Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 18, 2025

There are two kind of amazing aspects to what can only be described as "the Disney remake machine": first, the sheer number of "revisits" to previous properties the studio churns out with almost clockwork regularity, and second, how unbelievably successful many of these "been there, seen that" efforts end up being. If the all knowing internets are to be believed, this 2025 (kinda sorta) live action remake of the beloved original 2002 animated production is now the fifth live action (or at least "photorealistic") effort from the studio to surpass a completely astounding one billion dollars (probably best said with a Dr. Evil accent) at the box office. The kind of manic feral charm of at least one of the title characters helps propel this version, even if some diehard fans of the original outing will no doubt question some of the "liberties" that have been taken, though many of those seem to have been thought through conscientiously (if not to everyone's liking), at least according to some of the supplementary material included with this release.

I am frankly not going to get into all of the "updates" this version offers, other than mentioning in passing that here Dr. Jumba Jookiba and Agent Wendell Pleakley transform into human versions played by Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen, which at least overtly moves this outing into living, breathing actors instead of the CGI that brings any number of other characters (of course including Stitch, still voiced by original Stitch Chris Sanders) to ostensible life. There are a number of new if arguably not all that improved characters introduced into the mix, which ends up significantly altering (or at least broadening) the concept of Ohana.

What I actually find kind of interesting about all of this remake fervor is what might be perceived as an "evolution" of Disney's thinking on how to get product out to new audiences and generations. In my The Little Mermaid Blu-ray review, I jokingly addressed the whole controversy over Disney's alleged "wokeness" by stating Disney had been utilizing one of the most "woke" behaviors of all time for decades, namely recycling. But in analyzing the studio's venerable history, it's at least somewhat interesting to note that engaging "new" audiences simply used to mean re-releasing films, which Disney did almost religiously every seven years or so. That changed rather abruptly in 1994 with the release of The Jungle Book (still kind of oddly missing on Blu-ray as of the writing of this review).

After that 1994 opus and then 1996's 101 Dalmatians (also still weirdly unavailable on Blu-ray as of the writing of this review), Disney kind of responded to the acclaim (or at least ticket sales) the efforts engendered to embrace this perceived new idiom whole hog (and/or warthog as the case may be, to cite yet another kinda sorta "live action" remake, The Lion King). This "subgenre" of remakes doesn't even taken into account Disney's own penchant for revisiting films that were live action to begin with, a la the current hit (again as of the writing of this review) Freakier Friday. This might all inherently suggest a lack of innovation on the part of the "creatives" at the studio, but my hunch is kids who either have never seen the original Lilo & Stitch or who at least don't have a long (perhaps from childhood into adulthood) history with it will probably love this version. To paraphrase a memorable quote from Bill Maher recently about current events, those with a long history with the original may need to "triage their outrage".

Note: My colleague Brian Orndorf was considerably less pleased by the film, and those with similar sentiments (or wanting a varying viewpoint) can read his thoughts here.

Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lilo & Stitch is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the Arri Alexa 35 and a 4K DI as the relevant data points. The blending of CGI and what I might pointedly call actual live action is largely (if not totally) seamless, but kind of interestingly there may be a trade off of sorts between the presentations in 1080 and 4K UHD that Disney / Buena Vista are offering with this film. The 4K version probably undeniably ups the precision of fine detail on things like Stitch's fur (or even some of the "slimier" aliens), but the increased resolution of that format probably equally unavoidably makes the use of CGI more noticeable. That may make this 1080 version actually preferable for some, at least those sticking to the "live action remake" line (that's a joke). Fine detail on all the practical sets and costumes is excellent throughout the presentation (and in sometimes highly variant lighting conditions). The palette is also gorgeous throughout, and the outdoor location work in Hawaii is especially resplendent.

Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As tends to be the case with Disney, this 1080 disc has DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 as its "featured" surround track, while Disney's 4K UHD disc offers a Dolby Atmos track. There's not a huge difference between these two, to be honest, but there are some noticeable moments or even sequences where the Atmos track does deliver more immersion and verticality. Two good examples are Stitch's escape in the early going and then perhaps a bit more unexpectedly the "earthbound" surfing scene quite a bit later in the story. Other than isolated examples like that, the 1080 disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track delivers consistent engaging immersion, including really nice, vibrant renderings of the Hawaiian music and the glut of ambient environmental effects in the many outdoor scenes. Stitch's manic scurrying also provides a ton of opportunities for scampering surround effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: The 4K disc in this package has no supplementary content. The 1080 disc contains the following bonus features:

• 'Ohana Means Family: Making Lilo & Stitch (HD; 16:33) is an engaging EPK with some good interviews.


• Drawn to Life (HD; 6:54) is a more promotionally minded EPK that at least offers a few clues for easter egg hunters.


• Bloopers (HD; 1:35)


• Scenes With Stitch (HD; 6:10) is what I guess is this disc's version of the jukeboxes Disney frequently offers with their musicals.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 1:56)


• Not a supplement per se, but letting the Main Menu play for a while (on both the 4K and 1080 discs) may offer a laugh or two.

Note: Disney / Buena Vista sent its 4K UHD SteelBook release (which includes a 1080 disc) for purposes of this review, but it looks like the standalone 1080 release comes with DVD and digital copies.

Lilo & Stitch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some of these live action remakes kind of seem strictly unnecessary, as with the relatively recent Snow White. I'm absolutely positive some diehard fans of the original Lilo & Stitch will feel exactly the same about this enterprise, but this particular remake managed to both make me laugh out loud and have, you know, "all the [patented Disney] feels". Little Maia Kealoha is a real find, and the supporting cast is generally quite engaging as well. Technical merits are first rate, and the supplements enjoyable. Recommended.