Lilo and Stitch (2002)

We're down to our last movie in the Disney Canon, and we're ending on a high note.  Let's look at Lilo and Stitch.

The Movie:

Lilo and Stitch is the 42nd movie in the Disney Animated Canon.  The movie was the brainchild of longtime Disney animator Chris Sanders, who wrote and directed it.  (Sanders left Disney after being replaced on the production of Bolt, and he went on the create How to Train Your Dragon for Dreamworks.)  Lilo and Stitch received positive reviews and was a modest box-office success.  The film would spawn a franchise that includes 3 direct-to-video movies and a TV series.

The film opens in space with Dr. Jumba being arrested by the Galactic Federation for illegal genetic experimentation.  His creation is Experiment 626, which escapes from custody, steals a ship, and crash lands on the planet Earth.  On Earth, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the young woman Nani is struggling to care for her little sister Lilo, who is in Nani's custody due to the death of their parents.  Lilo is a socially awkward child who is unhappy, so to cheer her up, Nani takes her to the animal shelter to adopt a pet.  Experiment 626 has been taken to the shelter, and Lilo chooses to adopt him, naming him Stitch.  Lilo struggles to teach Stitch how to behave, while Stitch is attempting to evade capture by alien forces, and Nani tries to hold down a job and convince social worker Mr. Bubbles that she deserves to keep custody of Lilo.

Lilo and Stitch is a really good movie and one of Disney's most heartfelt.  People who haven't seen the movie might think it's mostly about Stitch, due to how the movie has been advertised, both in its original run and in subsequent media appearances.  In promotions, Stitch's unruly behavior tends to be highlighted, but overall in the movie he is actually a likable character.  Really, though, there's a reason that Lilo has her name first in the title, and that's because the movie is really about her and her sister Nani.  Stitch's plot is mostly a framing device, and for a large part of the story he is more a catalyst for events than the main character.  And because the actual struggles of Lilo and Nani are some of the most relatable and human of any Disney characters, the movie is one of Disney's most dramatic and intimate.  Also, for all the flak Disney gets for not always being the best at depicting other cultures, this movie does a nice job showing the gritty side of paradise in Hawaii.

Musically this music is a gem.  Alan Silvestri did the score, and it is wonderful.  He also composed two songs for the movie with Hawaiian singer Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu, who sang the songs with The Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus.  Those songs are "He Mele No Lilo," which opens the film, and "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride," a personal favorite of mine.  All of the other songs used in the movie (with one exception) are Elvis Presley songs, and they are used wonderfully.  The movie uses the Elvis originals except for the credits, which features Wynonna singing "Burning Love" and A-Teens sing "Can't Help Falling in Love."  The one song used in the movie not on the soundtrack CD is "Aloha 'Oe," the state song of Hawaii.  In the movie, Nani sings the song to Lilo in a very touching scene, helping to ground the movie even more in its setting, and if you know the cultural context of the song, give it even more depth.

Presence in the Parks:

As loved as the movie is, Lilo and Stitch is not as popular with many fans of the Disney parks, particularly Disney World.  This is because Stitch became the center of an attraction that not only replaced a well-liked attraction among many guests, but also is considered to be one of the worst attractions in the park.

For a bit of history, let's go back to the opening day of Disneyland in 1955.  One of the attractions in Tomorrowland was called Rocket to the Moon, later renamed to Flight to the Moon.  The theater for this attraction was a theater in the round with stadium seating and screens in the middle on the floor and the ceiling showing images that made guests feel like they were in a rocket.  This attraction was included with the Magic Kingdom when Disney World opened in 1971.  Both attractions were changed to Mission to Mars in 1975, because there had already been several moon missions by that point.

The Magic Kingdom's version of Mission to Mars closed in 2003 in order to make way for a new attraction.  Tomorrowland was being updated, and a new attraction was on its way.  Disney CEO Michael Eisner wanted more attractions that would appeal to teenagers, so Imagineers began developing an attraction based on the movie Alien, and Disney acquired the rights to use that movie.  However, the rule of thumb at the time was any movies referenced should be G or PG, and Alien was rated R, the attraction was modified to feature a creature not from that movie.  (Alien would be sued as part of The Great Movie Ride.)  The eventual attraction was the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.  It had a soft opening late in 1994, but Michael Eisner felt it wasn't intense enough, and it closed for a retooling, re-opening in June 1995.  Though this much darker and scarier ride had many fans, others felt it was out of place in the Magic Kingdom.

Alien Encounter closed in 2003.  Reusing the space, Stitch's Great Escape opened in 2004.  This new attraction used the same show system and many similar effects, but was much more comedic.  This attraction is usually listed among the worst and is rarely crowded.  Over the last several years, it has been temporarily closed or gone seasonal, but the ride has still not officially closed and is still listed on Disney's website.

Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom, 2015

(Stitch's Great Escape is on the left)

Disney World fans also have an additional reason to dislike Stitch.  As part of the opening of Stitch's Great Escape, the iconic Cinderella Castle was made up with graffiti, supposedly done by Stitch.  Many Disney fans did not appreciate this being done to the castle.

Nevertheless, Stitch remains popular for some fans.  He has a meet area in Tomorrowland, and he and Lilo can both be found for character meals at the Polynesian Resort.  Stitch has also been known to appear in various other places.

Magic Kingdom opening, May 2015

(Stitch is in group on left)

Fantasmic! Hollywood Studios, May 2015

(Stitch is at the front on the upper deck)