This movie is the finale to the both the franchise and the TV show. Fittingly for a finale it is about the importance of saying good-bye.
It begins with a bright opening mirroring the opening of first film, as they get the happy ending they have been striving for. All the experiments are caught (well they are ignoring 625). Lilo is given big praise and made their ambassador to Earth, Stitch is given a military job with the Galactic Alliance, Pleakley is given the job of head of Earth studies at their community college, and Jumba is given his old Evil Genius lab back.
They refuse to leave at first and then miss the idea of their happy ending and then all leave when Lilo tells them it is okay, as she knows that is what they want. Kind of odd to do it this slowly, but I think it works. It feels more realistic, and the scene where Lilo realizes Aloha also means goodbye means she must be fine with letting them leave is a nice callback to the first movie and a nice message about accepting your friends having to move on to different locations. I see why this appealed to me when so many people left my school when I was in 7th grade. I will not lie and say I did not tear up. It is the same music from the first one when they will all stay, and now it plays when they leave. I have not seen the show in years, but I really enjoyed the little montage of the experiments being happy. It also only takes up a few minutes, but it then gets slow showing everybody but Stitch not being happy.
The first 25 minutes do get slow and then Hamsterviel joins Jumba. Surprisingly that makes it slower, as developing Leroy takes a while. I hears dome fans are mad at the idea of Leroy being called “Experiment 628,” but I remember a commercial calling him that. I am surprised Jumbaa just does what they want at gunpoint, and the next few minutes are very slow. Jumbaa’s music failsafe is too obvious. It oddly picks up when Hamsterviel names the new experiment, since Gantu keeps pointing out every name he suggests is taken and seems to have grown really attached to his prey. I think that fits his character since Gantu is a professional who knows and respects his enemies.
Stitch arrives and battles newly named Leroy, and this makes no sense. Gantu and Stitch’s crew are there, so why are they battling one on one? Also Stitch is a pro and should win easy. Pleakley shows up to check on Jumba distracting Stitch resulting in a victory for Leroy and all three being captured. At least it was a good fight.
Lilo has no problem recognizing Leroy is not Stitch in spite of his shape shifting powers, and she convinces Experiment 625 to help her. Honestly naming him “Reuben” and getting him to become ambitious is surprisingly underwhelming. However it is fun seeing him use all his powers and intelligence to fix the space ship. In the show Reuben is my favorite character, and this gives him the obvious, yet satisfying ending of joining the heroes and using his great powers when he now has something to actually motivate him.
Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley escape, which should have happened later to keep with the low point of Leroy capturing every experiment, Hamsterviel taking over the Galactic Alliance, capturing Lilo and Reuben, and him going to Earth to destroy them all.
Gantu has really been the real brains lately pointing out their potential obstacles, which makes it a bigger deal when Hamsterviel fires him. You probably get the drill, as this movie is predictable. Rueben talks about Aloha, and Gantu switches sides. Gantu is then amazed to see Reuben using his great powers.
With only one quarter of the movie left they reunite, and Lilo and Stitch are finally together again. On one hand this makes it really stick out. On the other hand them being together is such a key part of the franchise.
They save the experiments with the giant cannon on the college van. Why does college van have a giant cannon on it? Maybe it is for space pirates or all the other dangers in space in this universe.
They have a good fight with Leroy and his seemingly endless hordes of clones Hamsterveil made, and it turns on them. As a fan of the show this is really cool to see except when “Clyde” is called “Floyd.” That really messes with it. After that they play “Aloha Oe” the failsafe song. Why not do that earlier? This song feels both underwhelming but also very fitting for this franchise. After all the first one ends the major plot by holding up a two dollar receipt.
They all want their old lives back except Gantu and Reuben who get a job together with the Galactic Alliance. As predictable as this movie overall was Gantu becoming a hero was not something I saw coming until around a 3rd of the way in.
It ends with a giant group picture and then all the Leroy clones dancing to “Jailhouse Rock” around angry Hamsterveil. Should have reversed when these happened.
It is hard to give this movie my usual rating. As a finale to a series it is great. It is much more lacking if you have not seen the show. I will give it Four Tree Stars. It is predictable, but a great way to end the franchise for its characterization, and I love the lesson. Part of aloha is “bye.” It is about both saying goodbye, but also bye to your old self. It might mean coming back, but like Gantu and Reuben it can also mean an entirely new and better life. They are the best characters this movie, as they are the ones who actually move on. Gantu, as he is forced to and does not try to force it back. Reueben, as he wants to be better than what he currently is.
Next time I will look at a movie that was made to be a huge deal and never caught on.
The Animation Historian 