thing I've ever seen in a Disney movie.

 

[Daniel J]

Scott, Morgan; I guess it all comes down to the fact that you don't identify with these characters. Anyone who calls Lilo "a little whiny brat" obviously doesn't have younger siblings, or perhaps has repressed feelings of loathing toward them...
But I'm getting to personal. You may not have identified with these characters, but Lilo is the first female character I can remember ever identifying with in an animated movie. And that alone will be reason enough for me to pre-order the DVD. Stitch makes the movie, though. BrianB, If you get a good toy, please post where to find it! Stitch 0wnz j00r D3sK!

I'd have to say this is the only 'American' animated movie I've ever seen that comes even close to being as enjoyable as 'The Iron Giant' on a personal level. It's also very similar in terms of themes, characters, and situations. Not that 'Lilo and Stitch' is Disney's rip-off, just a subtle reflection, or a cousin.


Favorite scene:
It'd have to be when Lilo is explaining about the Doll- "She's only got three days to... "


Bonus favorite scene:
When they're riding around on the trike and Stitch realizes he's on "an island with no large cities."

BTW Scott, 'Lilo and Stitch' could take ape-boy any day.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Ba weep gra na weep nini bom!

Ahh, a Transformers fan. Rare to see that these days.

Oh well, from the negative and positive reviews this movie is getting, I want to see it now. Does any of the spoof stuff appear in the film?

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Well, I've helped my sister to raise her daughter for the last 13 years. Does that count?

And to imply that I have "repressed loathing for children" because I found Lilo irritating...sigh.

Again, this is the REVIEW thread. Personal attacks can easily be sent through Private Messages.

 

[Daniel J]

Dome,
Not much spoofage per se, Just lots of crazy destruction and typical Sci-Fi fare (galactic senates, mad scientists, genetic mutation, city-destroying monsters, gigantic space ships, CIA agents in black suits, etc.)

If you liked "The Iron Giant", you'll like 'Lilo & Stitch'.

Scott,
I had hoped you would understand that I was trying to make a joke. I have no idea what your relationships with small, imaginative children have been like, but your inability to fall for Lilo suggests to me that you've never (or have never been close to someone who has) made up crazy stories about a friend's boss, or fed peanut butter to fish, or taken pictures of... 'odd looking' people at the beach and tacked them to your wall.
Again, I didn't mean anything personal by my comments, which was why I dropped it; but I suppose I was asking a question, and should have expected an answer. I'm sorry if I offended you.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Stitch makes the movie, though

This was a big problem for me. He didn't come off as either the "lethal mutant" they set him up as in the beginning nor the "cute little alien" the commercials made him out to be. He was a sloppy mish-mosh of both.

Also, the black guy (I'm not saying what he really is, that would be a spoiler) had no reason to see Lilo's family in the beginning. When we find out the truth about him, it doesn't make sense why he was there in the beginning, before Stitch even arrived.

The San Francisco thing, the punch in the face, the "I know you can talk!" thing, and maybe another thing or two were funny, but overall I was just bored. Disney can do animation, audio, voice acting, but they have lost a lot of that little touch they call storyline (though its more about pacing in L&S).

Another thing I saw that I forgot to mention...people say that anime characters ALL have the same faces, which is generally true (though there are some sort of "rules" to how a face is designed, such as sex and age) but pretty much all of the Hawaiians in L&S had the EXACT same face. The only differences were the body and hair. While this would fit into a certain logic for this situation, I didn't find their facial designs to be that...attractive. Expressive, but not attractive.

 

[Daniel J]

Morgan,
'Lilo & Stitch' is not "the greatest animated film of all time"; but it's certainly not a :star: :star: .
I'll agree that the pacing and ending are a bit... undercooked, but that's not why this movie is watchable- Stitch is a bit wishy-washy in his approach to relationships, but he's one of the most endearing characters I've ever seen, which is enough to make me forget all about the incosistancies and cliches. And that's something very few movies can do. Perhaps I'll change my mind in a few weeks, or maybe I'll cherish this movie as my favorite of all the Disney movies I've ever seen, but right now I'm having a hard time remebering the last Disney character duo who I liked this much.
And as far as Lilo is concerned, I'll say it one morer time: I identified with Lilo as an energetic, creative, obnoxious child who I would love to have as a friend. She's everything about Anne of Green Gables I liked, without the traits I didn't. And if you see her differently, good for you. I hope you meet some kids that will change your mind

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I'll agree that the pacing and ending are a bit... undercooked, but that's not why this movie is watchable

Watchable, yes. Enjoyable, maybe. Can I go back to it several times and enjoy it each time, no. This is one of the reasons its a 2/5.

To each their own. I generally don't like Disney movies. I find them to be too...child-friendly. If Disney made a film without trying to make it child-friendly more than anything, then maybe I would enjoy it. Does this mean I won't enjoy a film simply because a child can also watch it? No, I would just prefer to watch a film and enjoy it without feeling like they expect me to become a few years younger. I already know the importance of family and stuff like that, I don't need it crammed down my throat. I'd rather see a funny, cute movie than a not-so-well written modern day fable.

And I also didn't like the surfing scene. I don't like musical interludes, especially this one because it cut the film in half. I didn't know what I was supposed to do during the scene. Do I watch in awe of the pretty colors or use this as a chance to see the characters get further developed? To me, I saw neither as a possibility, and thus, got bored.

 

[BrianB]

Lilo & Stitch Toys:
Link Removed
Hasbro seems to have the licence, though there's currently a Macdonalds happy meal campaign too.
I like this one the best - Link Removed - may have to go buy one this week

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Morgan, one could use your arguments against something you defend - Nintendo video games.
"To each their own. I generally don't like Nintendo games. I find them to be too...child-friendly. If Nintendo made a game without trying to make it child-friendly more than anything, then maybe I would enjoy it. "

 

[Chuck L]

Loved every aspect out of the film and feel that it is a vast improvement over the Disney product over the past decade.
Lilo and Stitch, for me, as easily moved Beauty and the Beast down a notch for me as my favorite Disney film. Lady and the Tramp will always be the first.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Morgan, one could use your arguments against something you defend - Nintendo video games

But Nintendo doesn't make games with the intent of making them child-friendly. Pokemon and some other games are blatantly aimed at little kids, but games like Mario and Super Smash Bros. and Zelda are made to be good, regardless of the outcome, which just so happens to be child-friendly. So there's no blood in Mario, that doesn't mean it was made for little kids.

Disney rereleases their movies periodically so that they can show them to the new generation of CHILDREN. Nintendo only rereleases them to make easy money through ports.

 

[Richard Kim]

Disney rereleases their movies periodically so that they can show them to the new generation of CHILDREN. Nintendo only rereleases them to make easy money through ports.

But Disney also markets their classic films towards the grownup audience who enjoyed them as kids.

Also, almost all American animated "family" films contain sly references that adults will get, but will go over kids'
heads, even sexual, like Buzz's wings popping out at the end of Toy Story 2.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Even with little sexual inuendoes, Disney films are still made specifically to be child-friendly.

I really would be interested in seeing an animated Disney film that was not changed because kids wouldn't get it or because the characters weren't cute enough. They made them add voices to Dinosaur, but imagine what it would have been like without them. Kids would have probably continually asked what was going on and who was doing what and such. I can easily see how not having the voices would have kept the film from being child-friendly.

 

[felix_suwarno]

"But Nintendo doesn't make games with the intent of making them child-friendly. "

why celda then? no matter what, the look of the game wont make it look like it is adult friendly.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Shigeru Miyamoto has gone on record as saying he tried to make the game "adult" and it just came out bad. He decided to try a more animated look, and it worked. He even said the animated look makes Link more expressive. He didn't do it to appeal to children.

Adult-friendly doesn't mean realistic and bloody. It just means its not watered down for children. Miyamoto likes cute things, that doesn't mean he's aiming at children.

 

[felix_suwarno]

does that mean he is aiming for adults, then? in my opinion, if you want to create something for a particular audience, you NEED to be clear about it.

now it is CLEAR that disney's lilo and stitch was made for kids. i dont think it is fair to say that the movie is not good because it was made for kids.

can i say i dont like george bush because he is white?

or does it make sense to say that i dont like porn movies because they are intended for adults?

edit: fixed some typos

 

[Derek Miner]

It's the discussion thread, so no spoilers...
Actually, I found Lilo & Stitch to be quite out of the ordinary as far as Disney's animated films go. I got the feeling that someone finally learned something from the characterizations in Pixar's films and tried to break out of the overly-sanitized formula that's present in even a great film like Beauty and the Beast. When Lilo punched and bit the other girl, I thought, "Wow, someone at Disney is letting them write a little girl like this?"
I particularly liked the relationship between Lilo and her sister. With some minor exceptions, these characters seemed very real, which is necessary for the more fantastical elements of the story to work.
I can understand the criticism that Lilo may be somewhat responsible for her loneliness and lack of friends, but darn it, she's a little girl! She's not old enough to fully understand herself in relationship to her peers. Add in the fact that she's lost her parents and I think this is quite a realistic representation of a clever but troubled kid.

if you want to create something for a particular audience, you NEED to be clear about it.

I respectfully disagree. I don't think a movie has to be created for a specific audience. In fact, I think this is the downfall of most "family" films - someone gets some awful idea of what is right for kids and completely forgets to make a good movie.
As I went into Lilo & Stitch, I was thinking, "Gee, why am I going to a movie for kids?" But by the end, I had completely dismissed that idea and decided that it was just a good movie.