Western Animation / Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch

Spoilers for this film will be marked as usual. However, due to its nature as the direct chronological sequel to Lilo & Stitch, that film's spoilers are unmarked here. You Have Been Warned!

I will love you...
I will love you, always...

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is a 2005 Direct to Video animated science-fiction comedy-drama film directed by Michael LaBash and Tony Leondis, both of whom also wrote the film together with Eddie Guzelian and Alexa Junge, and produced by Disneytoon Studios (animated at Disney Animation Australia). It is the third film released in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, though it is the second film in the franchise's chronology. This is also the only film in the franchise where Lilo is not voiced by Daveigh Chase. Instead, her good friend, famed actress Dakota Fanning, voices her here.

Taking place between the events of the 2002 original film and Stitch! The Movie, after Stitch awakes from a nightmare in which he was evil again, attacking Lilo and the people on Kauaʻi, Lilo reassures him that his "goodness level" is now higher than ever. After the two arrive at the halau hula, "Kumu" Moses announces that Lilo and the other students must prepare an original hula dance for the upcoming May Day festival, for which there will be a competition. Lilo is inspired to win after Moses shows her a photograph of her late mother winning it in the past at her age. However, during a family fun night, Stitch abruptly freaks out and suddenly reverts to his former destructive behavior for a bit. Jumba realizes that Stitch is suffering from a glitch that is the result of not having his molecules fully charged when he was created, since "those idiot police" cut off the charging process when they arrested Jumba and Stitch. If Jumba doesn't make a new fusion chamber soon, Stitch will shut down permanently. Meanwhile, while Lilo is preparing for the hula competition, Stitch continues to have more destructive fits and threatens to ruin her chances of winning the competition, causing some serious friction in their friendship.

Also included on this film's DVD, Disney+ extras, and 2022 Blu-ray Disc is a short film, The Origin of Stitch, which also takes place before Stitch! The Movie. In it, Stitch finds Jumba's secret computer revealing what strange and horrible creatures were used to make the otherwise cute and fluffy experiment. The short even hints at the other experiments.

Not to be confused with the video game Lilo & Stitch 2: Hämsterviel Havoc, which was released a year earlier as the tie-in game to Lilo & Stitch: The Series.

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I will trope you, I will trope you, always...

• Ascended Extra: David becomes slightly more prominent in this film compared to the rest of the franchise. He is involved in a C-plot where he is led (by Pleakley) to believe that his and Nani's relationship isn't going so well, appears with the immediate ʻohana for Family Fun Night despite not living with them, goes with them in the climax to try to convince Stitch to stay with them and dances the hula with them in the ending.
• Award-Bait Song: "Always", the original song made for this film. It's actually introduced as a song that Lilo's mother used to sing to her after Lilo was reminded of it by two locals.
• Back from the Dead: It's stated that Stitch died for real, but Lilo's tears revived him near the end.
• Berserk Button: "You'll never be like your mom!" Cue Lilo beating Mertle.
• Bittersweet Ending: Lilo doesn't win the competition, but Stitch is revived and both are closer than ever before.
• Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Lilo describes the story of the Hawaiian goddess Hi'iaka as a story about friendship, jealousy, and death by molten lava.
• Butt-Monkey: Poor Pleakley.
• Dance Party Ending: The last scene in the film shows Lilo doing her hula dance along with Stitch, Nani, Jumba, Pleakley, and David on the stage... to no one, at night, as the hula competition had ended well after Lilo abandoned it to look for Stitch.
• Darker and Edgier: One of the rare times a Disney sequel is this to the original film.
• Day in the Life: The film partly serves to show what the Pelekai ʻohana's life is like after the original film, with the A-plot involving Lilo and Stitch preparing for an ultimately inconsequential hula competition.
• Disney Death: Stitch. The Tear Jerker moment when everyone thinks Stitch is dead is surprisingly long and drawn out for a Disney movie, so that even snarkers who think Disney would never kill Stitch off begin to have their doubts.
• Doing in the Scientist: After they are too late to save Stitch from his malfunction and he shuts down, Lilo's tear brings him back to life. Pleakley asks Jumba for a scientific explanation. Jumba proudly states (as if he knew any other way to state things) that there is no possible scientific explanation, declares it a miracle, and celebrates.
• Dramedy: This film is the only Lilo & Stitch sequel to maintain the comedic-dramatic style of the original film.
• Dream Intro: Stitch has a nightmare about turning bad once again and causing destruction to Earth. This is because his molecules haven't been completely charged by the time of his creation.
• Deus ex Machina: During Stitch's death, Lilo's tears revive him. It's even lampshaded by Jumba.
• Evil Laugh: Parodied. In the flashback showing Stitch's creation, Jumba gave a long maniacal laugh during his experiment.
  • Evil Laugh Turned Coughing Fit: The moment he switched his machine off, though, he started coughing a bit.
  Jumba: (Roughly) Is not so easy on the throat!
• Failed a Spot Check: Somehow, nobody except Jumba sees Stitch's sudden glowing green eyes as anything out of the ordinary, even though they, combined with Stitch's random freakouts and seizures, should be a dead giveaway that something is very wrong with him.
• Filler: Although the film provides insight into the relationship of the Pelekai ʻohana after the original film, it ultimately has no bearing on the whole story arc of the original continuity of the franchise other than to prove the tightness of the titular duo.
• Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: Stitch is forced to restrain Lilo when Mertle gloats that she'll beat her at the hula-dancing contest. But when Mertle says that Lilo will never be as good as Lilo's late mother was, Stitch lets a furious Lilo go and proceeds to photograph the ensuing catfight.
• Flush the Evidence: Discussed, when Lilo deadpans to Stitch, "Next time, flush the evidence." Stitch responds by miming flushing a toilet and making a "ka-shush" noise.
• Foregone Conclusion: The aforementioned Disney Death, due to the movie being an Interquel.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Stitch gets these whenever he malfunctions.
• Happiness Is Mandatory: Played for Laughs when Nani invites Lilo to join in on Family Fun Night, which Lilo declines:
  Lilo: We've only got one day, 23 hours-
  Stitch: And 16 minutes.
  Lilo: And 16 minutes left to come up with the winning idea, so please leave us alone to think.
  Stitch: Please.
  Nani: Oh, you'll figure it out, and if you ask me, it's a perfect time to take a break.
  Lilo & Stitch: Pass.
  Nani: I said, if you ask me-
  Lilo: We kinda didn't ask you.
  Nani: That's it, you two! I have been cooking for hours and finally picked up the house just so we can have quality fun time like Mom used to. You're part of this family, and whether you like it or not, you are gonna come downstairs and have family fun. Fun, fun, fun!
  Woman: (Screaming)
• Hypocritical Humor: Stitch licks Lilo in their fight and she did not like it. In the original film, however, she licks Nani during their fight after Cobra's first visit.
• I Am a Monster: This is a reformed Stitch's fear, believing that he's still a dangerous destructive creature, to the point that he chose to go into self-imposed exile so not to harm anyone. What he didn't know was that he was actually going through seizure episodes that caused him to freak out.
• Inelegant Blubbering: Stitch bawls loudly and messily after the map is destroyed.
• Interquel: It takes place between the original film and the pilot movie of The Series.
• Jerkass Realization: Lilo has one when Stitch seems to have died, realizing how selfish she's been and that she hasn't been thinking about how much Stitch needed her.
  Lilo: Stitch... I'm so sorry. (sighs) I kept saying how I needed you, but you needed me more. (puts the flower that was in her hair on Stitch's chest, then sniffles) You're my 'ohana, Stitch. And.... (shudders a bit, and hugs him) And I'll always love you. (sobbing)
• Let Me at Him!: Stitch has to hold Lilo back when Mertle taunts her, but when the latter tells her she won't be as good a dancer as her deceased mother, he lets Lilo go and photographs the ensuing smackdown.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Jumba's fusion chamber doesn't seem to work in time as Stitch finally dies, but after Lilo tearfully confesses her love for him, the machine suddenly fully charges again and Stitch is revived. Whether the fusion chamber was simply taking time to power up, or if the Power of Love really did save Stitch, is left ambiguous.
• Musicalis Interruptus: The musicians suddenly stop the song for Lilo's hula upon noticing she left mid-performance to find Stitch.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The whole cause of the movie was because the space police arrested Jumba and unplugged Stitch before his molecules were fully charged. As Jumba put it, "Those idiot police!"
• No Antagonist: There is no true villain here. The real conflict comes from Stitch malfunctioning and his impending death. Mertle does cause some issues for Lilo early on, but that's because Mertle is being a bully to Lilo as usual.
• Oddly Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo: It's called Lilo & Stitch 2, but this is referring to the fact that it is chronologically the second film in the franchise, not the second released (that would be Stitch! The Movie). It is also the only film in the franchise to receive a subtitle, which Rhymes on a Dime here. Oddly enough, the subtitle Stitch Has a Glitch does not appear within the film itself, which suggests that it was a marketing decision for the video release.
• "Pan Up to the Sky" Ending: The movie ends with a shot of the night sky as Lilo and Nani know their mother is watching them.
• Papa Wolf: Jumba, in a flashback when Stitch has just been created, and Jumba is attempting to charge Stitch's molecules, only for the Galactic Police to come bursting in, becomes one to Stitch as he tries to stop the Galactic Police from taking Stitch away:
  Galactic Officer: You are under arrest for illegal genetic experimentation.
  Jumba: You idiots, you will ruin everything! Oh no!
  Galactic Officer: Yeah, tell it to the Council. You two, get the evidence.
  Jumba: Stop, his molecules aren't fully charged! No, no, no! Oh!
  Computer: Warning! Warning! Electromagnetic bonding incomplete.
  Jumba: No, no, there's no telling what will happen! Let me go, noo! What will become of my little monstrosity?
• Photo Montage: Lilo's fight against Mertle is shown in this manner, taken by Stitch with her instant film camera. Among these photos is a selfie of him smiling for the scene happening in the background (you can see it on the Funny page). Moses shows these photos to Nani afterwards.
• Pietà Plagiarism: When Stitch dies, Lilo holds him in this fashion. It's okay though, he gets better.
• Platonic Declaration of Love: After Stitch dies, Lilo tearfully holds him in her arms and says that she'll always love him. This may potentially be what revives Stitch.
• Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: Lilo and Stitch have a vicious falling out after Stitch malfunctions and accidentally ruins Lilo's hula routine, with Lilo believing Stitch ruins everything. It gets even worse when Stitch malfunctions again and destroys Lilo's props.
• Poor Communication Kills: All three of the subplots within the film revolve around this. It's a literal example, in that Stitch actually dies (briefly) as a result of how poorly all the parties handled the issue.
  • After consulting his "Earth research" (gossip magazines) Pleakley mistakenly believes that Nani is getting tired of her relationship with David, and tries to help the latter to fix this issue. Rather than simply having David talk to Nani about this (non-existent) problem, Pleakley decides the better option is to pretend to be another woman to make Nani jealous. Since Nani easily recognizes Pleakley, she just dismisses their antics as a minor annoyance, which only makes David feel even worse.
  • After Stitch's first glitching incident, Jumba immediately realizes what's wrong and what he has to do to fix it. Rather than inform Lilo and the others, or even Stitch himself, that his life is at risk, and enlist their help with rebuilding the fusion chamber, Jumba and Pleakley decide to keep it a secret while they sneak around the house stealing Nani's appliances with no explanation, which only complicates the issue and wastes valuable time.
  • Neither Lilo nor Nani ever asks why Stitch is suddenly acting out, and Lilo never listens to Stitch when the latter tries to explain that he isn't doing it on purpose. This not only prevents them from helping Stitch with his condition but makes Stitch himself feel more isolated and self-loathing, resulting in him eventually trying to leave.
• The Power of Love: The subject of Lilo's hula. Also what saves Stitch at the end.
• Retcon: The fact that Jumba was apprehended immediately after Stitch's creation retcons the events of some of the Comic Zone prequels, the events of the Stitch: Experiment 626 video game and Experiment 621 out of existence, though 621 theoretically could've been captured during The Series.
• Retroactive Idiot Ball: The movie shows the process of Stitch's creation in detail, with it being established that his molecules weren't fully charged before he and Jumba were arrested. Despite screaming at the police that Stitch's molecules needed to be charged or he will die, Jumba doesn't bring this up at any point during the original movie, not even when he and Stitch are put on trial by the Galactic Council.
• Sequel Non-Entity: Surprisingly for a Disneytoon sequel, not only does this film not introduce any new characters, but much of the major and minor characters from both the original film and the other sequel material fail to show up, including Gantu, Hämsterviel, Cobra Bubbles, the Grand Councilwoman, and Stitch's "cousins".
• Series Continuity Error:
  • The design of the Pelekai house, most notably Lilo and Stitch's domed bedroom, does not match up with how it appears in The Series. This is because the film was being made during the production of The Series, and neither Disneytoon Studios nor Walt Disney Television Animation spoke with each other enough to maintain consistency between the works (see below). However, the house's facade does match up with how it appears at the end of the original film.
  • Teresa (one of the girls in Mertle's posse) was called "Aleka" by Moses for whatever reason.
  • Mertle mentions that her father owns a store, even though he's not around in The Series.^note Although since The Series takes place after Lilo & Stitch 2, it could be that he left Mertle and her mother sometime after this film.
  • This film shows that Stitch and Jumba were arrested shortly after the former's creation. However, in The Series episode "Kixx" (which aired almost two years before), Jumba states that the last time he trained Stitch he slipped a disk in his back. It's possible that Jumba and Stitch did their initial training together in prison as they awaited their trial, however.
  • According to what was written on TV.com, The Series executive producer and writer Jess Winfield stated that they (The Series's producers) talked with the Lilo & Stitch 2 producers to avoid inconsistencies with the franchise's mythology. However, during the production of Leroy & Stitch, when Winfield and his team were asked to look at an early version of Lilo & Stitch 2, they pointed out various inconsistencies between the film and what was established in the show, such as the names of the hula girls (Disneytoon came up with their own names for them) and the aforementioned inconsistency with Mertle's dad. Disneytoon apparently did not feel like revising their film to keep consistency with the mythology established in The Series.
  • One of the few aversions of this trope between this film and the show comes in the form of Nani's employment; she is shown working at the rental hut on Lahui Beach, which was her job in early season one of The Series.
• Shout-Out:
  • Stitch unfurling after he is created is similar to how the Mogwai copies from Gremlins unfurl after they were created.
  • The footage used for the monster movie at Family Fun Night is taken from the film Them!, although the implied sequence of events and plot in the fictional monster movie deviates heavily from the actual film source.
• Skewed Priorities: Played for Laughs. After Stitch ruins Lilo's hula performance and gets her expelled from hula school, Lilo vents about it to Nani, who's clearly too busy at work to listen to her. Amusingly, Lilo seems to think Nani is the one with skewed priorities.
  Lilo: My hula career is falling to pieces and you're worried about stinkin' WORK?!
• Swiss-Army Tears: Both parodied and lampshaded. During Stitch's Disney Death, Lilo starts sobbing whilst holding him in the pieta position, and it brings him back to life. It's parodied by Jumba when he is asked for how this is possible, and he simply says it's not.
• Torment by Annoyance: The "She's touching me!"/"I'm not touching you!" scene.
• Tragic Monster: Stitch thinks he's turning into one of these, and reacts accordingly - doing what he thinks is resisting the beast, and ultimately running away to protect others when he thinks he's turning evil. Actually, he's malfunctioning rather than turning evil; what look like rampages are actually powerful seizures as he slowly dies, but he doesn't know that.
• Tears of Awe: Played for Laughs when Jumba watches Them! where a giant ant is seen dumping human bones. With a tear in his eye, he claims it's beautiful.
• Tempting Fate:
  Mertle: After that? She wouldn't dare to come here!
  (Lilo shows up.)
• Two Lines, No Waiting: The movie has three separate plots all jostling for screentime:
  • The A-plot is about Lilo and Stitch training to win the hula competition. Lilo tries to come up with ideas, while Stitch struggles with his glitches.
  • The B-plot has Jumba trying to build a fusion chamber so he can recharge Stitch's particles. To do so, he and Pleakley steal several of Nani's appliances.
  • The C-plot has Pleakley trying to help David win over Nani by pretending to be his girlfriend in a ploy to make Nani jealous.
• Unabashed B-Movie Fan: The ʻohana watch the monster movie Them! on TV for Family Fun Night.
• The Unreveal: The winner of the hula competition is left unknown.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The space police who arrested Jumba unplugged Stitch's fusion chamber before his charging was complete, which is the cause of the main problem in the film.
• Vanilla Edition: The original Blu-ray Disc release of this film, which was actually bundled with the original Lilo & Stitch film on the disc, does not contain any bonus features, although the original DVD of this film was included with the "2-Movie Collection" pack. The Blu-ray was re-released in 2017 with only a digital code included and no DVDs. Finally, in 2022, the "2-Movie Collection" was re-released on Blu-ray again, this time with both films having their own separate Blu-rays with many of their original bonus features now included on their respective dedicated Blu-ray Discs, along with the digital code.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Jumba is distraught over the failure of the first fusion chamber, Pleakley rouses his spirits by reminding him that he's still an Evil Genius, he still built Stitch, and he's the only one who can build a new chamber.
• You Called Me "X"; It Must Be Serious: Keen-eyed viewers will notice that in both the first movie and the series, Jumba calls Lilo "little girl" and Stitch "experiment 626". Here, however, he calls them by their proper names. Given what's at stake, this kind of makes sense.

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