Tuesday, August 5, 2008

In Stitches...


On this date nine years ago, production began on Disney's last great animated movie: "Lilo & Stitch"... the Chris Sanders' film would not be released until 2002, but it was the closing of an era. Although there would be one more hand-drawn animated film in production before Eisner decided to pull the plug on 2D animation at Disney, the writing was on the wall. Now, 2D is coming back to Disney an Chris Sanders is gone... Funny how things work out, hmmm?

The marketing campaign for "Lilo & Stitch" was clever in how it poked fun at other Disney classics like "Aladdin" with Stitch barging into a preview of one of those films and totally disrupting it. Another interesting thing about "Stitch" is that it was the first Disney animated feature to deviate from the classic music and use tunes from the King, Elvis Presley.

Thank ya, thank ya very much...

16 comments:

Debbie said...

I'm a huge Disney fan (and have LOVED discovering your blog, Honor!), but I hated - HATED - L&S. I truly think it was one of the worst movies Disney ever made! Blech, blech, blech!

Anonymous said...

Everybody has a different opinion. I loved Lilo & Stitch (the animated TV series, not so much, but that's been true of all the movies-to-TV stuff Disney has done). I still love Lilo & Stitch. I find it far superior to Pocohantas or even Hunchback of Notre Dame, which had many positives but too many flaws for me to ever truly enjoy the film. Two late era Disney films--Mulan and Lilo & Stitch--are two of my favorites, although nothing ever beat classics like Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. But would I rather watch a Disney classic like Cinderella, or Lilo & Stitch? Frankly, I'd pick Lilo & Stitch. Although I am a big Elvis fan, so maybe I'm biased.

corruption said...

Lilo and Stitch really was an oddity in the past 10 years of Disney films, which honestly, is a good thing.

It's timeless, charming, and beautiful, like E.T. for a new generation :)

Anonymous said...

lilo and stitch is actually my favorite disney film, and in my top 5 favorite movies of all time (my husband's, too). it's so delightfully quirky and has a definite "down to earth" quality-- while still containing a whole lot of disney magic!

Anonymous said...

I loved Lilo and Stitch as well. Sure there were problems with the story, but I thought it was charming enough.

Unfortunate that Chris Sanders left when John Lasseter came in. If anything, I thought Lasseter's arrival would help Sanders in the future.

Anonymous said...

Im with Debbie. While I wouldnt say it is the worst animated disney movie ever I would say for me it is in the top 5 worst easily.

Probably why I am so happy with the new direction Bolt is going in.

Anonymous said...

Count me in as a Lilo & Stitch-lover as well.

Great film with great characters and a great franchise.

nojarama said...

I love L&S, as do my nieces & nephew. I thought it brought Disney back on track from some abominations IMO.

Colt and Maggie said...

Who ever says this is the worst Disney animated film never saw Home on the Range. Lilo and Stitch was vastly superior to Brother Bear as well.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE STITCH!!!! I think I enjoy this character so much because I can see many of my personalities in him. No I am not blue, but he can be lovable, caring, mischievous, and a trouble marker. It kills me that there is not more stitch items when I visit the parks. I wish I lived closer to DLRT or DLRHK because they love him overseas. Tokyo even gave him his own parade.

Anonymous said...

Well, after Lilo and Stitch, I haven't been to a Disney (non-Pixar) movie. Many others may feel that L&S was a poor Disney film. Some may have had the Elvis effect (either positive or negative), while others may have been put off by other aspects.

I found the lack of continuity a problem. In the beginning, Lilo was VERY focused on her dancing. By the end of the film, she apparently had no real interest in it.

I find that there has been significant potential in some of Disney's films that just fails to materialize. While they do have some creative artists, they really need someone to provide an outside look at what they are doing before they go into production. Then maybe their films wouldn't have the problems they often run into.

Anonymous said...

I found "Lilo & Stitch" to be very enjoyable. I love the Elvis music, and especially like the watercolor backgrounds, and think, on the whole, it's a good movie.

It's infinitely superior to "Home on the Range," and several of the films Walt produced before the release of "Cinderella." ("Make Mine Music," "Melody Time," "Fun and Fancy Free," to name just a few that have good moments but are overall stinkers.) And talking about story problems, it's MUCH stronger in the story department than say, "Alice in Wonderland," "Fox and the Hound" or "Robin Hood."

My favorite? No way. But not many of those last several 2D films are. Look at the list: "Treasure Planet" (great potential, but flawed), "Brother Bear" (a "Lion King" wannabe with some individual good moments), "Home on the Range" (great score by Alan Menken, but what? singing cows? COME ON!). It was clear that Disney's story department was lost.

The best thing with the actual "Disney" name on it in the last several years was "Meet the Robinsons," which owed much of its charm to the original source material. (And yes, there are detractors to this film as well, but I find it to be altogether charming, and its message one that Walt himself would have approved.)

So..."Lilo & Stitch" is a cute little movie in my opinion, but it got overmarketed like crazy, to the point that the charm was worn away...

Anonymous said...

I loved Lilo and Stitch, but they ran the movie into the ground with overuse. I mean, 3 Direct-to-DVD movies, so far 4 theme park attractions, all within 6 years of the movie's premier, mountains of merchandise for it's first few years, and the tv series. They over-saturated the market with the characters, so now the characters aren't on any merchandise. Thanks Eisner.

Anonymous said...

Lilo and Stitch is one of my fav. Disney Movies. I love the Hawaiian theming and how the culture was put into the film, the music is just great. I think it is an all time fav. because it is my daughter's. Last year she walked around doing the hula, singing the songs, and this year she got to meet Lilo and Stitch at the Polynesian on her first trip...it was just a priceless moment, they spent so much time with her, I even found Lilo's dress on Ebay for her to wear. She still loves them over a year later and has watched the other Lilo and Stitch movies and the series. She watches other Disney classics, but this is her all time favorite.

and...personally..I think Lilo is so darn cute! I ran up to her in Disney and gave her a hug!

Anonymous said...

"I found the lack of continuity a problem. In the beginning, Lilo was VERY focused on her dancing. By the end of the film, she apparently had no real interest in it."

Apparently this person doesn't pay very good attention, because in the closing moments, Lilo IS seen dancing again, with her friends, and with Stitch. And apparently loving it more than ever.

Lilo and Stitch may not to be to a particular person's tastes, but it doesn't have any significant "continuity problems" and for a movie with so many extraterrestrial elements, it's one of the smartest and "grounded" animated films Disney's ever done.

Mio said...

As a teen It is one of my favorite movies of all time! I love how the character deviates from the normal characters in disney films- Stitch is a rebel! I love the beautiful 2D animation. While not completely "classic" in the terms that we are used to seeing Disney movies, I think that the overall concept of Lilo and Stitch, and Stitch himself is adorable, loveable, and fun! I think you just can't take these movies too seriously by comparing it to the classics and completely focusing on the mistakes. It's just a fun film with amazing characters and a fun plotline. But then again, I also love The Emperor's New Groove as one of my favorites as it has a similar feel to me.
Hated the sequel and the tv series to Lilo&Stitch though. These sequels are a disturbing trend in Disney films used to make an extra buck, I think.