Movie · 2025 · Family, Science Fiction, Comedy · 1h 48m · PG · English
Curator score: 1.9/10 (658.2K ratings)
Hold on to your coconuts.
Overview
The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.9/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.01/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Metacritic: 53
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Dean Fleischer Camp
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, Rideback
Cast
Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Chris Sanders, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill, Tia Carrere, Kaipo Dudoit, Hannah Waddingham, Jason Scott Lee, Celia Kenney, Brutus LaBenz, Skyler Bible, Judy Nguyen, Christian Yeung, Courtney Coleman, Christina Souza, Emery Ho‘okano-Briel, Justin Martin
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, family-friendly remake with real charm in its central premise and some affectionate performances, but the consensus points to a thinner, more corporate-feeling version of the original that softens the weirdness and emotional bite. It should work for younger viewers and newcomers, but longtime fans may find it frustratingly sanitized.
Best for
families with younger kids
viewers new to the original story
fans of cute creature comedy
audiences looking for light emotional fare
Skip if
you want the original’s offbeat energy
you’re attached to the classic supporting characters and their quirks
you dislike Disney live-action remakes
you prefer sharper, more emotionally layered family films
Overview
This remake keeps the core appeal of the story intact: a lonely child, a chaotic alien, and the idea that family can be built from damage rather than perfection. That emotional engine still has a lot of warmth, and the Hawaiian setting gives the film a natural sense of place that helps it feel less generic than many studio family movies.
Worth noting
But the movie seems to trade too much of the original’s oddball personality for safer, more streamlined plotting. The most common complaints center on a flattened first act, altered character dynamics, and a sense that the film is chasing brand familiarity more than surprise. The result is pleasant in spots, but often feels like it is moving through the motions.
Bottom line
If you’re watching with kids, or you simply want a gentle, colorful adventure with a lovable alien at its center, it can still do the job. If you’re hoping for the messy, mischievous, emotionally specific spark that made the original memorable, this version may leave you cold.
Top Letterboxd reviews
davidehrlich (1.5★) · 10246 likes
bleak as hell. my 5-year-old asked me "how many minutes are left?" before lilo and stitch even met for the first time.
his trailer reviews:
- The Bad Guys 2: “no”- The Smurfs: “never”- Superman: “is he a bad guy?”- Elio: “I saw this on YouTube” (?)- Zootopia 2: “What DAY in November?! We should go to the movie theater every day just to check.”
BadgercIops (0.5★) · 9956 likes
✨ Captain Gantu (the literal important villain from the original) was NOT in this movie
✨ Jumba and Pleakley were NOT cross-dressing like in the original. They even bastardized Jumba by REMOVING his signature Russian accent and making him an actual villain!
✨ Nani is a neglectful sister who lost Lilo to child protective services just so she can go to college
✨ Not a single adoption paper for Stitch
✨ No awesome spaceship fighting scene
✨ Corporate-mandated goat scream… more ✨ Captain Gantu (the literal important villain from the original) was NOT in this movie
✨ Jumba and Pleakley were NOT cross-dressing like in the original. They even bastardized Jumba by REMOVING his signature Russian accent and making him an actual villain!
✨ Nani is a neglectful sister who lost Lilo to child protective services just so she can go to college
✨ Not a single adoption paper for Stitch
✨ No awesome spaceship fighting scene
✨ Corporate-mandated goat scream… more
1977 · Fantasy, Family, Animation · 1h 18m · G · Curator 5.0/10 (186.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A classic rescue adventure with charm, peril, and a strong emotional undercurrent.
Topics
family adventure, science fiction comedy, live-action remake, found family, grief, Hawaii, kids and parents, lighthearted, sentimental, studio blockbuster