O'hana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind...
or forgotten.

Who could ever forget these lines in the year 2002 when we were caught off guard with a movie that involved an extraterrestrial being? Little did we know that this movie would stay in the deep corners of our hearts.

Lilo & Stitch is a movie which I prejudiced to be belonging in the sci-fi genre. But I was wrong. Sure, it might have involved a few scientific terms like experiments, spaceships, planets, etc. but these were words that I was able to fathom. Moving on, this movie started out in Hawaii where Lilo was a girl who desperately tried to make friends but no one really made an effort to know her better. She was orphaned, she was lonely and you can’t help but want to reach out and hug her (which is impossible). In a way the perfect word for her would be “alienated”, which brings me to our alien friend, Stitch. In the movie, Stitch or fondly called by Jumba as Experiment 626 was banished to an asteroid but being that he is cleverly evil, Stitch took over the ship and ended up crashing in Hawaii and finally in the dog pound where it was found by Lilo. Stitch’s heart softened up because of the realization of his being alone and the need for love and acceptance, which is the same situation at where Lilo is in. Both characters were considered to be “alienated” (no pun intended) but still they found the love and acceptance they needed from each other. With this I say, Disney never and will never lose its touch.

I know I can proudly say that I am not too old to watch Disney movies. Disney always finds its way to get to me. They can make you tear up over a scene you usually imagined you wouldn’t cry at, that’s their power. They have a way of telling a story that makes you think and feel hard about it. Lilo & Stitch isn’t just a movie about aliens and Elvis Presley. Despite the fact that it included some sci-fi themes, it carried the reality of a lonely person, of how hard it is to be alone and to be not loved. With a great theme and a plot that will keep you chewing on your popcorn without noticing, Lilo & Stitch is a success. Great sounds from Elvis which is a treat for the ears and great cinematography, which I expected from Disney, you’ll love this movie whether you’re young or old.

Picture taken from

www.if.com.au