Maia Kealoha and Stitch (voice of Chris Sanders) in “Lilo & Stitch.”
Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is new in theaters and not all critics are lauding the live-action adaptation of the 2002 animated classic.
Rated PG, Lilo & Stitch plays in Thursday previews and opens in theaters worldwide on Friday. The official logline of the movie reads, “Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.”
Chris Sanders, who directed the animated version of Lilo & Stitch and voiced the blue furry alien in the movie, reprises the role of Stitch for the new version, while Maia Kealoha makes her feature film debut as Lilo.
Lilo & Stitch also stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis.
As of this publication, Lilo & Stitch has earned a 72% “fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 90 reviews.
The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Recapturing the adorable charm of the original if not quite matching its rambunctious sense of imagination, Lilo & Stitch emerges out of the crate as one of the better live-action remakes of a Disney classic.”
The RT Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings is still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Lilo & Stitch’?
Among the top critics on RT giving Lilo & Stitch a “fresh” review is Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, who writes, “For adults, a little of the visual chaos will go a long way, with [Stitch], cute as he is, not exactly E.T. in terms of appeal. Younger viewers should eat it all up, and those weaned on the original film will appreciate the numerous shout-outs.”
Brandon Yu of The New York Times also gives Lilo & Stitch a “fresh” review with some reservations, writing on RT, “There’s just enough to make for a moderately fun, mostly serviceable and often adorable revamp that will probably satisfy fans of the original.”
Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly screened the 3-D version of Lilo & Stitch, writing in her “fresh” review on RT, “Now 3-D rather than mere pen and ink, [Stitch] looks instantly huggable, so much so that I can’t even begrudge Disney the thousands of stuffed Stitch toys this is bound to sell.”
Among the detractors of Lilo & Stitch on RT is TIME Magazine’s Barry Levitt, who writes in his “rotten” review, “The Disney Live-Action Industrial Complex has made a lot of strange decisions… but fundamentally misunderstanding what makes one of their most universally adored characters worthwhile may be its most egregious.”
Also giving Lilo & Stitch a “rotten” rating on RT is IndieWire’s Kate Erbland, who writes, “The heart of this story remains firmly intact, but there’s something about seeing it rendered in live-action that takes away its inherent magic. It’s harder to fall into, much tougher to lose yourself in.”
Peter Debruge of Variety also gives the film a “rotten” rating on RT, writing, “Somehow, Lilo & Stitch has lost its unpredictable sense of anarchy in the retelling. For all intents and purposes, it could be a Hawaii-set sitcom.”
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Lilo & Stitch plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters worldwide on Friday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/05/22/lilo–stitch-reviews-are-positive-but-some-critics-have-big-issues/