The last "good" Disney movie

Rating: 9/10 (25 December 2007)

In a region ravaged by nothing but weak, poorly made animated movies, this little gem is a house of refuge, a "return to a simpler time", of sorts. Unlike the cold, harsh, weak, for lack of a better word, CGI animated movies, this hand-drawn flick had all the warmth of a Dinsey flick from the age of Walt or the Musical Renaissance of the 90's. The animation's water color backgrounds and character design made me feel like I was going back to an earlier time, a time in my childhood when animation was simpler and much more enjoyable.
The constant developments in the relationship between characters, such as Nani and Lilo's evolution from a very strained relationship to a much closer one once the possibility of Lilo being taken away to a foster family, and the changes in Lilo and Stitch's relationship from when they first met, helped shape the strength of the movie's plot, something other movies of the time lack. Scenes such as Lilo and Nani sitting on a hammock at night, letting hibiscus flowers out as they sing "Aloha Oe" and Stitch's quote on "Ohana means family, and family means no one is left behind" succeed in the movie's central theme of family, a message that is sent through with great elegance.
This movie's strong development of characters and relationships and animation helped make it unique compared to all other flicks of the times. This a gem any fan of hand-drawn animation looking for a pleasant reprieve from the cold, impersonal CGI films of today.