Review By Paul Mount, 4 out of 5
In a distant galaxy far, far away, an insane scientist is brought to book by the Galactic Federation for his terrible crimes. He has created an artifical lifeform which lives only to destroy, an utterly unreasonable entity with thrives on carnage and devastation. The scientist is imprisoned and his monstrous creation sentenced to eternal incarceration in a secure space prison. But the monster escapes after a ferocious space battle and finds its way to Earthzp>
Not, as you might expect, the high-concept scenario for the latest Arnie blockbuster or even (more likely) the back-cover blurb from some new cheap straight-to-video sci-fi actioner. This is LILO AND STITCH, Disney’s latest fun family confection and, after a slightly dodgy period with their recent traditional animated efforts, a worthy return to form.
LILO AND STITCH is a charming little romp, full of colour and inventiveness, a good old-fashioned action-comedy espousing half-forgotten family values. Stitch arrives on Hawaii and finds his way into the home of little Lilo (Chase) whose sister Nomi (Carrere) is trying to keep house and home together in the face of Social Services intervention. The arrival of the wayward Stitch and his destructive nature doesn’t help until Stitch starts to learn the error of his ways when he learns about humanity and family. But alien bounty hunters aren’t far behind and it seems that Lilo and Stitch may not be together for longzp>
Sounds sickly and sentimental? Well, it’s Disney so it’s bound to be but it’s done with flair and enthusiasm. The animation is frankly astonishingly detailed, the script is witty and knowing and the Elvis motif running through the film adds a spritely musical backdrop. Warmly recommended.
THE DISC: Lots of kid’s stuff really. There’s a rather dull game, a tour of the Hawaiin islands, a bit of behind-the-scenes stuff and a Gareth Gates music video. Wow, thanks for thatzp>
