I Don't Mind Lilo And Stitch's Live-Action Changes, But There's One That Really Bothers Me

Alright, we have to talk about Lilo & Stitch. The new movie specifically.

Before I get into this, let’s bring up Disney's live action remakes in general. These movies tend to lean towards changes that not everyone agrees with. I wrote an entire article about how live-action adaptations from Disney could succeed if they stick to the source material and then make changes that not only relate to the story but also preserve the themes of the movie.

Most of the films have not done that. We either have movies like Snow White, which is excellent for families and children but is certainly not the same story that we all know, or we have films like The Lion King, which is essentially just a carbon copy of the original with no substance and no flavor.

Now, we have Lilo & Stitch, a personal favorite of mine – a movie I was actually excited about before it came out. And I have to admit, there are specific changes in there that I didn’t mind, but there’s one I really can’t get behind. So today, we’re going to talk about it.

The Film Itself Is Still Fun And Captures The Heart Of The Original

The good news? Lilo & Stitch isn’t a soulless cash-grab, and with any Disney live-action remake, that’s an absolute win.

Did it generate a substantial amount of money? You betcha. Lilo & Stitch has remained the box office king for weeks at this point. But the main reason is that the story is essentially the same. Lilo is a lonely and somewhat eccentric kid. She and her sister have lost their parents. Stitch is an alien who crashes on Earth and ends up becoming part of their family, even though he’s crazy – the whole nine yards.

Is it as good as the original? No, nothing can beat the original, but it still has a heart and it’s still fun. At the end of the day, for something like this, that is one aspect I can get behind. There have been so many of these movies that I have watched in the past, and have just hated because they feel so boring, drab, and unentertaining. They’ll make me want to turn it off and watch the original.

But, Lilo & Stitch succeeds. Stitch is still enjoyable; the movie has funny moments. All in all, I think it’s a good addition to the 2025 movie schedule.

However, there is one change I don't like…and that has to do with Nani.

But I’m Not A Huge Fan Of Nani Leaving Lilo Behind

There are plenty of changes in 2025’s Lilo & Stitch.

Cobra Bubbles not being a bigger part, is a major one. Another is not making Gantu not the main villain (and not even including him at all). Even adding in the neighbor, Tutu, for Lilo and Nani is one I don’t mind.

It’s how Nani ultimately decides to care for Lilo that I don't enjoy. When I rewatched the animated classic for the first time in years, I felt a seriously special connection to Nani for many reasons.

I think it’s really because I'm a grown-up now (or at least trying to be), and I could really see where Nani was coming from by taking care of Lilo. It’s not like Nani was all grown up at that point, either. Nani was still a young woman when her parents died, and then, all of a sudden, she was the sole responsible person taking care of Lilo.

She had to get a job and give up her life to be the perfect person for Lilo when, obviously, she wasn’t that, and throughout the film, we saw her grow with Lilo, not only as her sister but also as she learned to be accepting and rebuild their family from the ground up. She did everything in her power to not be separated from her sister.

But now, Nani goes to the mainland? And leaves her sister with her neighbor as her guardian? I…I don’t know about that.

From my perspective, in this situation, I’m unsure how I would feel about leaving my little sister with my neighbor to take care of her. I understand that the school Nani goes to is her dream school, but throughout the film, we clearly see that she still wants to be there for Lilo. However, her decision to attend school in California to study marine biology is something that feels somewhat separate.

If I were in her shoes, even if I had the portal gun that she gets at the end, I still would want to be as close as humanly possible just in case something happened.

It’s Very Honorable For The Neighbor To Volunteer, But I Don’t See That Happening In Real Life

Another aspect of this is that Tutu essentially taking on guardianship of Lilo (and also taking care of Stitch) feels very unrealistic.

Look, I’m sure there are plenty of great neighbors out there. I live in an apartment building, so it’s hard for me to relate to that because I don’t get to see my neighbors as often as I’d like. But I’m still trying to imagine a world where I would be totally okay letting my neighbor take care of my kid sister while I went to school hours away.

Even then, I really don’t think most neighbors would be that open to taking in a child, especially Tutu, who is literally in her seventies. That’s essentially becoming a mother again that late in your life, and that’s not a simple thing to do. It helps that Lilo is at least a little older than a toddler, but to give up your retired life for that? I can’t see that happening.

It’s Sweet In Its Own Way For Nani To Live Her Life, But A Part Of Me Can’t Help But Feel Disappointed By It

Look, I’m not saying Nani leaving ruins this movie. I think, by today’s standards, her decision to pursue a degree is something I can agree with. But a part of me wishes that it had been somewhere in Hawaii instead of going to the mainland. To me, that would have made more sense.

What made the first movie so special was watching Nani really become that parental figure for Lilo and seeing the special montage of them growing closer alongside Stitch, David, and everyone else, as well as literally and figuratively rebuilding their home together. We don’t really see much of that at the end of the film because Nani has decided to go to college and leave her sister with Tutu.

It’s nice that she can still visit and see her as much as possible, but it also feels as if it takes away a substantial part of Nani’s character development. She’s still grown, but just not in the way that I’m used to…and it does make me feel disappointed.

Either way, the family is still intact, which is all that matters. However, it just feels like another case where a Disney live-action adaptation is changing things up for the sake of change – and not always in a good way.