Stitch! The Movie (2003) Reviews

• While good in pieces this is not a movie by any stretch of the imagination, its just some episodes from the TV show

  dbborroughs2008-04-27

  First a couple of things: 1. Despite what the box says the movie is only one hour long, a scant number of seconds over 60 minutes. 2. Only two of experiments actually show up prior to the last two minutes of the movie. 3. This is a rip off if you BUY the film since its nothing more than what should have been the pilot for the show. This should have been shown on TV as part of the show and not as a "movie". That said its not bad. Its a "movie" that does not work as a whole but in moments and in throw away lines and actions. It also had a great villain in what is the French Taunter from Holy Grail in hamster form. The plot, which is more like a hope than a real plot has Gantu being hired by the hamster to get the previous experiments and what happens as a result. There's a bit more to it then that but since its not much more I feel I have to leave something for you to find out on your own. As I said this is a movie of moments which is what you'll take away from this attack on your wallet by Disney. The moments, and there are many, will have you smiling, or laughing at there cleverness, a cleverness who's level is so high you'll wonder what the hell happened to the rest of the movie... Is this worth seeing? Yes, but rent it or borrow it, do not buy this. Will I see it again? On cable or TV. Frankly this is one of those things that should have worked but doesn't. Its annoying since its as if they had ideas but no idea how to string them into a viable plot...(then again its TV episodes) Allowing that the animation is by turns good, garbage or passable, one wonders if they had three levels of animators working on this each doing a different shot in turn. This is, on the whole, nowhere near as good as the real movie, who's ending it wipes away completely with talk that the sister and her boyfriend haven't dated, or that some of the events alluded to couldn't have happened in the stills simply because there are now the new creatures. Its as if a few weeks have passed since the end of the theatrical movie, not the year or so that is implied by the end stills. In pieces and on a level for unstained silliness this is the equal of the first film, but only in the quick moments that never gel. (This is not a ringing endorsement of the movie only that it should be seen in what ever way puts as little money in the coffers of the Disney company) and

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• Not the disappointment I expected

  Llewxam2003-07-23

  Let's be frank, Disney always tends to create a franchise by releasing a movie and making sequels with new characters and adventures. When Lilo & Stitch came out, it was in all honesty the very first Disney movie in my life I came to love. When i heard of a sequel and a TV series, the first thing popping into my head was "there goes the magic" well i wasn't at all wrong. Stitch! The movie had to fall into the franchise, it's Disney, but it didn't lose the charm and uniqueness from its predecessor. Maintaining the dysfunctional bunch from the original, the 'straight-to-video' presentation of new adventures and characters is not as exaggerated as before. Fun for the entire family as always, Stitch! The movie is a new deliverance to every Lilo & Stitch fan.

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• Low-budget follow-up?

  tord-12003-11-18

  While Lilo & Stich is an endearing saga, the Stich: the Movie isn't. Almost all the bits of the original is back, but it is so much flatter, so much less artistic, so much less well-paced. My wife, who loved L & S, fell asleep while watching it and for anyone that has not seen the first L & S-film it must be utterly incomprehensible. And even the animation feels rougher, and it sure lacks the deep feelings and suspense of the original, in short a typical low-budget follow-up, that supposedly links the real film with the TV-series (which I have not seen).

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• Loved the first film, had mixed feelings on this one

  TheLittleSongbird2010-02-03

  The first "Lilo and Stitch" was a warm and entertaining animated feature, compensated fully by beautiful animation, a nice soundtrack and a superb script that was not only funny but taught morals without feeling slushy. "Stitch! The Movie" was merely okay, but it doesn't have the magic or the sense of fun the first film had. I will give some credit the voice work is very good, Daveigh Chase is very sweet as Lilo and David Ogden Stiers just as he did in the original was marvellous as Jumbaa. Hamsterviel is a good villain, sweet on the outside but quite dangerous really. I liked it that Gantu had more to do here, and there are some decent laughs mostly from Experiment 625. However, the film is too short, at merely an hour there isn't much character development consequently the characters and the relationships between them (Lilo and Stitch's especially) weren't as engaging or as poignant. In both this and the TV series Nani's personality seems somewhat distorted. Also the animation isn't as vibrant, colourful or as detailed as it was in the original, not helped by rushed editing, and the script felt rather shallow. By all means, this movie isn't bad, but it pales in comparison to the original. 5/10 for trying. Bethany Cox

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• Good pilot to a good TV series

  klchu2003-11-17

  I've never been too impressed with the Disney video sequels. And while "Stitch, the Movie" isn't as good as the original, it's still very good. Also, it sets up the Lilo and Stitch TV series which is even better than the movie! Both "Stitch" and the TV series share the same duel level of humor that make it attractive to both kids and adults. You will see the references and homages to works like Monty Python and other classic humor sources. I haven't enjoyed a cartoon like this since Animaniacs, and it's no wonder since some of the same voices (and maybe writers) are used. I've seen some negative references in reviews made to Pokemon. Well, that's only a tangental similarity in my opinion. The only negative opinions that I agree with are that Nani has turned into the stereotypical adult figure in kid's shows that doesn't believe the kid until it's too late. On the plus side, the characters of Pleakley, Jumba, Gantu and the new Hamsterviel are much improved. So, watch the movie, and then watch the TV show!

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