July 19, 2002 – Lilo, the heroine of "Lilo & Stitch," is a beguiling if quick-tempered young girl who is being raised by her older sister on the island of Hawaii.
Stitch, the dog she takes up with, is not at all beguiling until Lilo gets her hands on him, or more to the point, her heart. But they have one critical thing in common — they are computer-generated creations of Disney Studios.
Lilo ventures to the local dog pound one day where she adopts Stitch, who, unbeknownst to her, actually is an alien genetic experiment gone awry. His name is 626, until Lilo changes it to the somewhat more suitable Stitch and begins to show him about humans. Sound too corny?
The New York Times doesn't think so.
"The early science-fiction sequences, with their bright colors, whimsical characters and sublime sense of scale, show the influence of Japanese anime," its critic rhapsodized. "Hawaii, where most of the action takes place, presents a striking visual contrast, with gentle, vibrant watercolor background that give the movie an unusual and welcome loveliness."
Now, if the NY Times thinks that highly of it, why shouldn't you? It looks to be head and shoulders above the usual kids' genre. Lilo is being raised by her sister because their parents were killed in an accident, but the Times says the tragedy is alluded to so quickly and discreetly that it may not register with young viewers who might be upset by it.
"Lilo & Stitch" is rated PG for mild sci-fi action and runs 87 minutes. Daveigh Chase and Chris Sanders do the voices of the stars. It was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean Deblois.
It is playing at Market Square East on St. Thomas.
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