Disney’s Lilo & Stitch (2025), a lovable, laugh-out-loud live action reboot, is set to be the best family film of the summer. Rating: 8/10 – London Mums & Kids Club.
Walt Disney’s long-awaited live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch crash-lands into UK cinemas on 21 May 2025 – and it’s already being hailed as the ultimate family film of the summer. With its heartwarming message, riotous comedy, and colourful characters, this modern reimagining of the 2002 animated classic has not only tugged at the heartstrings but also won over a new generation of viewers.
The story follows Lilo, a street-smart and fiercely independent Hawaiian girl who may cause a bit of mischief but whose heart is firmly in the right place. Played brilliantly by Maia Kealoha, Lilo is as lovable as she is chaotic—her layered character encourages both laughter and empathy. After losing her parents, she’s raised by her older sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong), who embodies grit, compassion, and the exhausting reality of single-handedly keeping a family afloat. Nani’s determination to protect her sister grounds the film emotionally.
Then there’s Stitch – the big-eyed, blue, floppy-eared alien who looks like an oddly adorable dog and gives the best hugs in the galaxy. Voiced with just the right balance of menace and charm by original voice actor Chris Sanders, Stitch provides endless humour while reminding us that even chaos deserves love. His misadventures, including a brief but legendary red bus ride across Westminster Bridge, have already taken London by storm.
The comedic aliens who pursue Stitch to Earth – now disguised in human forms – are designed purely to entertain. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen shine in their roles, with pitch-perfect timing that has the audience laughing from start to finish. Their physical comedy and outlandish one-liners balance the more poignant themes of family and loss.
Under the careful direction of Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), the film never loses sight of its central message: ‘Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten’. From the tropical beats to heartfelt moments and surf-side antics, Lilo & Stitch is a feel-good, sunshine-drenched celebration of connection and acceptance.
At a special screening in Leicester Square earlier this week, London Mums & Kids Club gave the film a glowing 8 out of 10, calling it “the best family film of summer 2025.” With its warm humour, tender storytelling, and engaging visuals, it’s an experience that leaves both kids and grown-ups dancing out of the cinema – and possibly wiping away a tear or two.
Hannah Waddingham brings gravitas and sparkle as the Ground Councilwoman, while the central London takeover by Stitch ahead of the premiere provided a marketing masterclass in adorable mayhem.
Whether you’re in it for the giggles, the alien antics, or the emotional gut-punch, Lilo & Stitch is exactly what families need this summer: a joyful, high-energy tale about love, loss, and loyalty – with a lot of laughs along the way.
In cinemas across the UK from Wednesday 21 May.
Catch Stitch, catch feels, and maybe catch yourself doing the hula down the aisles.
The trailer
