Lilo and Stitch - 9.1/10
Beautiful. Let me start by saying I have never seen this movie before. I
always meant to, but never really got around to it. People always told
me it was good, and I believed them, but no one ever bothered to say
that it was brilliant. This is gonna jumble my top ten list all to hell.
First off, I love that we finally have a kid character who actually acts
like a kid. I saw in Lilo so many of the kids I've worked with over the
years it's not even funny. It hit something inside me, at any rate.
Also, once again I got the feeling I was watching two movies in one, but
unlike The Hunchback of Notre Dame, they're actually blended together very well here AND...wait for it...they're both actually interesting.
On the one hand, you've got the story of Stitch, created to destroy,
condemned merely for his existence, and trying to find his place in the
world. Along with this you've got the various aliens who are trying to
track him down (all of whom were entertaining characters) and some well
placed gags regarding his rather unique anatomy.
On the other hand, you have the much more human (er, sorry) story of a
rambunctious little girl with an overactive imagination, poor social
skills, and her older sister who loves her and is trying her best to
raise her but is clearly in over her head. There are several emotional
scenes between the two of them, with both positive and negative emotions
portrayed with such humanity that you really become invested in their
lives and their hardships. Add in a reluctant social worker who is doing
his job even though he feels bad for the girls, and you have a very
compelling story that could have easily been a movie all its own.
Where these two stories intersect is the quest for family. All the main
characters want it, and what they learn about each other and their
familial bonds is the true strength of this film. A lot of the lines
very easily could have been really corny but they were executed with
such heartfelt sincerity that only the most jaded among us would dare to
scoff. There was some decent comedy too, sprinkled lightly throughout
and never overstepping itself as it has in certain other films. There
was no villain, either. The circumstances were the only adversity
anybody needed and were difficult enough. This is what I wish they had
done with Tarzan.
The art and animation is another feature of this movie I really like.
The character designs are unique and the artists came up with a very
distinct style for this film. In addition, some of the more modern
animation techniques were eschewed in favor of the more old-fashion,
softer and smoother methods. The result is a very...friendly look. I
can't think of any other word to describe it except to say that the mood
of the film combined with the artistry gives off a warm and inviting
feeling as you watch. It's also packed full of Elvis music, which gets
points in my book any day. In closing then, I guess the only thing I can
say is that I'm sorry it took so long for me to see this. I've been
missing out.
Manly tears were shed.
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