Leroy & Stitch

**Leroy & Stitch** is a 2006 animated film directed by Tony Craig and Bobs Gannaway, and is the fourth instalment in the Lilo & Stitch franchise.

The film was released on June 23, 2006 on Disney Channel.

## Plot

With their mission to capture all the experiments and repurpose them on Earth completed, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley are honoured as heroes by the Galactic Alliance. Jumba is given the confiscated key to his laboratory again, Pleakley is offered a post as chairman of Earth Studies at G.A.C.C. (Galactic Alliance Community College), and Stitch is made the Captain of the Galactic Armada and commander of the newly commissioned BRB-9000 (Big Red Battleship 9000). Lilo is made the Galactic Federation's ambassador to Earth and sole guardian of the experiments. Before they leave, Lilo gives Jumba her favourite Elvis record, Pleakley a small rock to use as a paperweight and Stitch a necklace with a Kū tiki.

In his ship, Gantu has decided that since he failed to capture the experiments, except for 625, he will have to break Dr. Hämsterviel out of prison. He takes a two-man space shuttle, leaving 625 alone and frees Hämsterviel. The duo then burst into Jumba's lab and Hämsterviel forces Jumba to create an evil twin of Stitch, Leroy. Stitch, having been assigned to recapture Hämsterviel, arrives and after a fight, he is defeated when Pleakley appears at an inopportune moment, distracting Stitch long enough for Leroy to detain him in a capsule. Hämsterviel reveals his plans to clone an army of Leroy’s to conquer the Galactic Alliance. Before leaving for Turo, Hämsterviel locks Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley in Pleakley's G.A.C.C. vehicle and sends the vessel into a black hole.

On Earth, Lilo decides to contact Stitch. Lilo realizes that the only intergalactic videophone available on the planet is in Gantu's ship. There, she finds 625 and asks to use the videophone, only to find it is not functional. Lilo then names 625 "Reuben", who thereafter consents to help Lilo. Once the videophone is fixed, Lilo contacts the BRB-9000. Leroy impersonates Stitch, using shapeshifting to disguise himself, but the ruse fails when Lilo notices he is not wearing Stitch's necklace. Hämsterviel then commands Leroy to go to Earth and capture all of the other experiments to destroy them. Lilo, realizing Stitch is in danger, asks Reuben for help in fixing Gantu's ship. As the G.A.C.C. vehicle head towards the black hole, Stitch escapes and frees the others. However, the navigational computer is locked on course for the black hole. When Jumba notes that they can disrupt the event horizon by throwing a small object into the black hole, Stitch takes Pleakley's rock and throws it into the black hole moments before they are sucked in.

On Earth, Leroy obtains Lilo's scrapbook of the experiments and quickly captures all of them, even kidnapping Lilo's rival, Mertle Edmonds, since she is the owner of Experiment 007, Gigi. Lilo and Reuben arrive at Turo, but they are too late, for Hämsterviel has taken over the galaxy, making the Grand Councilwoman his receptionist, and orders Gantu to imprison the duo, but he decides to release them after Hämsterviel fires him for failing to capture any experiments over the past three years. After a close call with several Leroy clones, they are trapped. All seems lost until the G.A.C.C. vehicle suddenly appears. With no time to explain, Lilo, Reuben and Gantu all climb in and head for Earth. On Earth, Leroy has gathered all the experiments at the Aloha Stadium. The BRB-9000 appears and Hämsterviel prepares to obliterate the experiments, until Lilo, Stitch and the others arrive just in time to destroy the ship's primary cannon. Hämsterviel reveals that he brought along his Leroy army as backup, whereupon an epic battle between them and the experiments begins. Despite some initial victories by the experiments, the Leroy’s soon gain the upper hand. Jumba remembers that he programmed a secret shutdown command into Leroy: if Elvis Presley's "Aloha 'Oe" is played, he and his clones will deactivate. Stitch appears on-stage in his Elvis attire and performs "Aloha 'Oe" with Lilo and Reuben accompanying him, causing the Leroy’s to have violent seizures and shut down. With his plan foiled again, Hämsterviel is recaptured and sent back to prison.

Back at the Galactic Alliance HQ, the team is honoured by the alliance once again. Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley ask to be allowed to return to Earth with Lilo. The Councilwoman grants this and asks Gantu if he would like to be reinstated as the captain of the armada. Gantu agrees on the condition that Reuben is assigned as his galley officer. Back on Earth, Lilo sets up for one last picture as Mertle arrives with Gigi (during the battle, Mertle was astounded upon discovering Gigi's experiment identity when she revealed her ability to talk). Lilo's last picture in the album is of all of the experiments still on Earth, Mertle, Jumba, Pleakley, Nani, David, and herself. In the film's final scene, Hämsterviel is seen back in prison with Leroy and his clones placed in separate cells surrounding his, who have recovered from their seizures and begin dancing to "Jailhouse Rock". As the credits roll, a full list of Jumba's experiments from 001/Shrink to 626/Stitch with their names as given by Lilo (and other characters in some instances during Lilo & Stitch: The Series) scroll along the left side of the screen.

## Cast and Characters

* Chris Sanders as Stitch/Experiment 626
* Daveigh Chase as Lilo Pelekai
* Tia Carrere as Nani Pelekai
* David Ogden Stiers as Dr. Jumba Jookiba
* Kevin McDonald as Agent Wendy Pleakley
* Jeff Bennett as Dr. Hämsterviel / Fibber / Slick / Ace / Remmy
* Kevin Michael Richardson as Gantu
* Rob Paulsen as Reuben/Experiment 625 / Squeak / Houdini / Forehead
* Zoe Caldwell as Grand Councilwoman
* Ving Rhames as Cobra Bubbles
* Liliana Mumy as Mertle Edmonds
* Tara Strong as Angel /Babyfier / Belle / Dupe / Pleakley's G.A.C.C. Assistant
* Frank Welker as Sparky / Sprout / Mr. Stenchy / Kixx / Skip / Holio / Finder / Deforestator / Yin / Yang / Tank / Checkers / Slugger / Splodyhead
* Tress MacNeille as Bonnie / Gigi / Topper / Felix / Melty / Amnesio / Cannonball / Richter / G.A.C.C.'s Van-ships's Navi-computer
* Nancy Cartwright as Shortstuff / Phantasmo
* Bobcat Goldthwait as Nosy
* Rocky McMurray as Clyde
* Lili Ishida as Yuki
* Jillian Henry as Elena
* Kali Whitehurst as Teresa
* Debra Rogers as First Officer Ombit
* Doug Stone as Ensign Getco

## Production

The film marks the third film in the Lilo & Stitch franchise without any involvement from creators Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (besides Sanders providing the voices of Stitch, Leroy, and the latter's clones), as they would leave Disney for DreamWorks Animation to write and direct How to Train Your Dragon. The animation production was outsourced to Wang Film Productions, a Taiwanese studio who previously worked on some animation for Lilo & Stitch: The Series.

## Release

Leroy & Stitch debuted on Disney Channel on June 23, 2006 and also aired on Toon Disney on June 26, 2006. It was released on DVD in the United States on June 27, 2006 under Walt Disney Pictures. Bonus features of the DVD include a then-unaired episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series titled "Link" (in 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio) and a set-top game The Big Red Battleship Flight Simulator. Distributed by Walt Disney Home Entertainment, DVD sales in the United States earned a total of $16,672,732 as of September 2021.

## Reception

### Critical Response

Leroy & Stitch received mixed reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 40% based on 5 reviews.

Skyler Miller of AllMovie gave the film a rating of 3½ out of 5 stars, praising the voice acting, Elvis Presley songs, and "the fast-moving plot that mixes frenetic action, sentimentality, and a few laughs." Miller wrote, "While Leroy & Stitch is not nearly as engaging or emotionally rich as the original film that inspired it... all in all, Leroy & Stitch is a fitting wrap-up to an enjoyable animated series."

CinemaBlend.com gave the film a rating of 1 out of 5 stars, stating the film is "just another direct-to-video sequel of Disney with no unusual stuff in it," and further uplifted and preferred the original film.

Common Sense Media (CSM) gave the film's quality 4 out of 5 stars and applicable for ages 5 above based on 10 reviews from both parents and children.

In 2019, Petrana Radulovic of Polygon ranked Leroy & Stitch ninth out of twenty-six films on her list of direct-to-video sequels, prequels, and "mid-quels" to Disney animated films, one rank higher than Stitch! The Movie. Despite criticizing Leroy & Stitch for focusing more on the aliens and space over the "charming" characters like with Stitch! The Movie, she ranked the finale film higher than the pilot film because of all the now-united 626 experiments' "wacky and really specific powers", stating that "we get to see what they've all been up to after acclimating to life on Hawai, and see them in action in the final battle." In a similar list in 2020, Lisa Wehrstedt of Insider ranked Leroy & Stitch seventh out of twenty-five films on her list. Werhstedt wrote, "For fans who were really involved with the series, this film acts like the perfect finale." However, she also criticized it for "losing a bit of the human charm of the original and the previous released sequel."