The Reel Rejects - LILO & STITCH (2002) IS HEARTWARMING!! MOVIE REVIEW!!

Episode Date: May 19, 2025

OHANA MEAN FAMILY!! Lilo & Stitch Full Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   With the 2025 Disney Live Action Remake looming ever-closer, Tara & Aaron REUNITE to give their Lilo & Stitch Re...action, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, & Spoiler Review!! Download PrizePicks today at https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/RE... & use code REJECTS to get $50 instantly when you play $5! Join Aaron Alexander & Tara Erickson as they embrace the “ohana” spirit in Disney’s heartwarming 2002 animated adventure, Lilo & Stitch. When mischievous alien experiment Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders, co-director of The Croods) crash-lands on Earth, he’s adopted by spirited island girl Lilo Pelekai (Daveigh Chase, The Ring, Flightplan), who teaches him the meaning of family. Alongside them, Nani Pelekai (Tia Carrere, Wayne’s World, Relic Hunter) struggles to keep guardianship of her little sister while working in bustling Kaua‘i. Rounding out the ensemble are Dr. Jumba Jookiba (David Ogden Stiers, MASH*, Beauty and the Beast)—the mad scientist who created Stitch—and his neurotic partner Pleakley (Kevin McDonald, The Kids in the Hall), whose undercover mission on Earth provides comic gold. Aaron & Tara break down every unforgettable moment—from Stitch’s chaotic first pancake-making crash to Lilo’s iconic hula lesson set to “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride,” and the adrenaline-charged chase through the surf-shingled streets of Kaua‘i. Don’t miss their take on the emotional rescue of a wayward Stitch and the tear-jerking reunion that proves family isn’t just blood—it’s those who would never abandon you. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 This episode is brought to you by Adidas. When the frustration grows and the doubts start to creep in, we all need someone who has our back. To tell us, we'll be okay, to remind us of our ability, to believe, because their belief in us transfers to self-belief and reminds us of all that we're capable of. We all need someone to make us believe. Hashtag, you got this.
Starting point is 00:00:22 There is the froie habitual, and there is the froude Montagne Bleu. The Frois at his summit. Cross Light. Tend Vue in
Starting point is 00:00:30 a fashion responsible, you have to have the age legal for consume
Starting point is 00:00:33 the alcohol. This week's videos are sponsored by Price Picks the easy to use fantasy sports
Starting point is 00:00:40 betting app more on them in just a bit. All right, I think we're doing good. I think we're
Starting point is 00:00:48 feeling fresh. Hawaiian. Are you ready? Pretty good. Oh, like that? We just finished watching Lilo and Stitch for first.
Starting point is 00:01:02 We want to thank the guys over a prepper for cutting down these highlights. You can see them here on the YouTube's. If you're listening to Apple or Spotify, you're going to give us five stars also on the YouTube short channel. It should be the review of Lilo and Stitch. We're here. We've seen it. We've experienced it. Tara, how are you feeling?
Starting point is 00:01:23 I feel. I feel good. I love this movie. I'm so glad I finally got to see it because this movie is it's great. I mean, it has a ton of heart that hits you from the top and on the back end. And like it doesn't take a long time in sitting in like the bad aspects. Not the bad aspects, but like the traumatic events that happen within this movie. I think are it's paced really, really well that we sit in them like. the perfect amount of time and then move on. Like, I don't think any movie really needs to be like three hours. And this movie, it felt like it flew by. Yeah, it's under an hour and a half,
Starting point is 00:02:07 which is really impressive. And you got, I got everything I needed from it. Like, from beginning to end, we got to know, um, not only who Nani was, who Lilo is, also who stitches, all of their backgrounds, right? And we all, all,
Starting point is 00:02:23 every part of like, where they're at in life right now. We got through the story. There's only 85 minutes. Yeah. It's great. Yeah, no, it was super impactful. I love this movie.
Starting point is 00:02:32 You know, I saw it as a kid. I haven't seen it since then, since I was a youth. And I now understand why it is a classic because it touches on all the things you want a movie like this to touch on while being hilarious, having oodles and noodles of heart
Starting point is 00:02:47 and having amazing action and animation to go with it. I think this movie is the epitome of, what it means to be a good time what it means to, you know, show people that there is you know, ohana. You know, I love the themes of this movie.
Starting point is 00:03:04 I love that it was about, you know, found family or even if your family isn't ideal or even it's not picture perfect. It still is a family. And I love that a lot of the people that are a part of this, you know, Stitch, eventually, you know,
Starting point is 00:03:20 Cobra bubbles, it seems like, and then the two aliens all join together. And they're all just like, chilling and family because they're all in some sense a form of reject or outcast and they've kind of come together because they see something that they resonate with one another. I think that's a really cool lesson for kids to have and for families to have. I really liked that this movie was something that was universal. This is not a kids film. This is a family film.
Starting point is 00:03:47 And the distinction of that is, you know, one specifically geared towards a younger audience, whereas this is a film that everybody can enjoy. and the fact that this movie is so simple yet is so impactful is really impressive and it makes me wonder like oh man what what goes wrong with certain other films you know or how come the magic of the simplicity of this movie has been something that's so hard to capture because everything is so striking from the beginning from the moment you meet stitch you know how the people feel about him you know how he interacts with the world same thing from the moment you meet lilo yeah and you know she cares about things like like feeding the fish peanut butter sandwich and know that she's outcast by her contemporaries, but also, you know, she's still really, it's never, it's never overstated, but you know, these two girls are both probably still depressed and from the loss of their family, they lost their parents. And all they have is each other to really latch on to. And grief is such an interesting thing because it manifests in different ways for different people. But at the
Starting point is 00:04:51 end of the day they have kind of they know that they need each other because they're all that they have left and then stitch is the other part of that equation because he is lost and he finds them and all he knows is destruction he's a being with a lost sense of purpose and then rediscoveres a sense of purpose within family and protecting these people and i think i just think it's beautiful you know it's something you can watch on a surface level and just enjoy its entertainment but those also just like these deeper, more heartfelt themes underneath that are things that will stick with you. And I really appreciated the movie for that. Yeah, especially when the scene, when Lilo tells Stits, that she's like,
Starting point is 00:05:30 I know that you have had like basically a hard life and that's why you're mean and that's why you bite me and that's why you do these bad things, right? And it's sort of like the same a little bit with Lilo of like grief comes in waves. So, you know, her and her sister have lost people. they get in arguments, right? There's a lot that sometimes when you're in the midst of grief, that stuff will come up arguments like sister stuff, but there's always like grief underlying that.
Starting point is 00:05:58 And I think that that's what made Lilo even being such a little, little tyke, make her understand stitch more in that aspect. Because it was a really grown thought for her to have. I know why you do this. But she was like, but if you stay with us, we can treat we can teach you like you know how to be good and stuff um and i love the line i think you know the underlying message in this is ohana family right and the the fact that he says like we're broken but we're still we're still good like we're still a family um that like hits home
Starting point is 00:06:36 i think it's such a good line it's a good representation that it doesn't have to look like a Disney movie with like a mom and a dad and a brother like it doesn't you know it's it's different um and i like that and i like that they embrace were broken but it's still okay um and i think that the movie had just a lot of heart from beginning to end and and adding in those two guys that are hunting after stitch the scientist and the other guy um i like that they threw them in for i guess chasing him right the the the chase is still there we're wondering, are they going to capture him or not? But I liked at the end, obviously when we see them all on the same ship.
Starting point is 00:07:20 And David's like, I'm going to have to take two trips. And he brings them like, my assumption, he brings them all back, which I love. And it just feels like, oh, I like the happy ending. It's fun. I enjoyed this movie a lot. I really need to look up to see if it was, I need to look up trivia, but then I need to see was Jennifer Lopez. Why do I feel like it's someone who sounds like her and
Starting point is 00:07:47 someone is going to have to be like, yeah, it sounds like her. Like Okay. Now hold on. Pulling the phone. I know. I'm totally probably going to be wrong, but that's the new one. This is $1.25 one. Okay. Hold on.
Starting point is 00:08:04 Lilo and Stitch 2002. Okay. cast only a little over 20 years old that's wild lelo oh Tia Carrere uh Kevin Michael Richardson that's how I knew that man's voice okay I don't know her awesome um and Kevin yeah Kevin Michael Richardson um Ving Rames who's Ving Rames oh he's Cobra Bubbles yeah oh Ving Rames because I was wondering who that voice was um that's great and oh my gosh wait hold on christanders yeah but up the colonel he played stitch i love it this is his idea he wrote
Starting point is 00:08:52 and directed it and he played stitch's voice i freaking love that what that's awesome um i will let me see if i can find just a few trivia that we can like read real quick um and then yeah we can okay so you pull up trivia what one more thing i wanted to say before before you do that. I really enjoyed that it's interesting because, you know, we like to watch movies that are set in different parts of the world and, you know, you get a little bit of insights to what those wars worlds and those settings were like.
Starting point is 00:09:24 And I like the fact that this movie was an embraced Hawaii and, you know, as it was without having to be about Hawaii itself. And I, granted, I would have liked a movie. about Hawaii but ultimately it's the setting the background and the feeling of that place that not sets the tone for the movie but I don't know I think just it's another character in the movie but it's not the star of the movie if that makes sense I think that it it's a vibe of you know the the ocean and then the music and then ohana all being infused into this was really cool and I just appreciated
Starting point is 00:10:09 that we got something that was outside of the traditional you know setting for a movie like this something I do know weird little tibbit in my head I can't remember if it was a movie remake or if it was a sequel but I know that at some point there's like another version of Stitch
Starting point is 00:10:25 and a continuation where Stitch is in Japan with like another little girl yeah and that's like a thing but I don't know anything about that one but I like that there is this thing that is synonymous with Stitch and like culture outside of traditional American culture.
Starting point is 00:10:43 So, yeah, or not American culture, but I guess mainland, California and New York, Streamline. Yeah. Yeah, that's essentially what I was thinking. And I think they did a really good job of representing the culture in Hawaii because it really is like you live on the island. A lot of people are surfing. They have like, and most do work either in the, in the restaurant or the hotel. in the, where the tourists are, which is where Nani was working. And then they just, they live, they live free.
Starting point is 00:11:16 They go surfing and they're, they're on the beach, live in like a good life, but paying their bills mostly by working on the resorts. But I feel like, yeah, the Hawaiian culture is a lot. I think it was represented nicely here, especially when Lilo says, like, she pulls up, but she's like, isn't it nice that there's no big cities like around here and Stitch freaks out? that that really reminds you of the lifestyle that they kind of that they love and that they like fight for in Hawaii. How long are we out there?
Starting point is 00:11:46 Which is cool. I was only there for like six months, so not that long. But you still got a vibe for you in that in that time. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, my days off I would go to the beach or I found in between one resort and the other. It was like this white sandy place that no one to go near. and there was rocks where all the honoos would the sea turtles would go and like they go on the rocks to like dry and so when I would go in and swim and like practice my free diving or whatever they would they would swim with me
Starting point is 00:12:19 it's so cute it's so cute it's so cute reject nation the basketball playoffs are heating up and if you want to turn your takes into something real you've got to check out prize picks our go-to in the daily fantasy sports world if you've never tried it here's how where it works it's relatively simple you pick two to six players and you guess whether or not they'll get more or less than the stat line price picks sets this week i'm looking at the basketball board and selecting donovan mitchell for more than 26 points jason tatum for more than nine rebounds nikolai yokech for more than 25 points and anthony edwards for more than four assists basketball terminology it's that simple if your picks hit you win even my dumb noggin can keep up with that and the more picks that you string together the more money you can
Starting point is 00:13:06 make, up to 1,000 times your entry. And what's cool is, it's not just basketball. You can mix and match players across different sports like baseball, football, hockey, even esports. It's like building your own custom bet. It's all based on player stats and you're in full control. Plus, they invented something called FlexPlay, which means even if one of your picks misses, you can still win cash. And payouts are super fast. I've seen it hit in under 15 minutes. So here's what you can do. You can download the app today and use code rejects to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Again, that's code rejects, $50 instantly after your first $5 lineup. Price picks, run your game.
Starting point is 00:13:46 Um, okay, let me read a future of it because it might be fun. Hawaiian-born cast members, Jason Scott Lee, and Tia Carrere helped the writers with dialogue and accents. Okay. Disney promoted this movie with a series of trailers inserting Stitch into some of its classic titles. Oh, like the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King. Interesting. It says like Stitch serves a wave that crashes on Ariel. He causes
Starting point is 00:14:13 a chandelier to fall in the beauty and the beast scene. He steals Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. He takes place on Simba's Pride Rock, which I'm like, oh, that's funny. Like the live action monster movie that appears briefly, photographs
Starting point is 00:14:29 of Elvis Presley are real pictures and not animated drawings. Yeah. Okay. That's cool. Lilo means generous one and originates in Hawaii. It can also be interpreted as lost. And this would give us the title, Hey, Mele, no, Lilo, a loose translation as Lullaby of the Lost.
Starting point is 00:14:52 The name Nani means beautiful in Hawaiian. That's so cute. I'll read one more. One of the most complex parts of Stitch's characterization is that it's challenging to read what kind of emotion he is feeling, mainly because his eyes don't have pupils. The animators essentially got around this problem by making Stitch very physical.
Starting point is 00:15:14 Yeah, okay. Like the way he would like sort of tuck in or out or like put his ears down or up. I get that. That's great. That's a great detail. It's very smart of them. Oh, it says the aliens are inspired by Disney characters.
Starting point is 00:15:27 Oh. Including piglet and thigger. That's random. Huh. Which aliens specifically? They just say that's all it says. Interesting. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:38 The one where you thought looked like Pink Panther reminded me of Tigger. Yes. Probably. Yeah. Right. And get this. It was supposed to be. Guess where this was originally supposed to be placed?
Starting point is 00:15:50 Japan. Nope. It's in U.S. What? In a town in the U.S. Do I know it? Yeah. I mean.
Starting point is 00:15:59 L.A.? No. I'll give you one more guesses over there. New York. No. Texas I would have not gotten that what Kansas instead of Kauai give me a break that would have been that would have been Wackadoo wild you truly like no thanks
Starting point is 00:16:16 Kauai I'm all four yeah that what a random fact what a random me yeah okay there's something I do have a question about though if bobo or cobra bubbles already had like an association with aliens why was he just like a caseworker because none of the alien stuff happened until after the fact that they had their first scene. You remember that? Until after the fact that they had their first scene. Oh, after the fact that Stitch came to them.
Starting point is 00:16:45 Right. And are you saying that you think he has like some weird throughway with the aliens? There's no, I'm saying. What are the odds that, you know, their caseworker would also have history with aliens? Oh, right, right, right. Well, it's just, I guess that's how they worked it in where he's like former CIA and then he was part of Roswell. Yeah, because he said they're like, yeah, I look, I'm from Special Forces or something. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:17:06 Because she even came to them. Right. That was interesting. Yeah. And I want a bubble sequel. Get us a bubble sequel prequel ASAP. Yeah, that'd be fun. It's been 20 plus years, but I need it in my life.
Starting point is 00:17:16 We need to expand on that because you can't just drop the little tidbit and then not give us more. I know, right. Especially when the, when she's like, oh, yeah, you had hair then. And I'm like, what? Let's rewind. Let's see what happened there. Please. I would have loved to.
Starting point is 00:17:30 I think that would be fun. Oh, my gosh. But then people would maybe miss Stitch and Lilo because it would just be, but they make it just as good. But yeah, they can have some, they can get some other characters in there. Ving Ram's still alive. Bring him back. Give us the Bubbles prequel, go. That's right.
Starting point is 00:17:45 That's right. I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you. All right, Terry, any final thoughts for you getting out of here? No, I'm so glad I watch this movie. Now I get it. I get Leland Stitch people.
Starting point is 00:17:57 I've seen it. I love it. I'm sold. I got one more thing, one more thing. What is it? Do you want to know the Rotten Tomato story? Okay, let me guess. Okay, critics, I'm going to guess that the critics gave it 75 because they're weird.
Starting point is 00:18:13 Hopefully it's higher, but I don't know. And then the audience, I'm going to say 83. You know, this is one of the few days that I'm glad to say that you were wrong on this one, Tara. Really? Okay, what is it? Critics, 86. Good job, critics. audience is 78 what
Starting point is 00:18:33 critics like this more than the audiences that's weird that is very rare normally it's the what yeah you know what I did ask a friend the other day a friend of a friend I went have you seen Leland Stitch
Starting point is 00:18:50 I was like I'm gonna I'm gonna watch it soon and she was like yeah and I was like obviously no spoiler because I've never seen it and she was just like I did not like that movie. I was very annoyed. Stitch talks weird. I was annoyed by Stitch. And I was like, oh, okay. But then I watch it. I love, I love them all. I'm not annoyed, but then I thought maybe that low scores, because people were annoyed, but I'm like, he's barely, he's just like,
Starting point is 00:19:21 my, ma ma, ma, like, he's awesome. He's just a little, he's a little dude. I, I find that weird. I did not think that he was annoying. all but maybe other people did wow that's wild to me he's adorable they're all great Lilo was adorable and so endearing so quickly so cute fish was so cute and yeah give us more I'm excited to see the new one see what they keep what they change what they expand upon and yeah well that's it for us guys uh do you have an ohana I think that they mean family oh nobody get left behind no party gets left behind okay They're going now.
Starting point is 00:20:01 Bye, buzz. Bye. Which one of us is going to do it? You can go for it. Are you sure? Yeah. I know you've got a couple of voices. No, I don't.
Starting point is 00:20:13 This isn't the one? No. All right. Well, London, it's time to shout you're out in the Stitch voice. You'll have to do it. It's required by law. We're going to the Stitt when you're doing. We don't stitch together, Stitch, and we're just lowering to the...
Starting point is 00:20:32 I will never be able to do a gollum. See, no, it's not working right now. So sorry. I'm so committed to the character of Stitch. Just let me get back into the voice. We love you. You'll hear every month, which means you're part of our Ohana, which means family. Which means that this takes place inside the fast and furious universe.
Starting point is 00:20:58 Also, this means that this inevitable sequel to the live acts of Lilow and Stitch movie will be a fast 11 and you will be the star of it. I hate when people say like, when you're doing an impression and then they make fun of you for sounding like somebody else. I hate that. But I'm going to do that. Oh, it's fine. Because I didn't know. Who was on ball? I didn't know Barth and Brando.
Starting point is 00:21:26 It sounds like more than Brano doing a stitch impression. Oh, Hannah, man's family. This is going well. Anyway. Letting this is catch me on Instagram doing those, like, impressions of. Happy May. Poison for Cusco. Thank you.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.