• Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” adaptation closely follows the original animated film.
• Maia Kealoha’s performance as Lilo is a highlight, capturing the heart of the character.
• While the plot can feel disjointed, the film delivers heartwarming moments and comedic charm.

“Lilo & Stitch” joins a long line of Walt Disney Studios animated films to receive a live-action adaptation.

In recent years that list includes the likes of “Beauty & the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid,” all of which were unqualified successes.

Whether “Lilo” joins them remains to be seen. There are no surprises in this particular effort. It’s by-the-blueprint filmmaking from director Dean Fleisher Camp (Oscar-nominated “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”) who recognizes what he has at his disposal here and only needs to not screw it up.

The animated film grossed $273 million globally, so there’s a built-in audience who remembers the film fondly. That audience, many of whom are now parents, have apparently turned their children on to the film because at the press screening I attended, there were plenty of young ones wearing or carrying Stitch gear.

Who could blame them? The blue menace is cute, cuddly and despite his desire to cause wanton mayhem is also very loveable. More plush Stitches will be sold in stores because of this film, not surprising given that’s part of the equation with movie-making and Disney is a master of it.

That’s a cynical observation, but it’s also reality. That cynicism aside, if a film had nothing to offer, fans would not bother with the ancillary marketing materials like stuffed animals and T-shirts. And “Lilo & Stitch” has something for audiences.

Firstly, there’s half of the titular couple, Stitch. Did I mention he’s cute? How about cuddly? He’s also the creation of a rogue scientist (Zach Galifianakis) That being stated, he’s also a criminal on his home planet, which he escapes so that he can avoid being punished.

That scientist, Jumba, is tasked with tracking his creation down with the help of a monitor, Pleakley (Billy Magnussen). But Stitch is a creature with his own mind.

He crash lands in Hawaii (if you’re going to crash land anywhere on Earth, there are few better spots) and finds himself mistaken for a dog. And, of course, he eventually finds his way to Lilo (Maia Kealoha), a lonely girl who lives with her sister Nani (Sydney Elizabeth Agudong).

The sisters are going through hard times after the death of their parents with Nani doing everything to keep them together. Stitch’s arrival complicates things as he revels in causing mayhem. For the audience it’s enjoyable, comedic chaos.

For the sisters it has real-life consequence, including the prospect of being separated. Coupled with the fact that Stich is being pursued by his creator and by the CIA, problems abound.

We all know where this is going to go, but the important part here is the journey. Camp does his best who guide the audience through a convoluted plot that sometimes feels disjointed.

What he gets right is casting Kealoha, who could be a doppelganger for the animated version of Lilo and manages to steal many of the scenes she’s in. She and her CGI partner are the heart and soul of the film. Given its title that’s the way it should be.

George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.

Review

Movie: “Lilo & Stitch”

Cast: Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Courtney B. Vance

Directed by: Dean Fleischer Camp

Running time: 1 hour 48 minutes

Rated: PG (for action, peril and thematic elements.)

Grade: B-