Disney's live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch blends a familiar story with brand-new elements, and that concept applies to the cast as well.

Lilo & Stitch is one of the stronger results of Disney’s non-stop remake campaign, taking the emotional core of the original and amplifying it in a stirring manner.

Once upon a time, Disney actually knew the difference: their oeuvre set the standard for a new breed of “four-quadrant” storytelling, parsing out tough themes with a heady mix of charm and movie magic.

Regarded in a vacuum, 2025’s Lilo & Stitch is fine, and likely to entertain the littles. But compared to the stimulating, genre-defining, all-ages masterpiece from two decades ago, it’s nothing but demoralizing.

The new “Lilo & Stitch” takes a much more grounded approach to the plot, with some changes from the original movie. For example, the antagonistic alien brute Captain Gantu is left out.