impossibly cute and moving

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2005)

While the overriding message of "Lilo and Stitch" has been mined before in films such as "Babe" and "Shrek" (that appearances are deceiving and we should learn to tolerate the differences in others) and the film leans toward the stereotypes of Hawaiian culture, it succeeds greatly in the relationship between Lilo, a friendless young girl, and Stitch, a malevolent creature from another galaxy who crash-lands on Earth. The humor doesn't always connect, but the story is an offbeat fusing of fantasy and reality that becomes a showcase for the crazed Stitch and outsider Lilo, which is the moving core of the film. And, amazingly, the conclusion of this animated feature musters up some authentic tears.