Wow. I ended up really hating this movie. So much so that it actually made me angry. And you might be thinking, you don't look like someone who hated Lilo and Stitch Grace. But I bought all this stuff before I saw the movie. So here's what happened. So I really wanted this drink topper. He's so cute. I'm sorry your movie is so bad, Stitch. But I really wanted this. Uh I saw it online. You have there's a choice of three. This was the one I wanted. And my friend who can't get who couldn't get to the movie on opening day was worried they'd sold they'd sell out and asked me to get the one that she liked the best. She likes Lu House uh Hoola Stitch. So when I got to the theater, I found out I could only get this if I bought this and the popcorn bucket. Uh a lot of stuff. Uh but I really love the original animated movie. Uh, the move, this movie looked really good to me going into it. I loved the trailers. I thought it was going to be amazing. And I didn't want to disappoint my friend. And as long as she was getting her drink topper, I wanted mine, too. So, I had to get two of these sets. I had to plunk down money for two of these. And the woman who worked at the concession stand, she was so nice. She felt so bad that I had to pay for both of these things when I only wanted I kind of like these ears, but I really want just wanted the cups. And speaking of how nice these ears are, she slipped me an extra set of them. So, I really appreciated that. And this is pretty nice merch. Now, on that note, last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Disney made 2.6 billion billion on Stitch merchandise. And clearly, that's the only value they see in this little guy. Uh cuz, but here's the irony. Because this movie was originally supposed to be on Disney Plus, they only approved a hundred million budget. You know, with all this VFX, that's not that's not very much. And forget about not being able to afford Captain Gantu. This movie can't even afford a lot of Stitch. What? So, they like rip out his storyline. I would say or most of it I would say he qualifies instead as a supporting character in this movie. This is truly Lilo and then Anne Stitch underneath. Uh, and he's more dog than peer to Lilo. They really leaned into the dog idea. I'm like, that's not what it's supposed to be like. But I guess they feel they can sell a lot of pet merchandise. Uh I think I think the movie, you know, in the original you feel like you want to you could relate you relate to Stitch or you feel wouldn't it be nice to talk to Stitch and hang out with him? Here clearly so many times the movie wants you to be like ah my my pet my dog does that all the time. Hilarious. And I'm like you guys don't understand the character or the movie of the original movie at all. So again, to save money, uh the movie instead focuses on the human characters, which now includes Jumba and Plegley. So bad. We're going to talk about that. And you know, Maya, uh Kilahu, who plays Lilo, is a very funny and charming young actress. She's a great find. She does a really nice job. But I'm just saying, Disney doesn't sell $2.6 billion a year in Lilo merchandise. While you're here, I hope you'll consider subscribing to this channel because on Sunday on Movie Math, we're going to talk about this movie's box office, which is I think it's still going to do well because who could believe the movie is as bad and as egregious and as insulting as it is. A lot of people are going to have to see it for themselves. So, I still think it'll do big business. This is supposed to be a a record-breaking the biggest Memorial Day weekend ever for Hollywood. And we're going to talk about that on Sunday. And if you subscribe, you'll know as soon as That's right. I'm working on Sunday on Memorial Day weekend. I'll take Monday off. Uh because we're going to have such a good time talking about that box office. And you'll know as soon as that video goes up if you subscribe. Uh now, the original film, I made the mistake of re-watching that this morning so I could compare it to the new one. I of course have seen the original film a couple of times at this point, but it's been a while since the last time I saw it. When's the last time you saw the original Lilo and Stitch film? Uh, but the problem was is that that really just made it so clear what they ripped out of the movie and it just really is one of the reasons that I just was like sitting there a gas because to go from watching such a brilliant film to such a well it wasn't just the difference in quality but what they had done to the original film. I mean I was I it was it you know this Godfather meme is exactly how I felt. Uh now if you haven't seen Le uh Lilo and Stitch in a long time or never at all, oh my gosh, you got to watch it if you've never seen the original Lelo and Stitch, that's a better use of your time than seeing this movie. But you might then therefore find this film a cute distraction. But again, for those of us who are familiar with the original film, we are crushed to see a really sophisticated animated movie turned into a perfect example of the babysitting service that Disney is becoming. And some of you feel has already become, you know, everything bad that people say about Disney and those of us who are Disney fans always try to defend them and they're like, "Oh, they're trying or not everything can be perfect." This is, I would say, the first time that I've been like, "Yeah, this is really bad." So, it's shocking to me that nobody at Disney uh apparently at any level, right? like nobody nobody raised their hand during the making of this movie and was like I think we left out the heart and soul of the original. There are sequences taken out here that that would not even be prohibitively expensive to film. So it's not like oh we didn't have the money to do it again you just how do you take out the ugly duckling scene? My friend is a hu that's why she wants the topper huge fan of this of this original movie. She has a lithograph of the ugly duckling scene hanging up in her her home because that personifies the film and it's not in here. They also took out the learning to be like Elvis montage. Like these are things where the fact that they're not here when they are again integral the heart and soul of the original film, it's just jaw on the floor flabbergasting. And not just changes with Stitch, by the way, but also Nani, who after seeing the film, I can now definitely understand a number of the fans, a number of you have even said this, you know, you know, shared this with me when we've been discussing it that you're disappointed in what can be perceived as the whitewashing of the character. But also, the movie decides to turn Nani into a straighta student, an aspiring marine biologist. There's a little funny joke about that, but I mean, look, it's fine and abstract, but it makes it look like the filmmakers in Disney look down on who Nani is in the original film. She was perfect the way she is. Making these changes, I think, is just such a shame, particularly when so many people for decades have felt seen by the original version of Nani. And this one is just totally different. And this is what really gets me. It's not even like Nani uses her love of science to maybe interact with Stitch or Jumba on that level. Jumba's another scientist. Why couldn't there be some some kind of discourse there? And then why wouldn't an aspiring marine biologist be at least somewhat interested in what seems, if not alien, like it might be a new species on Earth? Like she just continues to be weirded out and disgusted by Stitch. And you're just like, "But aren't aren't you an aspiring marine biologist?" Also, where are all her science friends? Like, if you're going to make a change, make it in a meaningful way. I find it interesting that Chris Sanders has returned for this adaptation considering how they've gutted his original film. Now, you'll note that I said interesting and not surprising because it's not surprising at all. And I'm sure the person that it's the least surprising to is Chris Sanders himself because the reason he left Disney just a few years after Lilo and Stitch is because they gutted his American Dog film which went on to become Bolt after he left after he bolted from Disney animation and he took his Lilo and Stitch co-director Dean Delo with him over to DreamWorks where they did How to Train Your Dragon which ultimately Delo took over and is now directing the live action adaptation there which comes out in just a few weeks. Uh, and then also they went on, you know, Chris Sanders went on to do the cruds and most recently the wild robot, really talented filmmaker. So for Sanders to come back to Disney to voice Stitch once more, a character that he created, and aggressively promote the film with a smile on his face again, considering, you know, the, you know, what they've done to the film and how they've, you know, it's just, it's, they must have paid him a lot of money. They, I mean, they must have. And you know what? Considering how Disney treated him and how much they've made off of him over the years, again, 2.6 billion in one year alone. I mean, it's escalated. They pointed out that it's become much it's become exponentially greater in the past few years. Oh, but before they were only making $200 million a year still, how much of that has Chris Sanders seen? I hope I hope his new deal gives him points on Stitch merchandise. He should be definitely participating in that. Even Walt Disney back in the day has a very poor track record of giving uh creatives look into the story behind Lady in the of giving credit and participation to people who come up with these ideas. But anyway, I'm glad that Chris Sanders is hopefully make I'm I hope he's making a ton of money off of this, but that doesn't mean I got to sit through it. Uh, I will say that liveaction Stitch does look fantastic and despite how bad this film is, I can see liveaction Stitch going on to be used companywide across the vast Disney empire, including merchandise and I think people will buy. I I have all the stuff and I'm I like I like Stitch animated and live action. I'd feel bad if he totally switched to live action and we never saw animated Stitch again, but I mean I like Stitch. Look at this liveaction. I mean, this uh life-size version of Stitch that will become available in 2026, available for pre-order now. It's pretty cute. I was like almost tempted to buy that for my friend who's a big Stitch fan. Uh I think she doesn't have space for something that big. But anyway, I guess Disney therefore gets what they want out of this movie. But I think it continues to underscore how Disney is becoming more and more a company that's concerned with just making money no matter how it makes their fans feel like making their fans feel used and unappreciated. And it's just it's just sad. But I guess Disney fans are part of this problem. And I'm including myself in that because we keep coming back. We keep buying the stuff even though and seeing the movies and watching the things even though they're subpar. Uh I have, as I said, really enjoyed many of their liveaction adaptations. I've hung on a lot longer than many of you. And even with those that fell short, I could always at least appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to do. I couldn't get behind Maleficent 2 or Alice in Wonderland 2. Those were both awful. But I even found some things to appreciate and enjoy in Snow White. I mean, some of that movie was really bad, but there were elements that I, again, I understood what they were trying to do, and, you know, at least felt that it looked cinematic. This, as I said, is the first Disney live action remake where I can't find anything good about the film. Whereas some of you have been angry at Disney for a while now, this is the first time where I too have felt they've gone too far, and it is again actually made me angry. like Moana 2. I actually liked a pleasant surprise that turned out to be theater worthy even though it too was originally meant for Disney Plus. But this new Lilo and Stitch sadly fits in with the other Disney Plus live action remakes and sequels that we've been seeing. I'm talking Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Wendy and then also Hocus Pocus 2 and Disenchanted. I mean that is really the company that I would put this this new Lilo and Stitch in. And I think that right there says is makes it pretty clear what we're dealing with here. As for the $und00 million budget, that clearly wasn't enough even for a Disney Plus liveaction version. Like if this was even going to stay on Disney Plus I mean they spend hundreds of millions of dollars more than a hundred like I think what was like like spending $200 million on some series. They should they needed that much for to do Stitch properly because the movie can't afford enough Stitch the lead character who was supposed to be the lead character. There's no Captain Gantu. Human Jumba and Pleley are cringe and the aliens including Grand Councilwoman. Forget not looking good. Sometimes they don't even look fully rendered. But even beyond the VFX, there are so many things that this movie doesn't deliver that have nothing to do with the size of the budget. Nani and Lilo in the original film live in an idyllic Hawaii uh rendered in a stunning and cozy watercolor aesthetic. I mean, it's just a beautiful animated film. But here, the liveaction movie is overwhelmingly drab and devoid of color. I mean, just recreate this home. How am I not looking at this exact home? It's it's it's it's nuts that that's not what they did. Also, while the new outdoor space that they have in their backyard is certainly nice, how is it not the now iconic hammock and tiki torch from the movie and some of the posters? Again, how do you not understand the importance of these elements of the original film? Uh, now I don't mind changes to the original animated films when they adapt them. I like when Disney's live action movies add depth and nuance, uh, adding additional storylines and elements for an audience. You know, of course, you want to appeal to kids, but you realize that your original audience is older and so you want to tell something that appeals to them as well and and can also double as something that adults can enjoy all on their own. But that is what those films make you feel like you got the what you loved and more. Whereas here, this feels not just like less, but much less. It's a balancing act for sure. Like this movie does include a number of the fan favorite lines from the original film, but they're very rushed here. More like they're like, "Okay, we said that. We said that." And so therefore, they feel like they feel like fanervice, not like a real movie. I wish that the script did surprise us more. Uh I mean, it's it's like it's so bad. like the there are a couple of like good surprises with like two jokes that Lilo gets. Lilo gets a I liked what they did with Lilo quite a bit. Um I just wish that it didn't come at the expense of Stitch. So uh Lilo has two very funny jokes that made me laugh out loud. Uh oh, and Stitch had one moment that made me laugh out loud too when they were playing catch. Uh because the mo that was that was like still in the spirit of the original, but it was new material. So that was fantastic. But Lilo's two jokes, one takes place in a a hotel jacuzzi and the other when she's talking to Cobra Bubbles. They're just fantastic new additions to the story. However, on the flip side, when she says her doll is recovering from an operation, which is an original line in the film, it means nothing here because this new movie didn't take the time to set up that joke earlier on. Also, while Lilo gets these new lines and new story points, it is shocking how much of Stitch's not only his story lines, his story line, but his original lines have been cut. I would say he only has 30% of his original dialogue. And some of the lines that they've cut were incredible. They were so good. And the fact that they're not here, again, is just absolutely shocking. And when you see what they've done to the ending, and again, it has nothing to do with budget. I'm not just talking about Captain Gantu. There is a very It involves a piece of paper and the fact that it's not in here. I I I just I it's it's I I don't understand how it's not. Finally, we got to touch on Jumba and Plequely because what has been done to these characters is again just so horrible. Uh Zach Galifanakis horribly miscast. I mean, sure, it's not the original Russian accent that we've all come to know and love if we know the original film, but even if you aren't familiar with the original film, the quality of Zach Galifanakis' voice doesn't match the physicality of the alien. So, when Jumba is in his alien form, it does Zach Galifanaka's voice, his voice doesn't seem to be coming from the alien. So, that's jarring. But even more so, Galifanakis, even when he is on camera, is not particularly interesting or funny uh due to his own performance. Uh he really seems to be phoning it in. I think he almost made I feel he made an effort, he didn't make an effort to bring anything to the table, but the role itself is off not only horribly written, underwritten, but with the changes they've made to Jumba, I mean, again, you'll just be you'll just be like, why why why would you do that? Uh, as for Pleley now, the director said he tried so hard to allow Billy Magnuson to get his some Like It Hot On. I mean, just right there, that is a fantastic reference, and that film is iconic for not only being a great film, but for the progress that it made, not only in very early representation, but it broke the Haze Code, uh, which kept a lot of really important and great stories from being told in Hollywood. So, right there, you're like, what? I mean I mean I think that would be a great argument for including it in this live action film. Uh but then for some reason the Disney suits signed off on uh Ple taking a bubble bath with Jumba in the room and then while you don't see it on camera it's implied that Plekeley stands up and gets out of the tub with Jumba still still again in the in the room. So it's like are we doing this or not? I mean Disney's history with queer bait I mean it just continues. I mean the Disney is just they they they they're just the worst when it comes to queer baiting. Jumba and Ple were a huge step I mean Dean Deloy who co-directed the original movie is LGBTQ now. Jumba and Pleley were a huge step uh forward for LGBTQ representation you know at Disney at all like actual rep you know I think it was you know uh you know I would I think the hot comparison is excellent. Uh, but to the and to this day, it's some of Disney's best LGBTQ representation. So, to see what's been done to these characters is not only disheartening, but I would say downright offensive. One more thing that I want to address. So, the 2002 original film kind of snuck under the radar at Disney. It was right after the Disney Renaissance had unfortunately come to an end. So, Disney was trying to figure out, you know, what were they what were they going to do next? uh and they took some interesting swings. You know, a lot most of them didn't make any money at first, but over the years, a couple of those films have won over fans, and that fandom, in fact, has grown. Uh and that these films are a a highlight that a small movie can sometimes be an investment that over time will grow into something quite valuable. And you're you've seen that with Lilo and Stitch, a Goofy Movie. I think Atlantis and Treasure Planet have have actually very strong and and deep fandoms. Uh but you know these days streaming and and Disney itself because it's it's too big. Um you know that has killed these smaller opportunities that can result down the line in big successes. You know happy happy and very successful accidents. You could that's what I I think a executive might say. Uh because this is just a a crass cash grab that is not only all business and totally devoid of creativity but illustrates and this to me is what is the most shocking a total lack of understanding of the original film beyond Stitcher makes us a lot of money that they don't value what they have is I think what it's just so shocking value or maybe even understand it's just And they don't even get that right, by the way. They make a lot of money off Stitch and yet he's not very much in the film. All right, so that's my rant about Lilo and Stitch. I'm very curious to hear your thoughts down below. If you have any spoiler comments, please be sure to mark them as such because, you know, some people will want to discover this atrocity for themselves. And if you can defend, if you're still defending these movies, hey, I've been there. I'd be curious to to see why you thought it was okay despite the changes. All right, share those thoughts down below. So again, subscribe today and of course, as always, you can check out some more videos right now. [Music]