Despite pre-meditated mixed reviews, Disney's most recent live-action release, Lilo & Stitch, not only brings back an air of well-executed and touching nostalgia to our screens, but in fact taps back into one thing that propelled Disney forward in its prime- family! Lilo & Stitch sees the return of sibling duo Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and Nani (Sydney Agudong), yet they are so much more than ‘just siblings,' Lilo & Nani are sisters.

For the majority, 2025's live-action follows the classic storyline of the original 2002 animation. We are introduced to our well-loved alien friend, Stitch (Experiment 626), as he is expelled to Earth due to being a genetic creation, built for destruction. Stitch escapes and crash-lands in Kauai, Hawaii, where he soon becomes Lilo's pet dog. Fatigued by the recent consumerist Stitch craze, combined with an abundance of disappointing recent releases, nerves were undoubtedly high for Lilo & Stitch's modern makeover- traditionalist or not, Disney were bargaining with a classic, and the odds were not in their favour.

Lilo & Stitch surpassed expectations with the help of the portrayal of Lilo and Nani's developing relationship. As one of Disney's most-loved sibling duos, Lilo and Nani are shown through hardship, loss, survival, and potential separation, as losing Lilo to foster care becomes a threat to their livelihood and bond. Sisterhood is the film's driving force, propelling the watcher experience forward exponentially, creating such a touching and emotive watch for all- whether you are nine, or thirty!

After the loss of their parents, Nani becomes a caregiver and provider to Lilo, struggling to balance a normal working family life, with her role as a sister, and her own hopes and dreams of attending college, all whilst acting as a stable parental figure in Lilo's life. Nani is prepared to give her life up for her sister, to become alike a ‘parent' to her, and never leave her side. After all, “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Lilo & Stitch focuses on exactly what it needed to- Lilo and Nani, and sisterhood, it is extremely easy to see yourself in these sisters in a very real way, through desperation, loss, and a realistic portrayal of family life- just like the animated 2002 classic.

Lilo and Nani's sisterly bond is often compared to that of Anna and Elsa in 2013's Frozen. Considered to be one of Disney's modern animated bests, alongside the likes of Tangled (2010), Moana (2016), and Big Hero 6 (2014), it would be naïve to deny the impact of featuring a strong, well-developed, and touching close familial friendship had on the success of Frozen, in the same manner in which shot Lilo & Stitch into the Disney Studios hall of fame.

Alike Lilo & Stitch, Frozen strays from a typical narrative, moving away from tales centred on romance, and instead grounds itself in a storyline rooted in sisterhood. In Frozen, protagonist sisters Anna and Elsa were presented as not only siblings, but chosen best friends since childhood, with their relationship eventually developing beyond a simple bond, and into true sisterly love. Frozen received an abundance of praise for this narrative, including crucial on-screen moments that compliment this bond-driven storyline, including; the focus of Elsa's character straying away from romance, and Anna sacrificing herself for Elsa (spoiler alert, but come on, it's been ten years!) Disney also utilised sisterhood as a narrative tool in some of its more ‘classic' productions, such as The Little Mermaid, where Ariel and her six older sisters, King Triton's daughters, and presented as a united front, this bond holds up across both the 1989 animated original, as well as 2023's live action, and is crucial in setting the mood, tone, and sense of unity. Sisterhood is such a unique bond, and one that is difficult to replicate on screen.

Twenty-three years later following Lilo & Stitch's original animated release in 2002, it is so exciting to see that the impact and message of Ohana and sisterhood have stood the test of time, bringing such a heartwarming tale back to the big screen- whilst imperfect, Disney's recent live-action release is a slightly brighter beacon of hope for the studios' future endeavours. However, we are left with one final question- after an abundance of poor-performing live-action re-releases, is Disney finally on the up? And will the spirit of ‘Ohana' carry them through to future release successes?

Read FILMHOUNDS' review of Lilo & Stitch, here!

Lilo & Stitch is now available to watch in cinema. A Disney+ release date has not yet been announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWqJifMMgZE