The review embargo for Lilo & Stitch has lifted, and as is so often the case, the glowing first social media reactions don't exactly match what critics are saying today.
The consensus seems to be that the live-action remake plays it too safe, essentially serving as a shot-for-shot remake of the beloved 2002 animated classic it's based on. The characters, humour, and visuals receive plenty of praise, but many are simply questioning the necessity of another Disney movie that rehashes the same story in a different medium.
Ultimately, reviews are unlikely to matter. Lilo & Stitch is expected to break box office records this Memorial Day weekend, and the opinions of critics rarely make a dent on the success of family movies like this one.
"Lilo & Stitch isn’t an embarrassment," reads Variety's review. "Few of these Disney remakes are, since they’re made with far too much care. But instead of deepening our love for the originals, they tend to chip away at it, undermining the magic on which Walt founded the company."
The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, adds, "In both incarnations, Lilo & Stitch is not in the first rank of Disney family films, as evidenced by the fact that this remake was originally slated to go direct-to-streaming." The Wrap simply states, "Disney has produced worse live-action remakes of their beloved films. A lot worse. Oh God, so many of them are worse."
So, the trades weren't keen, but IGN was. "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," the site explains. Radio Times calls it "expertly executed, cross-generational fun that combines the look of a lavish Disney production with oodles of oddball charm."
Screen Rant enthuses, "The stakes are a little higher in the film this time around, and the problems are just as rooted in reality. However, this doesn't stop you from being swept away by the joys of the new Lilo & Stitch."
IndieWire repeats a common criticism for these live-action adaptations by noting, "The heart of this story remains firmly intact, but there’s something about seeing it rendered in live-action that takes away its inherent magic."
With a total of 45 reviews counted as we write this, Lilo & Stitch sits at 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. That score will likely change in the coming days, but that puts it in the same ballpark as Beauty and the Beast (71%), Christopher Robin (73%), and Cruella (75%).
Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
The movie is directed by award-winning filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), with a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, and stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis, and introduces Maia Kealoha.
Lilo & Stitch is produced by Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a. and Dan Lin, with Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, Thomas Schumacher serving as executive producers.
After originally being developed as a Disney+ Original, Lilo & Stitch now arrives in theaters on May 23, 2025.