Best animated Disney film in a long time...it's hilarious, too!

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2002)

At first, I thought that the guys at Disney were at a lost cause. Allow me to recap...
The Little Mermaid was great, Beauty and the Beast was great, Aladdin was great, and The Lion King was great. Pocahontas was a disappointment, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was okay, Hercules was a disappointment, Mulan was okay, Tarzan was an improvement (I haven't seen Emperor's New Groove or Atlantis: the Lost Empire yet), but when I heard of this new Disney animated flick called "Lilo & Stitch", I didn't know what to think of it. The early promos didn't say anything much about the movie...just an 'inter-Stitch-al' where Stitch rips on "Lion King", "Little Mermaid", and "Beauty and the Beast" (I got to see the 'inter-Stitch-al' on "Aladdin" on the Lilo & Stitch PlayStation 1 game)
Earlier in the summer, I took a "beginning watercolor" class for a painting credit and at one point my teacher discussed the watercolor style of 'Stitch'. (First in 60 years-last was Bambi) It started growing on me until I finally said "Oh, hell with it. I'll see the movie!"
*basic plot ahead, small spoilers* When a diabolical space creature (codenamed 'Experiment 626', aka 'Stitch') is exiled from the Grand Council, he escapes in a squad cruiser and crash-lands on Earth. There, a lonely 6-year old Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, whose parents were lost to a car accident and is being raised by her 18-year old sister Nani are adjusting to this new lifestyle. According to 'Cobra' Bubbles (a social worker who ressembles Shaquille O'Neal in shades), Lilo might be better in a foster home. Lilo's not exactly the most popular girl on the block, so Nani figures she'll need a companion. At the dog pound, Stitch is caught and poses himself as a puppy. Lilo loves him, and takes him in, unaware he's on the run from Jumba (his creator) and Pleakley (an Earth 'expert') who are assigned to capture him.
The characters are a different bunch. You'd probably expect Lilo to love Britney Spears (or any current trend), yet she's a fan of Elvis. Stitch is Elvis, a B-movie monster, a superhero and an indestructible six-limbed alien. (Chris Sanders' description) You grow attached to the two 'outcast' characters who wish for acceptance. We can emphasize with Lilo's rejection in society, you hope Stitch can get love and family that he's never had, and Nani's quest to keep Lilo in her custody (don't worry, it's not too preachy or sugary).
Stitch is the star of this movie. You've just got to see his actions for yourself. They're enough to make you explode laughing. He's such a great character! ('Blue Punch Buggy!' ^_^)
I'm probably going to believe the word 'ohana' will become a household word. It's not hammered in your skull, but 'Ohana means family' is used enough to get its point across. The movie is very neutral about 'good' and 'bad' characters. No one is murdered, seriously hurt, left in the dark, or abandoned. It closes where you feel good about every character. Even Jumba and Pleakley are treated fairly.
I'm not surprised by the enthusiasic reviews. You can't help but love "Lilo and Stitch".
"Stitch" is a 'hunka hunka burnin' love!' ^_^