She says a few more things about her doll and when she looks up, all the girls have gone. In a really heartbreaking scene, she throws her doll on the ground and stomps off, but then quickly turns back to collect the doll, hugging it.
Nani arrives at the dance school and doesn't see her sister. She runs home and on the way there, a car almost runs into her. She screams at the driver, "Hey! Watch where you're going!" and kicks the bumper and calls the driver "stupid head." She'll soon realize this was't the smartest thing to do.
When she reaches the house, the front door is locked and she pokes her head through the doggy door and sees Lilo lying on the floor listening to "Heartbreak Hotel." (We'll soon find out that Lilo is quite the Elvis aficionado.) Nani reminds her "the social worker's going to be here any minute" and Lilo tells her to go away, then increases the volume on the record player. (Yes, she listening to a record player! Lilo likes vinyl!)
He introduces himself as Mr. Bubbles and asks Nani if she's going to invite him in and she tells him she thought they could sit out on the front stoop and talk, but he's not having it. She tells him to follow her and they go around back and she tells him to wait there while she runs around to the side of the house. I'm sure Mr. Bubbles can sniff the bulls*t already! There is a hilarious moment where, while he is waiting, he hears glass breaking, something crashing, the record player scratching quickly followed by the sound of the music stopping and Lilo whining, "Hey!" I love this scene and it makes me laugh because the audience doesn't see any thing that just happened...the camera was on Bubbles the whole time (which seemed to only take about five seconds!). The door opens and Nani is panting with sweaty strands of hair in her face. She offers some lemonade to Bubbles.
He comes in and asks her, "Do you often leave your sister home alone?" She tells him never, except just this once because she had to run to the store. They're in the kitchen and he looks at the stove which has four pots cooking something on each burner and the counter is full of disgusting dirty dishes Bubbles asks her, "You left the stove on while you were out?"
Before he leaves, Bubbles tells Nani something she already knows: "This did not go well." He adds that he is "giving her three days to change [his] mind."
The two sisters get into a shouting match when Nani asks Lilo if she understands she could be taken away. Lilo stomps up to her room and screams into a pillow while Nani simultaneosy screams into a pillow on the living room couch. Some time has elapsed and a much more calm Nani brings up some pizza for Lilo and she tells her she shouldn't have yelled at her and Lilo replies, "We're sisters. It's our job." She also adds, "I like you better as a sister than a mom."
The lights go off and they hear a booming noise in the distance. Lilo goes to her window and sees what she thinks is "a falling star." She shoos her sister out of her room so she can make a wish. Nani opens the door to overhear Lilo saying a little prayer by her bed and asking God or TPTB to "send me an angel...the nicest angel you have."
There's a funny juxtaposition to Stitch (as you may have guessed, the crash the girls (and I'm sure everyone else within a 50 mile radius) heard was Stitch's spaceship crash landing) who is standing on a pile of rocks looking like a devil. His six legs have their sharp claws protruded, his eyes are narrowed, and he has a demonic smile and laughs manically with a big plume of smoke behind him.
He has a laser gun and when a couple drops of rain plop down, he shoots at them until it's full on pouring. A couple of trucks that are connected run him over and because he is indestructible he doesn't get smooshed...too bad. The driver stops to see what he hit and finds the strange creature jammed above the tire and calls the animal shelter. Stitch wakes up in a kennel he's sharing with three dogs who are all in a corner cowering and terrified of the strange creature. One dog is even covering his eyes with his paws. Stitch goes to get his laser but finds he no longer has it.
It just so happens that Nani happens to be at the shelter with Lilo and we hear her say, "We're looking for something that can defend itself...something that won't die...something sturdy, you know?" I found "something that won't die" a bit strange for her to say. Does she think she's getting a goldfish? I would assume when you're getting a dog you expect it to live for a good while so that was just an odd thing to say. While they're talking, Stitch scuttles across the ceiling and out the door where a red laser immediately points at him and he goes back inside and crawls along the ceiling and into the back room without anyone noticing him. As you may have guessed, Jumba was the one pointing his laser gun at him.
Okay, I need to pause here because I just realized I've been doing something without noticing until now. I've been calling Stitch "Stitch". Yes, I know that's his name, but remember, he technically hasn't been named "Stitch" yet (though he will soon). I think he's just so engraved in pop culture that he's always just been Stitch. It's hard to forget for the first twenty-five minutes of the movie he's just known as Experiment 626. Now I could go back and just change all my "Stitch" mentions to "Experiment 626" but eh, I just decided to write this explanation and you can read why I was calling him "Stitch" before he got the name. C'est la vie.
Stitch appears in front of Lilo who says "hi" and he sounds out the word and hugs her. Being that he can talk and he's the only "dog" around, Lilo is adamant about getting him, but Nani is not so sure. When the woman filling out the forms asks Lilo what she wants to name her new dog, she decides on Stitch. The woman tells her, "Now that's not a real name," but Nani quickly quiets her and she adds, "In Iceland." Why would this woman, who I assume has helped many people adopt dogs at this animal shelter, tell a kid that the name she picked is not a real name? Surely she has seen many kids name their dog something out of the ordinary. I would think she would know not to tell them that the name the chose isn't "a real name." Also, she's a bespectacled redhead so I wonder if she's Mertle's mom? It would make sense: they both look alike and neither have people skills.
Stitch costs Lilo (who bothers the money from her sister) $2. I have to say, that's a steal. I got my cat, Milo (who just celebrated his 19th birthday!), in 2007 for $125.
Jumba and Peakley are situated on a hill and when Stitch sets foot outdoors, the laser is pointed at him, but he starts barking and Lilo steps outside beside him. Jumba is about to take his shot, but Peakley grabs the laser from him and tells him, " I have just determined this situation to be far too hazardous!" Angry that Experiment 626 is using this girl as a shield, Jumba starts down the hill, ready to charge the blue alien, but Peakley tells him they cannot be seen and that they "have to blend in."
Nani tells Lilo she has to go to work (she's a waitress at a restaurant) and reminds her to "stick around town and stay out of the roads." Now I don't think we're ever told Lilo's age, but she can't be no older than eight. (Of course she is an animated characters...I can barely tell the age of kids in real life!) She seems a little young to be left by herself without a baby-sitter, let alone allowing to be running around the island town they live in as long as she doesn't leave the town. Oh, well, I guess I shouldn't question an animated movie about an alien that looks like an evil koala.
Stitch is driving the Big Wheel everywhere but is frustrated when he keeps finding water. It's when Lilo says, "It's nice to live on an island with no large cities" that he realizes there's no escape. I'm not really sure what he's trying to find; I assume a way to escape, but where does he plan to go? Well, for now he's stuck with Lilo on this island!
This is the first time Stitch is seeing the house even though he's been with Lilo nearly all day. Lilo tells him he'll like his new home a lot. She shows him a pillow and he starts tearing it apart. Well, at least he acts like a dog! Nani thinks they should take him back and doesn't think he's a dog. Yes, exactly! How can anyone think that's a dog? Lilo replies, "He's just cranky because it's his bedtime."
Nani still wants to take him back and I can't really blame her because he's wrecking havoc around their house. He's scratching the walls and turning on the blender and making a mess. Lilo tells her, "He was an orphan and we adopted him. What about "ohana"? Nani tells her he hasn't been with them that long and Lilo replies, "Neither have I. Dad said 'Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." She totally guilt trips her sister into letting Stitch stay. I do understand where Lilo is coming from. They've only had Stitch for one day. I think it's only fair they give it time before they just give up and send him back, but I don't agree with her comparing herself to Stitch when she told Nani she hasn't been with her that long. Lilo, girl, there's a huge difference between you, Nani's sister, and some "dog" you just adopted from the animal shelter.
Lilo takes Stitch upstairs to her room and shows him a little dog bed on the floor next to her bed, but he wants her bed instead. Heh, reminds me of my cat. Not only does he sleep on my bed, but he wants to sleep on my pillows...the same ones where I'm resting my head! Stitch moves her pillows and sees a photo of Lilo's parents that Lilo is quite possessive of. She grabs the photo and tells him, "Be careful of that! You don't touch this! Don't ever touch it!" With all due respect to Lilo, maybe she should keep that picture in a more secure place.
Jumba and Peakley are spending their first night on Earth camping outside. Peakley is excited when a mosquito lands on him and says, "This mosquito has chosen me as her perch." Then another one, and another one, and soon he's covered with a swarm of them. "They like me! They're nuzzling my flesh with their noses!" He's all happy until he's not and screams in horror. It's a humorous scene because we're about to get a sad scene.
The next day Cobra Bubbles comes back to the house a tells Nani he heard she lost her job. She tells him she quit because "the hours are just not conducive to the challenge of raising a child." Stitch throws a book at him and when he asks what "that thing" is, Lilo delightfully exclaims, "My puppy!" He tells her the next time he comes, he wants her dog to become "a model citizen."
Now I should mention that for some unexplained reason, Lilo is a huge fan of the King. I mentioned earlier she was listening to Elvis when she had locked her sister out of the house and she discovers if she hooks Stitch up to the record player and open his mouth, it will play her Elvis record. We get a montage of Elvis singing "Devil in Disguise" (a perfect song for Stitch!) as Nani is looking for a new job. At the same time, Lilo is teaching Stitch to be a "model citizen." (Why a pet needs to be a model citizen is beyond me. Pets can't understand that concept!) Lilo takes out a photograph of Elvis and tells Stitch, "Elvis Presley was a model citizen. I've compiled a list of his traits for you to practice." What made me laugh is that the picture was a real-life picture of Elvis; it wasn't a cartoon drawing of him. It reminded me of when they would use real life photographs on South Park. The traits Stitch learns includes dancing and playing the guitar. I have no idea how this is supposed to make him a "model citizen." Hey, Lilo, how about you tell your "dog" not to throw things at people?
Everytime Nani finds a possible new job prospect, it gets ruined because of Stitch causing shenanigans.
This disrupts the balance and the girls fall off and pop up in the water. Stitch also pops up and Jumba grabs him from underwater. Stitch starts to panic when he's taken under and takes Lilo with him. David and Nani dive down and Jumba lets go of Stitch and hides in the murky water. Nani kicks Stitch so he lets go of Lilo and she brings her up to the surface. Stitch is sinking, but David manages to grab him.
Cobra Bubbles is on the beach (he always seems to be around at the worst times) and Nani tries to explain what happened. He tells her "I know you're trying, but you need to think about what's best for Lilo. Even if it removes you from the pictures." He tells her he'll be back tomorrow morning for Lilo.
After the two sister leave, David says to Stitch (I love that Lilo just leaves her new pet behind, but I get it was done for purposes), "I really believed they had a chance...then you came along." At least Stitch has the decency to look guilty.
Stitch finds a photo of Lilo and Nani with their parents and Lilo explains her parents died in a car crash when it was raining. She asks, "What happened to yours?" Then it gets really sad when she tells him, "I hear you cry at night. Do you have dreams about them?" She tells him their family is small and they don't have many toys, "but if you want, you could be part of it." Stitch grabs The Ugly Duckling from his bed and starts to head to the window. She tells him their family's motto: "Ohana means family. "Family" means nobody gets left behind. But if you want to leave, you can." He hops out the window and a sad Lilo tells him, "I'll remember you though...I remember everyone who leaves." Of course she's looking at a photo of her dead parents as she's saying this. Damnit, Lilo, stop making me cry!
The first time we hear Stitch speak actual English is about an hour into the movie when he opens the book outside to the page he had shown Lilo earlier. He attempts to say "I'm lost", just like the little duckling had uttered.
Meanwhile, the Councilwoman has been keeping tabs on the Earthbound aliens to see if they've captured 626 yet. When she is not satisfied with their answer, she tells them they'll be "prison bound" and that she will be sending Captain Gantu. We met Captain Gantu at the beginning of the movie and he's a giant, intimidating alien who looks like he has a shark head and elephant hooves. And when I say he's giant, he's easily as tall as a tree.
After receiving the threatening call, Jumba sneaks up on Stitch (who is reading the book) with a ray gun and tells him to come with him. Stitch tells him he's waiting for his family (like the Ugly Duckling) and Jumba tells him he doesn't have one because he (Stitch) was created by Jumba himself. The way Stitch drops his face is so sad! He says, "Maybe...I could", but Jumba tells him, You're built to destroy. You can never belong." Seriously, why would you make something that was meant to destroy everything so adorable? Stitch runs away.
This has all happened in one night and the next morning a sad Lilo tells a sad Nani that Stitch is gone and that it's good he is gone because "he didn't want to be here, anyway."
David arrives and tells Nani that he thinks he found her a job. Apparently she has to leave with him right now for the interview and she tells Lilo to "stay here for a few minutes", meaning their house.
Soon after Nani leaves with David, a very scared Stitch runs into the houses. Jumba also barges in and tells him, "Hiding behind your little friend won't work anymore." Now that his freedom is on the line, Jumba is ready to destroy anyone and anything in his path.
Stitch is scattering on top of the ceiling as Jumba is shooing his ray gun (or whatever kind of inter-galatical weapon he has) and from outside Pleakley can see the roof being destroyed. Stitch's super strength is demonstrated when he picks up Jumba (who looks like he has a few extra pounds on him) and throws him out the window, thus destroying the house even more.
Pleakley shows up to make sure Lilo is okay. While he's distracting Jumba, Lilo calls Mr. Bubbles and tells him, "Aliens are attacking my house. They want my dog!" During that, Stitch throws a Volkswagen and exclaims "Punch buggy!" as he hits Jumba with it.
Somehow the entire house ends up just exploding. Lilo and Pleakley make it out, but Stitch and Jumba were still inside, but managed to survive. No surprise about Stitch since he's indestructible.
Nani is done with her interview and she has gotten the job, though I'm sure in a few short minutes she's soon going to regret leaving Lilo alone (though I don't think Nani could have stopped any of this even if she was there). When she steps outside, she sees a firetruck racing right by her. Once it turns in the direction of her house, she knows it's headed there. She runs back to see Lilo describing one of the aliens to Mr. Bubbles who puts her in his car. Lilo just scoots across the seat and opens the door on the other side and runs away into the woods when she realizes that she's being taken away from her sister.
Stitch finds her and shows her the photo of her and her sister with their parents he founds in the wreckage. She takes it and tells him, "You ruined everything." I mean, she's not technically wrong.
Stitch shows her his true alien self...the tentacles, the extra pair of arms, the weird spiny thing on his back. All this confirms to Lilo is that he is "one of them" and she tells him to "get out of here." In the distance, Gantu shoots a gun at them and captures them in a large net. They must live in a lowly populated area because nobody sees to notice this gigantic extra terrestrial just roaming around their island, easily taller than the tree line. Is nobody even concerned about this?
Nani can't miss him when she's looking for Lilo and screams when she sees him (which would be the same reaction I would have!). She scurries behind a tree and sees him drop Lilo and Stitch into a glass capsule and attaches it to a space ship, calling Lilo "a little snack". Stitch manges to somehow squeeze out of it and falls to the ground before the ship gets too far off the ground, but Lilo is still in there which must be terrifying for Nani.
She demands Stitch to start talking and tell her where Lilo's headed, but before he can say anything, he's captured by Jumba. She asks them where Lilo is and Jumba pretends not to know who she is talking about. Nani shouts at them, describing her sister and at the end, adds, "and she hangs around with that thing!" while pointing at Stitch. She demands them to bring her back and Peakley tells her they can't do that because it would be "a misuse of Galactic resources" and Jumba tells her they're just there to get Stitch. Okay, I just thought of something random: do you think Jumba was molded after Jabba the Hut? They're both fat, ugly aliens and Jumba does sound similar to Jabba.
Nani falls to the ground, sobbing. Jumba tells the other two aliens to follow him, but Stitch walks over to her and repeats Lilo's family mantra: "Ohana means 'family'...family means 'Nobody gets left behind.'" It doesn't take much convincing (like none at all) but Stitch persuades Jumba to help them rescue Lilo.
They get into a spaceship that is much bigger than the one Gantu is navigating (you'd think the giant alien would control the larger spacecraft) and once he realizes he's being followed, be starts shooting lasers at them as they dodge him.
Then we get this whole ridiculous scene where Stitch is trying to save Lilo. It involves him crashing onto land, then he hijacks a semi and drives it into a volcano where the lava sprays him up on Gantu's ship. I have to admit, all the outer space stuff makes my eyes glaze over. He rescues Lilo and it's kinda weird because he's holding her in his arms, almost like a romantic thing a couple would do. She says, "You came back" and he kisses her on the cheek and tells her, "Nobody gets left behind." I wish they had done this so it wasn't....so weird.
This seems to satisfy the Councilwoman. She grabs Stitch and announces, "This creature has been sentenced to life in exile, a sentence that shall be henceforth served out here on Earth." She adds that his new family is "now under the official protection of the United Galactic Fedearation" and they'll be "checking in now and then."
We find out Bubbles was part of the CIA and had met the Councilwoman in Rosewell in 1973. In a full circle moment, we discover he's the one who convinced an alien race that mosquitoes were an endangered species. Haha, so I have to tell you something amusing. After I write my review, I'll proofread it to make sure my grammar is correct and I'm using the correct words. Sometimes I type so fast that the autofill will automatically put in a different word that I intended to use. While proofreading this last paragraph, it had read "mosquitoes were an endeared species." Ha! Mosquitoes? An endeared species? It's funny because it's so not true.
The Councilwoman boards her spaceship to head back to Turo. Before she does, she tells her crew to make sure Peakley and Jumba don't board the same ship. I thought this meant they would just take another spacecraft back to their home planet, but they seem to stay on Earth. The movie ends with them helping Lilo, Nani, Stitch, David, and Mr. Bubbles rebuilding the house as Wynona Judd sings a cover of Burning Love. (Lord, almighty, I feel my temperature rising...), then we see a montage of clips and photos from around the year. The one with all of them (including Bubbles, David, and Peakley and Jumba) at the Thanksgiving table with Stitch presenting a turkey had me cracking up. I think this is because it's a take on a famous Norman Rockwell painting as you can see:
*The other movie from 2002 about aliens having an aversion to water was Signs. I'm pretty sure 99% of people reading this already knew that, or maybe I just assumed that most people know that because I feel like that is common movie knowledge. In fact, I would assume that was the more obvious movie about aliens' aversion to water as everyone seems to bring up what a stupid plot point it is (I need to review that movie someday!) whereas I think it's easy to forget about in Lilo and Stitch.
**I made this stupid joke because Daveigh Chase, who voiced Lilo, was the creepy little girl demon (or whatever she's supposed to be) in The Ring.
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