Lilo and Stitch

Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated adventure science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Disney’s 42nd animated feature film, it was written and directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders (who is the voice of Stitch), and features the voices of Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, and Kevin Michael Richardson.

The film’s story revolves around two eccentric and mischievous individuals: a Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai, who is raised by her sister Nani after their parents died in a car accident, and a blue extraterrestrial creature named Experiment 626 that gets adopted by Lilo as her “dog” and is then given the name “Stitch”. The creature, who is genetically engineered by his scientist creator to cause chaos and destruction, initially uses her family to avoid being captured by an intergalactic federation, but the two individuals develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ʻohana, or extended family. This bond causes him to reconsider, and later defy, his intended destructive purpose in order to keep his family together.

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Doctor Jumba Jookiba, a mad scientist, is arrested and put on trial by the Galactic Federation for illegal genetic experimentation, evidenced by his creation “Experiment 626”, a small blue sentient creature with unparalleled intelligence and strength, but also a propensity to cause chaos. Jumba is imprisoned while the creature is sentenced to exile on a desert asteroid. “626” manages to escape on a spaceship, and activates the hyperdrive, causing its guidance systems to malfunction and randomly set a course for Earth. 626 crash-lands on Kauaʻi, Hawaii only to be knocked unconscious by passing trucks and taken to an animal shelter. The Grand Councilwoman dispatches Jumba and Agent Pleakley, the Council’s expert on Earth, to the planet to have 626 captured discreetly, because Earth is the habitat for the “endangered” mosquito and humans are described as being unable to handle an alien encounter.

On Kauaʻi, a young woman named Nani has been struggling with caring for her rambunctious, disobedient, and lonely younger sister, Lilo, following the death of their parents. A social worker named Cobra Bubbles expresses increasing concern whether Nani is able to take adequate care of her sister. Because Lilo has been ostracized by her friends, Nani decides to let her adopt a dog. At the shelter, Lilo immediately takes a keen interest in 626, who is impersonating a dog. In spite of Nani’s doubts, Lilo gives 626 the name “Stitch”, and shows him around the island.

That evening, at the restaurant where Nani works, the aliens Jumba and Pleakley try, but fail, to capture Stitch. The resulting chaos is blamed on Stitch, causing Nani to quit. The next day, Cobra warns her that if she does not find another job, he will have to place Lilo with a foster family. However, Stitch’s antics, including evading the two alien agents, ruin Nani’s chances of finding work.

Nani’s friend David invites her, Lilo, and Stitch to take a break and enjoy a day of surfing. While Nani, Lilo, and Stitch ride a huge wave, Jumba makes one final effort to capture Stitch from underwater, and Stitch unintentionally pulls Lilo underwater. Although everyone survives, Cobra witnesses this event and tells Nani that, although she means well, Lilo will have to be taken away. Seeing how much trouble he has caused, Stitch runs off.

The next morning, the Councilwoman relieves Jumba and Pleakley of their assignment and gives it to the galaxy’s oversized militant captain, Captain Gantu (instead freeing Jumba to pursue Stitch using less covert methods). Meanwhile, David informs Nani of a job opportunity, which she rushes to pursue. Stitch, hiding in the nearby woods, encounters Jumba, who chases him back to Nani’s house. A fight ensues which destroys the house; Cobra arrives to collect Lilo and take her away.

As Nani and Cobra argue, Lilo runs away into the jungle and finds Stitch, who reveals his alien identity before Gantu captures both of them. Stitch manages to escape from Gantu’s ship and is confronted by Nani. Before he can explain, Jumba and Pleakley capture Stitch themselves. Nani demands that they help her rescue Lilo, but Jumba insists they only came for Stitch. When Nani breaks down, Stitch reminds her about ʻohana, a term for “family” he learned from Lilo, and convinces Jumba to help rescue Lilo. Jumba, Pleakley, Stitch, and Nani all give chase to Gantu’s spaceship in Jumba’s spaceship and rescue Lilo.

Back on the ground, the Grand Councilwoman arrives on Earth and prepares to take Stitch into custody and retire Gantu for kidnapping Lilo, but the girl insists that because Stitch is her pet under local law, he cannot be taken away. Impressed with Stitch’s newfound civility and empathy, the Councilwoman goes against the prior decision of the Federation and decrees that Stitch will live in exile on Earth. He will be entrusted to the care of Lilo and Nani, and the Councilwoman asks Cobra, who is revealed to be a former CIA agent whom she met in 1973, to watch over them.

Together, they rebuild the house, and Jumba and Pleakley become members of Nani, Lilo, and Stitch’s family. The film ends with various footage and pictures of Stitch and his new family’s life together.