my rage increases with everything i hear about the live action lilo and stitch
what do you mean nani gives up custody of lilo.
what do you mean no jumba redemption— and he’s the twist villain???
what do you mean no pleakley in drag.
what do you mean no nani and david romance subplot.
what do you mean no gantu.
what do you mean no ugly duckling scene.
what do you mean no anti-tourism theme.
what do you mean jumba just sounds like some random american guy.
what do you mean cobra bubbles isn’t the social worker
not to mention nani’s actress being in brownface.
and more than anything— showing an indigeneous family being separated by the government, and having it be shown as a “happy ending.” the original ending was perfect. nani kept custody and gained a support system.
disney’s rise in conservatism is showing bigtime
I wish I could avoid seeing it even harder than I already am.
Like, the have Nani's actress in brown-face, make Myrtle and Ice Cream guy Hawaiian, and have Nani put Lilo into the system so she can go to college in California FOR MARINE BIOLOGY.
Disney is doing everything in its power to remove all the racial commentary from the movie and in doing so are pushing a narrative that
Indigenous people have to leave their land for a better life/to chase their dreams
That a "better life" means a college education
That indigenous children belong in the system for "their own good"
And doing all of these things goes against the original movies narrative of "Ohana".
Nani and Lilo lost their ohana when their parents died, but they made a new one with Stitch, Pleakley, Jumba, David, and even Cobra Bubbles.
Lilo & Stitch was also about healing and redemption. Lilo and Stitch both felt broken and wrong and unloved and unlovable, and they loved each other and told each other that they were not broken.
Jumba learned that he could create something kind and not destructive
Pleakley learned to understand things outside of his narrow worldview and to appreciate the true beauty within something.
They found their Ohana in each other. Their little broken family became whole by them joining together.
In the live action version, there is no Jumba redemption, Nani and Lilo don't go and choose Stitch together, and Nani LEAVES Lilo.
This movie spits in the face of the original which was beautiful and loving and actually had something important to say to make schlop for Disney to sell more merch
-Mod C
