The Ugly Earthling(s)
Written: Jul 18 '02 (Updated Jul 18 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Touching concepts of the redeeming quality of unconditional love, and importance of family.
Cons: Not enough variety in the character designs of the children.
The Bottom Line: This film teaches that unconditional love can redeem even a being who was designed to be selfish and destructive. Children can recognize these character traits presented in a humorous manner.
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| heidigarofalo's Full Review: Lilo & Stitch |
THE CHARACTERS
This film was entertaining and satisfying on a level seldom attempted in family films… especially in the realm of animated features. The main protagonist, Stitch, is not simply an adorable, sympathetic little creature that inspires the audience to love him in the usual, predictable fashion. Nor is he the absolutely loathsome, villainous, personage that the audience would usually be set up to hate. No… Stitch is an immature personality, intentionally designed by his creator/scientist/inventor to be purely selfish and destructive, but who develops the capacity to love and belong to a family during the course of the story. This plot line teaches children that no matter what inborn traits someone might possess, our environment, and the way we are treated by the significant others around us…. especially within our own family… makes a huge difference in our personality development. This message is delivered by example, during the course of the story, in a way that even very young children can absorb. OK… I've done something bad today, but I'm not all bad, and I can be really good, too.
By the same token, the character of little Lilo, the younger sister who seems to try her older sister's patience in every conceivable way, and almost defeats her sister's attempts to hold their family together after their parent's sudden death, is believable because of the multi-dimensional reality of her personality. She's bright, rebellious, determined, brash, contentious, and often picks fights. When she first talks her older sister into letting her adopt Stitch at an animal shelter, it seems that the two tiny terrors are destined to leave a wake of destruction in their paths. But Lilo is also capable of tremendous warmth, loyalty and unconditional love, which is what redeems Stitch and knits them all together as a family in the end. A theme running throughout this story is that many individuals who may seem hopelessly bad, might be hiding a side of themselves that will blossom in an atmosphere of love and security. Without giving away the final resolution of the story, I'll tell you that several characters become transformed IN this way, and are all connected in the end in a satisfying and heart-warming manner. This message is SO VERY good for children of all ages.
The main contrast between the characters of Lilo and Stitch, is that Lilo is never pretending to be anything but who she really is… a rather demanding, disobedient little girl with a huge capacity to love, who has been frightened and disoriented by her parents' death. Stitch, on the other hand, is cunning and sophisticated enough to first present himself in an edited form… and to behave in such a way as to fool people into feeling safe around him. He hides portions of his body that don't look Earthly. He compares himself to the dogs in the humane society who are being chosen by visiting families, and imitates their behavior enough to fool Lilo and her sister. Many opportunities for comedy occur when Stitch's true nature keeps springing, unbidden, from behind this facade. And because we have been shown that Stitch is incredibly adaptable and ingenious, we are delighted when these abilities turn around in the end, to be used for his own good and the benefit of his new Earthly family.
AESTHETICS - ART, ANIMATION, AND MUSIC
We were delighted with the scenic watercolor backgrounds in this film. The painterly use of watercolor washes and blending of translucent colors is a visual treat that evokes the atmosphere of the Hawaiian Islands. The whole film felt like an animated childrens' book, artistic in it's presentation, and peopled with characters that ordinary children can identify with. Their facial features are not idealized… They are not the stereotypically cute, formula, kid designs we usually see. My one disappointment is that the characters of the various children were designed almost exactly alike, with minimal differences in the shapes of their facial features. Until I saw the few caucasian characters, I was pleased to see ethnic Hawaiian features handled so beautifully... then I couldn't understand why all the kids just seemed to have the exact same eyes, nose and mouth, only painted different colors.
The animation was a welcome blend of both the broad, expressive, comedic style of the old Warner Brothers' featurettes (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner), and that level of sophistication in movement and facial expression so characteristic of Disney feature animated films. Childrens' movements and expressions are caricatured in a humorous and entertaining way, while retaining that recognizable ring of truth that makes us laugh. And Stitch was obviously a welcome opportunity for animators to caricature the behavior of various domestic pets and wild things all wrapped up into one.
The music seemed transparent to me while I watched most of this film… it supported the action and maintained its place as background music. There were no Broadway-style musical numbers shoe-horned into the plot in order to create an album to sell. I did not come away remembering and whistling any captivating little tunes. But there were special times during which I found myself consciously delighted by the accompanying music. These were the surfing sequences, where a combination of pop and Hawaiian music moved through the waves with the characters, creating a mood of joy and excitement with native Hawaiian rhythms and vocals.
BOILING IT DOWN…
This film teaches by example, through the plot and the personal growth of each character... not by preaching. The character development and the plot line exemplify learning and growing into a more positive and loving person, even when you may seem to have only been destined to be "bad". It even teaches the basic concept of "tough love" … standing up to kids for their own good when they misbehave, and backing that up with unconditional love.
We cannot help but laugh with recognition when Stitch demonstrates anti-social behavior in ways that most of us have seen in small children and unsocialized pets. The first time he enters Lilo's house, Stitch hisses like a feral cat and starts to back away… then realizes that this is his only safe haven for the time being, and grudgingly decides to tolerate it. Of course, as he experiences the formerly unknown sense of belonging, he transforms, slowly but surely, into a loyal and loving member of the family. The process is cute, funny, original and daring. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to seeing it again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
heidigarofalo
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Member: Heidi Guedel Garofalo
Location: Anthony, Florida, USA
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Happy wife; Veteran Feature Film Animator; Sculptor; writer; technophile; animal lover; eternal inner child.
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