Lilo & Stitch ★★★

    Somewhere along the lines of the creative process of Disney's greatest imaginations came a spur of the moment thought: For once, let us shed the modish and rather reserved boundaries of previous creations and indulge in a separate, and inhuman, route for adolescent intrigue. Thus, Stitch was born.

    "Lilo & Stitch" not only finds its way in a film that has several miscalculations, but it accomplishes its success through irregular techniques--that is--uncommon to Disney. The indulgence in an unconventional lead protagonist is not the only headway produced in this circumstance, as the animation itself seems to be one of a kind. (Although there may be a reason for this fact.)

    One of the last undertakings in hand drawn animation, in this particular instance, can only be described as "bubbly," as characters seem rather blown up and facial features tend to be round and livelier than I can remember. Other than making the older sister, and caretaker of Lilo, disproportionate as to what we know the average human dimensions to be, it does make for a terrific style of presentation.

    Stitch, also known as experiment 626, is an alien of sorts, who resembles an insect more than anything else, and who was designed to reek havoc in all of his endeavors. Naturally, there is an alien republic, who wants Stitch to be incarcerated because of his demonic exterior and behavior. This leads to your stereotypical prison break-out scene, in which our odd anti-hero hijacks a spaceship and makes his way to Earth and the little island of Hawaii.

    In comes Lilo, a rather sassy and fiery young spirit, whose wild imagination puts her at odds with her peers, and more importantly, with her elder sibling. She stumbles upon Stitch at the local animal shelter, as he is captured mistakenly as a dog, and subsequently falls in love with the small being. The rest of the picture relies heavily on this abnormal bond, and, unfortunately, the humor stemming from the ignorance and naivety of Stitch.

    Regardless of its emphasis, which ultimately centers on Stitch fitting into a family and striving to "belong," there is a heartwarming effect that takes hold toward the end of the film. Additionally, there is the disappointment that arises from the plot, as it eventually transitions into a rescue story, and there certainly should have been more of a focus on Lilo, yet it is hard to argue with the end result.

  It is inconceivable to think that such a modest and elegant production company could generate such a peculiar character, all while continuing its journey to provide wholesome entertainment. However, it is this distinct quality that Disney seems to direly lack in its contemporary mold of presentation.

  I mean, here we are in the twenty-first century of humanity's feeble-minded consciousness, which has not only provided substantial advancements in special effects (even if one believes that hand drawn animation was possibly shunned too quickly), but has come with the tools to seemingly make any subject matter come to life. It is truly a shame that we have to become accustomed to live-action renditions of past animation successes, instead of something that delves into the hearts of us all in a profound way. How many times can we possibly observe "Cinderella," and attempt to pose the question of: Gee, I wonder what's going to happen next?