An Entertaining Combo Of Humor and Emotion.

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2003)

When I saw the print ads for "Lilo & Stitch", the concept seemed amusing. When I saw the parody trailers, my interest was definitely piqued. Seeing the actual movie, it has become one of my favorite Disney films from the last few years.
Above all else, the animation and lush backgrounds are stunning. This truly is a beautiful film, with its rounded art style and realistic emotional gestures and nuances of the characters. Among the most impressive of the lot is Stitch himself. Even in the background, he was always doing something worth noting. His transition from being a mischievous, trouble-making creature, to a lost and alone orphan, to a loving and caring pet. Stitch was a character full of personality. He was a riot when he was bad (great gags throughout), and disarmingly touching when good. Stitch is a great character design. Probably one of the best Disney Studios has done recently.
The other characters were filled with clever one-liners, a full range of facial expressions, and a respectable amount of depth. The film managed to balance between being hilariously funny and pulling on the heart-strings as Disney films are known to do. Nothing seemed really heavy handed or forced in the emotion department, and the character voices really kept the film going and gave the other characters personality.
As for the music, it relied on three sources: Alan Silvestri's score, the Hawaiian music and of course, Elvis. The Elvis elements that were worked in made Stitch an even funnier character, and didn't take over the film as the only musical element. The other musical elements provided traditional Hawaiian flair and again, a score that helped set the mood of the film (MINOR SPOILER: the best example of this is when Stitch enters the woods to be found by his family).
"Lilo & Stitch" is a very funny and sweet film, filled with slapstick elements like an old Warner Bros. cartoon and a little bit of sci-fi action at the beginning and towards the end of the film. I don't think it's as violent as some reviewers have made it out to be, but it is a very different Disney film with no princes, singing mermaids or enchanted objects.
But sometimes, different is good. Hopefully, this will take "Best Animated Picture" for 2002. The artwork alone should place it into the winner's circle.