It's
nice to see Disney back on track following the disappointing Atlantis. With the
new Lilo and Stitch, the studio has fashioned an animated feature slightly edgier
than their past efforts (with the possible exception of Hunchback of Notre Dame).
Lilo
is a young Hawaiian girl who can't seem to connect with her peers, and Stitch
is a convicted creature from outer space who is looking for a place to hide. As
expected, the twosome become unlikely friends.
I
call Lilo and Stitch edgier (notice the PG rating) because of story content. Stitch
is a destructive little beast and the audience is treated to his wrath first hand,
while Lilo is an unconventional lead character. Sure, she's cute but exhibits
a dark side not usually associated with Disney cartoons. She gets into fights
with other kids at school and even has screaming matches with her sister (who
also happens to be her legal guardian). Of course, there's a sense of realism
here that took me off guard.
This
isn't to say that Lilo and Stitch is mean spirited and without a sense of joy.
Rest assured that Stitch does go through a transformation as does Lilo, and while
that's to be expected, I enjoyed this film's liveliness.
The
story fuses elements of the familiar (Gremlins, E.T., Men in Black) but I admired
it's more adult tone. Lilo and Stitch is beautifully animated and brimming with
an energy that seemed to be lacking in last month's Spirit. We are also treated
to animated vistas not before attempted. For whatever reason, Hawaii has never
taken center stage in an animated feature before and it's a welcome change of
pace.
Like Disney's
The Emperor's New Groove, Lilo and Stitch trades in an epic tone for a sort of
Looney Tunes sensibility. While Disney can't resist beating a message into the
ground (the whole "never leave family behind" could have been a little
more subtle), I found Lilo and Stitch surprisingly refreshing. In fact, I really
wasn't expecting much from this picture and what I got was clearly the best family
film the summer.
