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Lilo & Stitch (2025)


Lilo & Stitch (2025) is the live-action adaptation of the animated Disney classic.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, best known for Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, this adaptation brings surprising heart and care to the beloved animated original. The casting is where this film truly excels. It's weird to think that he has no upcoming movies after this. Perhaps he's stuck in negotiations.

Sydney Agudong is a perfect Nani. Not just because she’s from Hawai‘i, but because she balances the character’s stressed responsibility with quiet strength. This is her breakout role, and I'm stoked for her future movies. It's too bad she hasn't been cast in anything worthwhile yet. 

Maia Kealoha, as Lilo, could’ve derailed the whole thing if she missed the mark, but she doesn’t. She brings emotional gravity and mischief in just the right balance. She'll be in an upcoming movie that has an all-star cast called The Wrecking Crew. So look forward to that.

Tia Carrere, who I remember from Wayne’s World and True Lies, plays a new role here, and though she’s aged since her ‘90s heyday, she fits the tone well. Courtney B. Vance from American Crime Story is inspired casting as Cobra Bubbles and gives the character presence and authority.

The film stays true to its roots while adding just enough to stand on its own. Result: A-

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