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\u201cOhana means family. Family means no one gets left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is one of the most memorable quotes from Disney, and it has made its return in the 2025 live-action remake of \u201cLilo & Stitch.\u201d The much-anticipated movie had trailers streaming everywhere there was a screen, with Stitch merchandise plastered anywhere that sold souvenirs, clothing or even home goods. (No, seriously, I even found a Stitch cushion that lights up in the back.)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even with this celebratory (and capitalistic) fanfare around the movie\u2019s release, I felt ambivalent going into the theaters. On the one hand, I was excited to see beloved characters from my childhood acting out a heartwarming story about finding belonging in unlikely places and redefining what it means to be a family. Plus, after watching clips of the CGI Stitch, I found he wasn\u2019t half bad in resembling the expressively adorable one from the animated film. On the other hand, I was aware of the controversies and discourse surrounding the remake, particularly around its casting<\/a>, lack of<\/a> a well-loved queer element and altering Nani\u2019s costuming to prevent oversexualization<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite this mix of opinions, I was just as emotionally moved by this version as I was by the one that came out more than 20 years ago. Though the remake ran 23 minutes longer and took out some of my favorite scenes \u2014 like Lilo narrating \u201cThe Ugly Duckling\u201d story to Stitch \u2014 it made up for it by portraying the realities of guardianship and responsibility in a way that older audiences could understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n