When Disney announced the new Lilo & Stitch life-action remake, fans were filled with a mix of both excitement and apprehension. While the original animation film holds a special place in many people’s hearts, the decision to make a reimagine it into live action raised many questions about cultural sensitivity.
Fans and audiences had concerns about the cultural misrepresentation that could come along with a remake of the film. In the 2002, the story was set place in Hawaii, and people had praised it for its authentic portray of Hawaiian culture and traditions. However, in 2025, there is a risk that the remake could fall into stereotypes that some apart of the Hawaiian culture may find offensive. Some questioned whether it was necessary for Disney to remake Lilo & Stitch at all.
The animated film included great visuals — the characters, down to the landscapes, and the dynamic actions, were all greatly enhanced by the style of animation. As live action isn’t guaranteed to recreate the visual charm and flair, it can cause the film to lose its meaning.
This seems to be a running theme with some remakes and live action versions of classic Disney movies. Fans have pointed out that the 2025 adaptation of Lilo & Sitch is nothing like the original 2002 film. Some have argued, “Disney is never able to faithful adaptations of any of the animated films,” and, “If you have a solidified story that everyone loves, why don’t you use that?”
In the 2025 film, Disney removed the original character Captain Gantu, an alien working for the Galactic Federation, playing the villain. The director had stated, “It just didn’t work in live action.” People had negative reactions because the changing of the characters changed the movie in its entirety.
Instead, they made Jumba, an alien in both the 2002 and 2025 film, the villain, when originally he was a heroic character who saved Lilo when she was captured by Captain Gantu. As well, in the original film, Nani — Lilo’s older sister — had different aspirations and storylines. At the end of the film, Nani wasn’t even present when Lilo adopted Stitch, which was a huge plot hole.
One of the biggest issues with the 2025 version of the film is that it loses the meaning of the phrase, “Ohana means family.” Everyone knows that phrase to be at the core of the Lilo & Stitch movie, because in the original 2002 version, Nani plays a motherly figure to Lilo. It’s a phrase she tells Lilo often in the original movie. Her character arc is surrounded by the notion that she will do everything to keep Lilo by her side and prevent CPS from taking her.
In the new version, Nani wanting to be a marine biologist takes over her entire storyline. In the end, she ends up leaving Lilo to go to college to study marine biology — taking away from the entire ideology of “Ohana means family.” Some fans have even gone as far to say, “Ohana no longer means family,” showcasing their distaste for the new version.
As there are many mixed feelings about the remake live action of Lilo & Stitch, for the most part it, the film is, “broken, but still good.”
