EW’s Christian Holub and Patrick Gomez look back at Disney’s out-of-this-world family story.
Every week, Entertainment Weekly is looking back at the biggest movies of the summer of 2002.
Join us for a rewatch of the first true summer of Hollywood’s strange new millennium.
The titular duo dance in ‘Lilo & Stitch.'.Everett Collection
CHRISTIAN:Sometimes even Disney can’t predict the future.
It probably helped thatLilo & Stitchhad a genuinely creative marketing campaign behind it.
Patrick, what do you remember about seeingLilo & Stitchin theaters for the first time 20 years ago?
Stitch dressed like Elvis in ‘Lilo & Stitch.'.Everett Collection
Jumba (David Ogden Stiers) says Stitch doesn’t have a family, an “ohana.”
“But maybe Icould,” Stitch replies meekly, only to deflate when told, “You’llneverbelong.”
Looking over and seeing my baby cousin staring at me like “What’s wrong with this guy?”
Jumba (David Ogden Stiers) and Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) in ‘Lilo & Stitch.'.Everett Collection
is etched in my brain forever.
It was a few years before I finally realized why that moment hit me so hard.
Damn, I didn’t mean to turn this into a therapy session.
What sticks with you, Christian?
What struck me most about rewatchingLilo & Stitchhere in 2022 was the Elvis of it all.
Just look how cute Stitch comes off in the sequin suit!
And that’s because, up until now, you didn’tneedan Elvis biopic.
There’s just one thing I think Pleakley is wrong about: Mosquitoes definitelyshouldgo extinct.
Any last thoughts, Patrick?
Do you think the magic ofLilo & Stitchcould ever translate to live-action?
Like Lilo and Stitch themselves,Lilo & Stitchwas an underdog (underalien-robot?
Somewhere my cousin is side-eying me hard right now.
Read past 2002 rewatches:
