Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Disney's animation department (until the purchase of Pixar) had, to tell the truth, fallen into a bit of a dark age as the 90s drew to a close. The films were getting muddled with executive desires, and as a result went ridiculously over budget, and needless to say ultimately often bombing at the box office and/or with critics as a consequence. Only the Pixar films and, to a lesser extent, DTV sequels (themselves not exactly the brightest bulbs in the chandelier) were really the only new animated films from Disney that were making money. Whilst a number of Disney's animated films of the early 2000s are fine ("Home on the Range" and "Brother Bear" are, in particular, both fun flicks), they certainly don't quite live up to the best of Disney animation.

And then there's "Chicken Little". I wanted to like it, but I was left really disappointed. It had nice animation, but executive meddling had left the story in a mess. I'm a fan of Zach Braff and Harry Shearer, but even their vocal talents didn't save this film, which resulted in the worst Disney film of all time, and was probably only a hit due to the sheer mountain of advertising.

And yet, there's always an oasis in the middle of a desert, and "Lilo and Stitch" is, in this case, just that. It's the story of a girl who mistakes an alien for a dog, and whilst seeming an unusual little flick, is unpretentious. The animation differs from the classic Disney style that many may be used to, but it's delicious eye candy. It's rather touching, too and was rightfully a hit with critics and at the box office. Director Chris Sanders is directing another animated film for Disney entitled "American Dog" and should be released in 2008. Hopefully that will be just as good.

Although it was rated PG in the USA, I honestly think that most young kids will be able to take this if they survived the likes of "The Lion King", "Finding Nemo" and "Dumbo". But enough with the kids, and onto the adults; seriously, don't dub this as a kids movie because it's made by Disney. It's got something for everybody in it and I recommend it.