History WesternAnimation / LiloAndStitch

[[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes A live-action/CGI adaptation]] of the film made for Creator/DisneyPlus is in the works, with filming set to run from March 13 to June 16, 2023. It will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (director and co-writer of the ''WebVideo/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn'' short films and [[Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn2021 their 2021 feature film adaptation]]), written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright (writer of the unproduced script ''Conviction'', which made the 2018 edition of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_List_(survey) The Black List]]), and produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich (producers of the 2019 ''Film/{{Aladdin|2019}}'' remake). [[https://knightedgemedia.com/2023/03/maia-kealoha-cast-as-lilo-in-disneys-lilo-stitch/ Only two cast members have been confirmed so far;]] Creator/ZachGalifianakis will voice Pleakley and newcomer Maia Kealoha will portray Lilo Pelekai herself. As of September 2022, Sanders has [[https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/lilo-stitch-live-action-remake-christopher-sanders-original-director-interview not yet been asked]] to reprise the role of Stitch, though he remains as open as ever to return to voicing his iconic alien.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: The scene of Lilo hiding in a clothes dryer was redrawn specifically for the United Kingdom release, where Lilo is instead hiding in a commode with a pizza box for a door. The reason for the change is due to the UK's stance of displaying imitable and dangerous behaviour that younger, more impressionable viewers may want to imitate. This edit was also either removed from TV broadcasts (side-stepping the problem with an adbreak) or altered as above. Creator/DisneyPlus would later use this version of the scene for the film in all regions, as do many of the physical reprints -- not that we blame them, as [[https://www.fatherly.com/news/disney-changed-lilo-stitch/ an estimated 2,000 kids a year]] get into clothes dryer accidents, [[https://us.blastingnews.com/news/2018/04/boy-dies-in-clothes-dryer-during-deadly-game-of-hide-and-seek-002540287.html some of which turn fatal]], so this is very much a {{enforced|Trope}} trope.

** Stitch himself, when brought before the Galactic Council and asked to prove his intelligence, utters a string of words that is left untranslated from a gibberish-sounding "alien" language (officially called the Tantalog language), although its profane content is clear from the shocked gasps of the hearers. Stitch's statement is so vulgar, a robot vomits. This trope probably was used to leave what Stitch said deliberately to the imagination, as there isn't much in the way of utterances left that would inspire such reactions from contemporary 21st century viewers. Supplementary material from the sequels later revealed that the phrase he said, "''Meega, nala kweesta!''" roughly means "I want to destroy!".

** In one of the trailers, it’s implied Bubbles’ plot will be that he discovers the existence of aliens in the story. The film itself, his only purpose is to be a wedge between Lilo and Nani, while he has little to no involvement in Jumba’s plot. [[spoiler: Though the ending confrontation reveals he’s already dealt with an alien encounter.]]

*** In one of the trailers, it’s implied Bubbles’ plot will be that he discovers the existence of aliens in the story. The film itself, his only purpose is to be a wedge between Lilo and Nani, while he has little to no involvement in Jumba’s plot. [[spoiler: Though the ending confrontation reveals he’s already dealt with an alien encounter.]]

* HeroStoleMyBike: [[spoiler:Stitch hijacks a gasoline truck in the climax.]] And before that, he [[KickTheSonOfABitch stole Mertle's tricycle]].

* KickTheSonOfABitch:
** While Stitch is held upside-down on the prison ship, Gantu tells him that the guns pointed at him won't shoot anyone but him. Stitch simply growls and bites Gantu's finger.
** Stitch does this again when he steals Mertle's tricycle.

--->'''Jumba''': Come on, what's the big deal?
--->'''Stitch''': ''Inga tu smeeshta!''
--->'''Jumba''': I'll put you back together again... I'll make you taller, and not so fluffy.
--->'''Stitch''': I like fluffy!

--->'''Stitch''': Aloha!
--->'''Gantu''': Grr! [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking You're vile, you're foul, you're flawed!]]
--->'''Stitch''': Also cute and fluffy!

* AlliterativeName: Jumba Jookiba.

-->'''Stitch''': ALSO CUTE AND FLUFFY!!!
* {{Area 51}}:

* TheArtifact: The spaceship chase scene at the end of the film originally had the good guys flying a passenger jet, but [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents 9/11 made that one a no-go,]] so it was changed to being Jumba's personal ship instead. Since most of the animation and setpieces got reused, it results in Jumba having a very unusually 747-like ship.

-->'''Lilo''': Be careful of that! You don't touch this! Don't ''ever'' touch it!

** Lilo has a sign on her door that says "Kapu", which is Hawaiian for "keep out" (related to the word "taboo", which is Tongan).
** The name "Lilo" means "Generous One" in Hawaiian. It can also be interpreted as "Lost" and this would give the song title "He Mele No Lilo" a loose translation as "Lullaby of the Lost".
** The name Nani means "Beautiful" in Hawaiian.

-->'''Jumba''': I would ''never'' '''ever''' ''(Stitch is presented as evidence)'' [[{{Foreshadowing}} ...make more than one!]]

-->'''Cobra''': [[spoiler:Saved the planet once: convinced an alien race that mosquitoes were an endangered species.]]

-->'''Jumba:''' After all you put me through, you expect me to ''help'' you, just like that?! ''Just like that?!''
-->'''Stitch:''' Ih. ["Yes."]
-->[{{beat}}]
-->'''Jumba:''' Fine!
-->'''Pleakley:''' "Fine?" You're doing what he says?!
-->'''Jumba:''' He is very persuasive.

* BookEnds: When Stitch is first presented to the Galactic Council, the Grand Councilwoman initially tries to reason with him, and only sentences him to exile after he rudely rebuffs her attempt. [[spoiler:At the end of the film, she is preparing to exile Stitch once more, but when he asks to say goodbye to Lilo and Nani, she realises that he's grown beyond his programming and ''can'' now be reasoned with, and agrees to commute his sentence so he can stay on Earth with his FoundFamily]].

** Earth is a wildlife reserve for the endangered species mosquito. It's a throwaway joke at the beginning of the film, and gets a follow-up throwaway joke in the middle of the film when Pleakley the mosquito enthusiast gets his first close-up experience of mosquitos' feeding method. Then it's apparently forgotten about until the end, when [[spoiler:Cobra Bubbles is explaining how he knows about aliens and reveals that he's the one who persuaded them that mosquitoes were an endangered species so that Earth would be protected.]]

-->'''Cobra Bubbles''': Let me illuminate to you the precarious situation in which you have found yourself: I am the one they call when things have gone wrong, and things have indeed gone wrong.
-->[to Lilo] Call me next time you're left here alone.
-->[to Nani] In case you're wondering, this did not go well. You have three days to change my mind.

* CasualDangerDialogue

-->'''Nani''': No, you're not taking her! I'm the only one who understands her! You take that away, she won't stand a chance!

** Lilo is clearly a little touched in the head; it could be a method for coping with the death of her parents, or she could have been just as quirky beforehand. In either case, it's enough to drive away girls her own age and disturb adults. The creepy homemade doll, making voodoo on her ''hula halau''-mates using spoons and pickle jars (''"My friends need to be punished."''), Elvis obsession, and worship of a fish (who apparently controls the weather) don't help her case. Neither does the fact that she finds Stitch cute and wants to keep him, while everyone else's reaction to seeing him is a variation on "What is ''that''?!" [[spoiler:Later on in the film it's revealed Lilo's parents died in a rainstorm, which is why she thinks her fish controls the weather]]. Fortunately, Lilo has good friends in a bunch of aliens who came to Earth. And a hovercraft!

-->'''Cobra''': Nice to meet you.\\
'''Lilo''': Your knuckles say "Cobra". Cobra Bubbles... you don't ''look'' like a social worker.\\
'''Cobra''': I'm a special classification.\\
'''Lilo''': Did you ever kill anyone?\\
'''Cobra''': [[LampshadeHanging We're getting off the subject.]] Let's talk about you.

-->'''Lilo:''' It's good to live on an island with no large cities.\\
'''Stitch:''' (realizes that he won't be able to cause nearly as much destruction as he had hoped) ''(moans and faints)''

--->'''Grand Councilwoman''' ''[resigned]'': Of course.

-->'''Jumba''': Running away? Here, let me stop you!

''(Cut to the demonic 626 emerging from the fiery wreckage of the "shooting star" she just wished on.)''

-->'''Councilwoman:''' A quiet capture would require an understanding of 626 that we do not possess! ''Who'' then, Mr. Pleakley, would ''you'' send for his extraction?\\

-->'''Stitch:''' ''[speaks a [[{{Fictionary}} Tantalog]] insult]''
-->'''Jumba:''' Oh! Leave my mother out of this!

--->'''Jumba:''' THIS IS LOW EVEN FOR ''YOU''!

* FemaleGaze: According to Lilo who had been reading Nani’s diary, Nani likes David’s butt.

* FlightStrengthHeart: Stitch has super strength, a hypercognitive brain (can learn any language, alien, human, or otherwise, in a very brief time period), agility, quick thinking -- he's created to be a [[PersonOfMassDestruction being of mass destruction]]. He can also act as a gramophone (stick a claw on a vinyl disc, open Stitch's mouth, and swing to the Elvis). And [[NauseaFuel perfectly regurgitate a cake he just ate.]]

* ForeignCussWord: Played with. David exclaims "Auwe!" a few times, implying this trope, but "auwe" is fairly mild, roughly equivalent to "darn".

** In one scene Nani simply hands Lilo some money and leaves her in the middle of town on her own while she's at work. Clearly there was a reason they sent in Cobra Bubbles ''before'' Stitch came into the picture. Luckily, the whole ''ʻohana'' thing probably means Lilo has grown-up friends in the neighborhood looking out for her, but Nani is still pretty negligent, given that she's only about nineteen in the first film.

-->'''Gantu''': Grand Councilwoman, let me explain!
-->'''Grand Councilwoman''': [[BigShutUp Silence!]] I am retiring you, Captain Gantu.

-->'''Grand Councilwoman''': Consider yourselves fired and prison-bound! Your incompetence is nothing short of unspeakable!

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Rather unusually for a Disney film, there are no straightforwardly evil characters. Gantu is a jerk, but he ''is'' also a law enforcement officer pursuing a dangerous criminal. Cobra Bubbles is [[ScaryBlackMan sinister,]] but also genuinely concerned for Lilo's well-being. The Grand Councilwoman fulfills the ''role'' of a BigBad (in terms of sending her [[TheDragon lieutenant Gantu]] to Earth to hunt down the protagonist), but in terms of personality she's closer to a ReasonableAuthorityFigure. The most straightforwardly dislikable characters in the movie are [[HateSink Mertle and her friends]], and their presence in the film is minimal compared to the sequel material.

* HeartwarmingOrphan: Lilo.
* TheHeavy: Captain Gantu.
** Cobra Bubbles is the one they send when Things Have Gone Wrong [[spoiler: and was once a government agent keeping the Earth safe from alien extermination]].

* HollywoodDensity: Stitch is too dense to be able to swim, yet David and six-year-old Lilo are able to pick him up with no more effort than they might expend lifting a corgi. Oddly not as unrealistic as it looks, since the basset hound is a real-life example of a dog too dense to swim more than a very short distance. While a strong swimmer like David should be able to rescue him, Lilo's ability to carry him is a little more far-fetched (bassets weigh 35 to 50 pounds, nearly as much as Lilo herself should weigh).

-->'''Jumba''': I prefer to be called '''evil genius!'''

-->'''Jumba''': I would never, ''ever''... ''(sees 626)''... [[LastSecondWordSwap make more than one]].

-->'''Nani''': Oh, you are such a pain!\\
'''Lilo''': Then why don't you sell me and buy a rabbit instead?\\
'''Nani''': At least a rabbit would behave better than you!\\
'''Lilo''': Good! Then you'll be happy 'cause it'll be smarter than me, too!\\
'''Nani''': And ''quieter''!\\
'''Lilo''': You'll like it 'cause it's stinky like you!

-->'''Nani:''' You are so finished when I get in there! I'm gonna stuff you in the blender, push "puree", then bake you into a pie and feed it to the social worker! And when he says, "Mmmm, this is great, what's your secret?" I'm gonna say... [''Bubbles hooks Nani's foot, and pulls her out of the dog door''] "...love! And...nurturing."

* LonelyDollGirl: Lilo has one home-made doll, whose appearance freaks out the other girls. Later she is seen making {{Voodoo Doll}}s of her friends and dipping them in pickle juice. ("My friends need to be punished.")

--->'''Lilo''': You came back...\\
'''Stitch''': Nobody gets left behind.

** Stitch; if something is ripped apart you fix it with a stitch.

** Also, the blonde lifeguard (who is essentially Nani [[PaletteSwap with a darker tan]] in a red one-piece).

-->'''Lilo:''' That's us before... it was rainy, and they went for a drive.

* NoAntagonist: More like "No Single Main Antagonist." The characters who act as antagonists in this film are the Grand Councilwoman (who is actually a BigGood ReasonableAuthorityFigure), Captain Gantu (a HeroAntagonist whose only real crimes are his recklessness and his lack of ethics in how he handled Lilo), Cobra Bubbles (a former CIA agent turned social worker who's only doing his job), Mertle Edmonds (just a mean little girl who actually does have some justification in being wary of Lilo), and Jumba and Pleakley (ThoseTwoGuys who are the most frequent antagonists for most of the film). None of them can be considered villains, and the only characters described as "evil" at all are Jumba, a LaughablyEvil self-described "evil genius" who is technically Stitch's father and makes a HeelFaceTurn, and Stitch, the "evil experiment" who is subject to LoveRedeems and is one of the MainCharacters.

** Earlier, the Grand Councilwoman considers gassing the planet Experiment 626 landed on, until Agent Pleakley reminds her that Earth has been designated a wildlife reserve for an endangered species - the mosquito. When 626 is adopted by Lilo, Pleakley stops Jumba from shooting at him because the girl is "a part of the mosquito food chain." Jumba realizes that 626 is using Lilo as a HumanShield, declaring that "this is low even for you!" [[spoiler:Later, it's revealed that the whole "mosquitoes are endangered" bit was a ploy by Cobra Bubbles to save Earth from alien invasion.]]

'''Pleakley:''' No. But they're very delicate. In fact, every time an [[ColonyDrop asteroid strikes their planet]], [[IWantMyJetpack they have to begin life all over.]] Fascinating, isn't it?[[labelnote:*]]Cobra Bubbles, and/or whoever he actually worked with, apparently managed to ''trick'' the alien council into considering mosquitoes as an endangered species and humans as their primary food source, in order to get Earth classified as a wildlife sanctuary and therefore left alone by the majority of the rest of the galaxy.[[/labelnote]]

* NostalgiaFilter: Actually got invoked by Disney's marketing department. As shown in the theatrical release poster [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbM84jGi20U and the ""Inter-Stitch-al" " trailers]], ''Lilo & Stitch'' got marketed by spoofing Disney's more popular films from [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation the Disney Renaissance]]. It worked, with ''Lilo & Stitch'' becoming a CashCowFranchise--at least for [[TurnOfTheMillennium the decade]]--and Stitch becoming Disney's first iconic character who debuted in the 21st Century.

-->'''Clerk''': All our dogs are adoptable... (''sees Lilo with Stitch'') -EXCEPT THAT ONE!!
* NukeEm: Once the Grand Councilwoman learns that Stitch will survive his fall into Earth by landing on Hawaii, [[WellIntentionedExtremist she very quickly and decisively decides to utilize a gas weapon on the entire planet in order to kill him.]] Luckily for all involved, Agent Pleakley dissuades her from this course of action, arguing that Earth is a wildlife preserve for the "endangered mosquito population". She then tries again on a much smaller scale suggesting that she simply destroy the island Stitch landed on. Pleakley once again dissuades her from this seeing as how it would destroy the mosquito's source of food (humans) and disrupt the ecosystem.
* NumberOfTheBeast: Stitch's original ID number was 666 until ExecutiveMeddling forced Chris Sanders to change the number. It still is, in a way, since Stitch's number is 626 (6 and 2 6's).

** Captain Gantu is fond of using the oath "Oh, blitznak!"
** Stitch himself, when brought before the Galactic Council and asked to prove his intelligence, utters a string of words that is left untranslated from a gibberish-sounding "alien" language (officially called the Tantalog language), although its profane content is clear from the shocked gasps of the hearers. Stitch's statement is so vulgar, a robot vomits. This trope probably was used to leave what Stitch said deliberately to the imagination, as there isn't much in the way of utterances left that would inspire such reactions from contemporary 21st century viewers. Supplementary material from the sequels later revealed that the phrase he said, "Meega, nala kweesta!" means, "I want to destroy!"

** Only slightly more subtle are [[WalkingSwimsuitScene Nani]] (when she's at the beach) and David (''[[WalkingShirtlessScene all the time.]]'')

-->'''Stitch''': This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good.
* PetMonstrosity: Stitch (although don't let Jumba hear you call him a monstrosity).

** A moment which [[spoiler:Cobra Bubbles and Pleakley join in on - Pleakley is the first to ask if Stitch ''really'' couldn't just be left with them after cursing Stitch and the planet for causing him so many problems, while Cobra Bubbles is the first to realize the ownership loophole and helps Nani and Lilo get back on their feet during the credits]].

* PhotoMontage: The end credits has a "pictures on the wall"-style Photo Montage, showing off what all the characters do after the end of the movie (presumably before all the sequel material happen, and it's quite a lot before the events of ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch2StitchHasAGlitch''). There's several {{Shout Out}}s in the pictures, including to a famous Creator/NormanRockwell painting.

--> '''Jumba:''' ...he will reverse road signs, back up sewers, and steal everyone's left shoe.

''(Stitch throws a convulsive fit.)''

* PromotionToParent: Nani, who struggles to balance out her job, social workers, the loss of her parents, Lilo's strange coping methods, and Stitch. Lilo admits that she likes her more as a sister than a mom (done realistically; Nani is young, she has an AnnoyingYoungerSibling, and is trying to balance it all out).

* RousseauWasRight

''(Cut to a [[ScreamDiscretionShot distant shot of their campsite near the house as Pleakley screams in pain.]])''
* ScreamDiscretionShot: When Pleakley gets swarmed by mosquitoes the camera cuts away as we are treated to this.

** It's said that Stitch can't survive in water since "his molecular density is too great". This would mean simply that he has a higher density than water--i.e., even if he were, for example, to hold his breath, he would not be able to displace enough water to increase his buoyancy enough and he'd still be too dense to ''swim''. In laymen's terms: he sinks like a rock and can't swim.

** When Stitch rips up a drawing of Lilo's, she exclaims, [[Creator/PabloPicasso "No! That's from my blue period!"]]

* SocialServicesDoesNotExist: Averted in the most traumatizing way--the contrast of wacky alien hijinks with the reality of a teenage orphan trying and failing to support her baby sister is a main plot point.

* StandardSnippet: Given that this movie is set in Hawaii, "Aloha 'Oe" naturally makes an appearance. However, it's not the silly instrumental steel guitar version that shows up most times this song is used as a StandardSnippet--the lyrics (about saying goodbye to someone) show up, too, in the most utterly heartbreaking fashion.

* StuffBlowingUp: [[spoiler: Lilo and Nani’s house, thanks to Jumba’s jammed gun. And in the climax, Gantu’s ship after Stitch gets Lilo out of it.]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodSandwich: Poor Ice Cream Man...

'''Stitch:''' Ih.\\

** We later learn that "Ih" [[SubvertedTrope just means]] [[BluntYes "yes"]], making it funnier.

-->'''Lilo:''' That's us before...[[NeverSayDie it was rainy, and they went for a drive.]]

-->'''Lilo:''' I hear you cry at night. Do you dream about them?

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: No one here is truly evil, not even self-described "evil genius" Jumba and "evil experiment" Stitch. The arguably-worst character, morally speaking (Gantu), is simply trying to recapture what he views as a violent, uncontrollable monster [[spoiler: though, bringing along a defenseless human girl with said "monster" with the notion that she'd become a "snack" for it might have been going a little too far]].
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Agent Pleakley is trying to blend in with Hawaiian tourists. [[InvisibleToNormals Miraculously, no one notices that]] [[WeirdnessCensor the petite brunette accompanying Jumba has green skin, three fingers, three legs and one eye.]] Nani chalks it up to Stitch's assault on him, but Jumba reassures her, "Actually, she's just ugly."

--->'''Jumba''' (to Stitch): Hiding behind your little friend won't work any more. Didn't I tell you? We got fired this morning, new rules.
* WouldntHurtAChild: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]] with Jumba. After Lilo and Nani adopt Stitch, Jumba aims his gun at Stitch and Lilo appears. Pleakley orders Jumba not to fire. Jumba says he wouldn't fire at Lilo. [[SkewedPriorities Pleakley is against it]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext because Lilo is a part of the mosquito food chain]]. Stitch exploits this by using Lilo as a shield from Jumba and Pleakley, making it harder for them to recapture him. This changes once [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity Jumba and Pleakley are fired,]] with Jumba eagerly telling Stitch: "Oh, hiding behind your little friend won't work anymore. We got fired, new rules." He has a change of heart when Stitch persuasively convinces Jumba to help rescue Lilo after she is kidnapped by Gantu.

--->'''Jumba''': [[BigWhat What?!]] After all you put me through, you expect me to help you just like that? ''Just like that?''

--->'''Pleakley''': Oh, great! I was hoping to add theft, endangerment and ''insanity'' to my list of things I did today!

-->'''Young truck driver''': What we when hit? [He checks under the truck] There it is, it stay jammed under the fender!
* YourMom: During the fight where Lilo's house is wrecked, Jumba says to Stitch, "Leave my mother out of this!"

* {{Bowdlerise}}: The scene of Lilo hiding in a clothes dryer was redrawn specifically for the United Kingdom release, where Lilo is instead hiding in a commode with a pizza box for a door. The reason for the change is due to the UK's stance of displaying impressionable behaviour that younger, more impressionable viewers may want to imitate. This edit was also either removed from TV broadcasts (side-stepping the problem with an adbreak) or altered as above. Creator/DisneyPlus would later use this version of the scene for the film in all regions, as do many of the physical reprints -- not that we blame them, as [[https://www.fatherly.com/news/disney-changed-lilo-stitch/ an estimated 2,000 kids a year]] get into clothes dryer accidents, [[https://us.blastingnews.com/news/2018/04/boy-dies-in-clothes-dryer-during-deadly-game-of-hide-and-seek-002540287.html some of which turn fatal]], so this is very much a {{enforced|Trope}} trope.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: On the theater and home video version of this movie in the United Kingdom, the scene of Lilo hiding in a clothes dryer was redrawn so that way Lilo's hiding in a commode with a pizza box for a door (the UK -- no matter what the rating of the movie -- always edits out scenes of harmful, dangerous, and illegal activities that younger, more impressionable viewers will think is okay to imitate). This is {{justified|Trope}} as [[https://www.fatherly.com/news/disney-changed-lilo-stitch/ an estimated 2,000 kids a year]] get into clothes dryer accidents, [[https://us.blastingnews.com/news/2018/04/boy-dies-in-clothes-dryer-during-deadly-game-of-hide-and-seek-002540287.html some of which turn fatal.]] Creator/DisneyPlus uses this version of the scene in all regions, as does a 2022 re-release of the ''Lilo & Stitch'' 2-Movie Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. When the film is aired on TV, this part is outright removed.

[[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes A live-action/CGI adaptation]] of the film made for Creator/DisneyPlus is in the works, with filming set to run from March 13 to June 16, 2023. It will be directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (director and co-writer of the ''WebVideo/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn'' short films and [[Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn2021 their 2021 feature film adaptation]]), written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright (writer of the unproduced script ''Conviction'', which made the 2018 edition of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_List_(survey) The Black List]]), and produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich (producers of the 2019 ''Film/{{Aladdin|2019}}'' remake). Creator/ZachGalifianakis is the only confirmed cast member so far, with ''[=TheWrap=]'' claiming that he will voice Pleakley. As of September 2022, Sanders has [[https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/lilo-stitch-live-action-remake-christopher-sanders-original-director-interview not yet been asked]] to reprise the role of Stitch, though he remains as open as ever to return to voicing his iconic alien.

* ComeBackMyPet: Lilo tells Stitch to go away after she discovers that he's an alien, and that he's the reason that they were being pursued by Jumba and Pleakley. Right after, however, she gets captured by Gantu, and Stitch is taken into custody by Jumba and Pleakley, reminding Nani that 'ohana means family, with Stitch, Nani, Jumba, and Pleakley going on a mission to rescue Lilo.

* DeerInTheHeadlights: Nani does this on the night she gets fired, when she's talking to David on the phone about Stitch. She stops dead when she finds Stitch taking a can of soda from the fridge.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Yep, it's one of those "go-through-hell-and-back" films. Lilo starts off as a social outcast with her sister being her only trace of her family left, Stitch starts out a destructive alien with no purpose in life, and Nani starts out as an overworked woman struggling to raise Lilo, while trying to find a better job. By the end of the film, Lilo finally finds a companion in Stitch, Stitch finds a family in Lilo and Nani, while staying in Hawaii, and Nani and Lilo have a greater sisterly relationship than before.

* EloquentInMyNativeTongue: Stitch has elements of this, though normally seeming to be a SpeechImpairedAnimal when speaking English. Especially apparent in the movie's conclusion, Jumba even commenting on him making a good argument.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Jumba may refer to himself as an ''evil'' genius, but during his fight with Stitch at Lilo's house...

* EvilGenius: Jumba likes to think he's this, and prefers to be called one, rather than "idiot scientist". [[spoiler:Prior to his HeelFaceTurn]] near the end, he is kind of one, because he did create Stitch and intended for him to be a monster.

* ExplosionPropulsion: Stitch propels himself to Gantu's ship by driving a gasoline truck into a volcano, sitting on the tank and ripping a hole on the side so that it blows up. Good thing he has NighInvulnerability, or else that would have been painful.

* FamilyOfChoice: Their "family" is composed of two sisters, a reformed all-destroying monster, the (mostly) reformed creator of said monster and an incompetent bureaucrat knows:

** [[spoiler:Cobra met the high chancellor-type alien in Roswell, they recognize each other.]]

* BadLiar: Nani goes frantically looking for Lilo, with Cobra Bubbles showing up to inspect her house a moment later. Nani tries to hide any and all signs of bad housekeeping that would make her look like a bad guardian, but Cobra can clearly see that the situation has taken a turn for the worse, giving Nani 3 days to improve the situation.

* BluffingTheAdvanceScout: [[spoiler:At the end it's revealed that Cobra did this.]]

** [[spoiler:Earth is a wildlife reserve for the endangered species mosquito. It's a throwaway joke at the beginning of the film, and gets a follow-up throwaway joke in the middle of the film when Pleakley the mosquito enthusiast gets his first close-up experience of mosquitos' feeding method. Then it's apparently forgotten about until the end, when Cobra Bubbles is explaining how he knows about aliens and reveals that he's the one who persuaded them that mosquitoes were an endangered species so that Earth would be protected.]]

** The VW Beetle parked under the house. It's later used as a weapon used by Stitch against Jumba when he tries to reclaim him at the house.

-->'''Nani''': No, you're not taking her! I'm the only one who understands her! You take that away she won't stand a chance!

** Mrs. Hasagawa appears to be one, as after Nani tells her she is there to answer Hasagawa's newspaper ad, Hasagawa says she can't talk now, as she is waiting for someone to answer her ad. The reason Nani's there in the first place. Mrs. Hasagawa is a ScatterbrainedSenior.

* ComeBackMyPet: Lilo tells Stitch to go away after she discovers that he's an alien, and that he's the reason that they were being pursued by Jumba and Pleakley. Right after, however, she gets captured by Gantu, and Stitch is taken into custody by Jumba and Pleakley, reminding Nani that ohana means family, with Stitch, Nani, Jumba, and Pleakley going on a mission to rescue Lilo.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Lampshaded when Lilo meeets Cobra Bubbles:

'''Lilo''': Your knuckles say "Cobra", Cobra Bubbles; you don't ''look'' like a social worker.\\

--->'''Grand Councilwoman''' ''(resigned)'': Of course.

* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Nani has been locked out of the house, and screams to Lilo that if she doesn't let her in, she's going to purée her in the blender, bake her into a pie and feed it to the social worker... [[RightBehindMe just as said social worker arrives]].

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: An intergalactic criminal is put on trial and given his sentence. When he escapes from the transport, the galactic conference watches in awe as the torn up ship descends on a certain protected nature reserve in a certain solar system. Also inverted; Earth is seen as uncivilized and only worth preserving for the endangered mosquito species.

** Jumba built Stitch to inflict panic and property damage ForTheEvulz, but his reaction when Stitch's first words are an ([[PardonMyKlingon incomprehensible, alien]]) swearword suggests that he didn't intend to create a ''foul-mouthed'' menace to society.

** A subtle one -- when Stitch is messing up Lilo's room, she gently places a white lei around his neck and he ''immediately'' fell down in a tranquil-like state. White lei represent love and Stitch would eventually become a better person by Lilo gently showing him platonic love.

** In one scene Nani simply hands Lilo some money and leaves her in the middle of town on her own while she's at work. Clearly there was a reason they sent in The Man When Things Go Wrong ''before'' Stitch came into the picture. Luckily, the whole ''ʻohana'' thing probably means Lilo has grown-up friends in the neighborhood looking out for her, but Nani is still pretty negligent, given that she's only about nineteen in the first film.

* GlassesPull:
** Bubbles has shades on for most of the first visit, even while indoors, but takes them off towards the end when he tells Nani, "I am the one they call when things go wrong. And things have indeed gone wrong."
** He does it again when talking to the Grand Councilwoman at the end.

* GrenadeHotPotato: Stitch and Jumba do this with a malfunctioning plasma gun. As they toss it back and forth, they actually say "One potato, two potato..." Ironically, Jumba is happy that he won.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Bubbles is implied to be a member of TheMenInBlack, and once saved the world by convincing aliens that mosquitoes were endangered.

* HollywoodDensity: Stitch is too dense to be able to swim, yet David and six-year-old Lilo are able to pick him up with no more effort than they might expend lifting a corgi. Oddly not as unrealistic as it looks, since the basset hound is a real-life example of a dog too dense to swim more than a very short distance. While a strong swimmer like David should be able to rescue him; Lilo's ability to carry him is a little more far-fetched (bassets weigh 35 to 50 pounds, nearly as much as Lilo herself should weigh).

'''Pleakley:''' That would be a BAD IDEA! These are ''extremely simple creatures'' here Miss. Landing there would cause mass mayhem and planet-wide panic!

* LikeASurgeon: the titular characters need to distract Jumba, who is invading their home, so Stitch implants a bomb in Lilo's doll. Lilo holds a scuba diving regulator to the doll's face, mimicking an anesthetic mask. As Stitch holds out his hand for tools, Lilo hands Stitch pliers and a screwdriver while announcing what the tools are.

* MaliciousMisnaming: The Grand Councilwoman calls Jumba and Pleakley "Jumba and Blinkey" [[spoiler:after firing them for not recovering Stitch quickly enough for her.]] Gantu corrects her, and she reacts with "Whatever!"

* MoralityPet: Lilo is this to Stitch, despite Stitch being to be a pet, making this an odd case. Lilo is the only character who puts up with Stitch, up until he reveals his true form to her.

* MultilingualSong: "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" features lyrics in Hawaiian and English.

-->'''Lilo:''' That's us before...it was rainy, and they went for a drive.

* BareYourMidriff: Nani. Lilo and other girls in hula outfits. Mertle in her regular outfit.

[[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes A live-action/CGI adaptation]] of the film is in works. It will be produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who are also responsible for the 2019 ''Film/{{Aladdin|2019}}'' remake, and directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (''Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn2021''). Chris Kekaniokalani Bright is in talks with Disney to write the script. Chris Sanders is expected to reprise his iconic role as the voice of Stitch.

This movie was a significant breakaway for Disney on many counts, including an unconventional protagonist, {{crossover}} "Inter-Stitch-al" trailers, the lack of either romance troubles or a real villain, and the score drawn from home-grown Hawaiian songs and artists -- and, of course, Music/ElvisPresley. Unlike other Disney animated films, Disney was hands-off the creative development and did not interfere with the story: director Creator/ChrisSanders wanted the film to reflect his own drawing style. He wrote the entire draft along with his directing partner Creator/DeanDeBlois and even voiced the protagonist Stitch -- a character he originally created back in 1985 for a failed children's book pitch -- himself.

* VanillaEdition: Disney nowadays tends to release [=DVDs=] with much fewer bonus features than Blu-ray Discs and [=iTunes=] digital copies. This movie provides an exception, as the Blu-ray Disc (which also holds ''Stitch Has a Glitch'') contains no bonus features at all, while the "Big Wave" 2-Disc DVD (released in 2009) and [=iTunes=] Digital HD copy boast hours of extras. The blow to Blu-ray collectors gets softened just ever so slightly by Disney including disc one of the Big Wave DVD in the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and a digital code in the Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack. Eventually, in 2022, they re-released the Blu-ray 2-Movie collection with both the aforementioned [=DVDs=] and the digital code included, and both films now have their own separate Blu-ray Discs with bonus features, albeit they're still the same bonus features that were released before, though the DVDCommentary that Sanders and [=DeBlois=] did for the Big Wave Edition is now also included on the Blu-ray for the original film.

Escaping from the United Galactic Federation and the clutches of Captain Gantu (Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson), 626 takes a hyperdrive-fueled shortcut to the closest planet, which is 70% water (important because [[SuperDrowningSkills he is too dense to swim or float]]) -- and miraculously lands on the bitty Hawaiian archipelago in the middle of the Pacific, crashing on the island of Kauai. An unfortunate encounter with an Earth truck led to him getting taken to a dog shelter, where by coincidence, Lilo and Nani have come to adopt. Happily, he adopts Lilo as readily as Lilo adopts him. However, while Lilo wants a companion, Stitch, as she named the alien, wants a human shield to deter Dr. Jumba, who has been released from his sentence to capture 626, and is now hot on his trail with the help of the neurotic Earth "expert" Agent Pleakley (Creator/KevinMcDonald). As this mutualistic partnership develops, Stitch [[BecomingTheMask inadvertently learns]] the meaning of ''ʻohana'': "''ʻOhana'' means family. Family means [[NoOneGetsLeftBehind nobody gets left behind — or forgotten]]." In other words, TrueCompanions.

[[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes A live-action/CGI adaptation]] of the film is in works. It will be produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who are also responsible for the 2019 ''Film/{{Aladdin|2019}}'' remake, and directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (''Film/MarcelTheShellWithShoesOn''). Chris Kekaniokalani Bright is in talks with Disney to write the script. Chris Sanders is expected to reprise his iconic role as the voice of Stitch.

* VanillaEdition: Disney nowadays tends to release [=DVDs=] with much fewer bonus features than Blu-ray Discs and [=iTunes=] digital copies. This movie provides an exception, as the Blu-ray Disc (which also holds ''Stitch Has a Glitch'') contains no bonus features at all, while the "Big Wave" 2-Disc DVD (released in 2009) and [=iTunes=] Digital HD copy boast hours of extras. The blow to Blu-ray collectors gets softened just ever so slightly by Disney including disc one of the Big Wave DVD in the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and a digital code in the Blu-ray/Digital HD combo pack.

* FanserviceExtra: The blonde lifeguard girl only appears in one scene, but between her red once piece swimsuit and the way the camera frames her "assets" she's pretty well remembered (See {{Gainaxing}} below).

* {{Gainaxing}}: The female lifeguard who Nani attempts to get a job from has some restrained, yet noticeable, bouncing occur as soon as Stitch causes the panic on the beach.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Lilo's mix of eccentricities, behavioral issues, social inappropriateness, and unusual interests (not many six-year-old girls these days are obsessed with Elvis--let alone voodoo).

** Dogs should ''never'' eat or drink anything with caffeine in it. If Stitch wasn't an alien and was an actual Earth dog, Lilo would have probably unintentionally killed him for letting him drink coffee.

** Exactly why Lilo and Nani's parents decided to go out for a dive on rainy day is a complete mystery.

Escaping from the United Galactic Federation and the clutches of Captain Gantu (Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson), 626 takes a hyperdrive-fueled shortcut to the closest planet, which is 70% water (important because [[SuperDrowningSkills he is too dense to swim or float]]) -- and miraculously lands on the bitty Hawaiian archipelago in the middle of the Pacific, crashing on the island of Kauai. An unfortunate encounter with an Earth truck led to him getting taken to a dog shelter, where by coincidence, Lilo and Nani have come to adopt. Happily, he adopts Lilo as readily as Lilo adopts him. However, while Lilo wants a companion, Stitch, as she named the alien, wants a human shield to deter Dr. Jumba, who has been released from his sentence to capture 626, and is now hot on his trail with the help of the neurotic Agent Pleakley (Creator/KevinMcDonald). Stitch [[BecomingTheMask inadvertently learns]] the meaning of ''ʻohana'': "''ʻOhana'' means family. Family means [[NoOneGetsLeftBehind nobody gets left behind — or forgotten]]." In other words, TrueCompanions.