Alex Cann's Film Blog - Thursday 29th May 2025

A remake and a reboot

It's been a bumper weekend for cinemas, with three movies taking a six-figure sum at the box office. Leading the way, Disney's live action remake of Lilo & Stitch chalked up an impressive £8 million from 689 sites, reports Screen Daily, making an average of £11,593 per location. It eclipses Captain America - Brave New World (£6.4 million) and Thunderbolts* (£5 million), and if you factor in Wednesday and Thursday preview screenings, plus Bank Holiday Monday, it's now made a cool £12.9 million.

I thought it was a fantastic watch. Well made, genuinely funny, with characters you care about. Essentially, all the ingredients of a good family film, and undoubtedly the best thing Disney has produced in ages.

Not all critics have been kind, with a Guardian review describing it as a "ghastly misfire" and "a cheap branded knockoff" of the original 2002 film. The Independent label it a "travesty", whilst the New York Times brands the remake "a moderately fun, mostly serviceable and often adorable revamp that will probably satisfy fans of the original".

I didn't read any of these reviews before going to watch it myself last weekend, and it was the most packed I've seen a cinema screen since 2019. I don't share any of the critics' misgivings, and thought Sydney Agudong was ace as Lilo's older sister Nani, whilst Stitch was one of the best alien creations since E.T. back in my childhood. I'll add the disclaimer that I'm almost certain I've never watched the 2002 original, and probably should give that a whirl on Disney+ soon. Perhaps my positive verdict benefits from a lack of comparisons with the animation.

Leaving aside the critics' take, common words in audience reviews include "cute", sweet and charming", and "heartwarming". I gather it's pretty good to watch in 3D too. If you've seen it, let me know your thoughts on this colourful Hawaiian family adventure. And remember - "Ohama means family. Family means nobody gets left behind".

Whilst I've yet to see the new Tom Cruise blockbuster, I did enjoy Final Destination Bloodlines. A terrific opening sequence in the sky restaurant, and tons of inventive ways for characters to meet their gory demise (I particularly liked the lawnmower, even though it wasn't much of a surprise after the trailer teased this scene). It's probably the best Final Destination film since the first one, which amazingly is a quarter of a century ago. Its strong Rotten Tomatoes score backs that up. You might watch some of it through your fingers. The gore is not particularly realistic, but a few scenes certainly made me wince. Even a vending machine and wind chimes turn into deadly weapons of destruction, as Death bumps off those deemed to have escaped their fate. It's a neat concept and a welcome return.

I'll be checking out the new Mission Impossible movie with my cousin Rachel at the weekend, who is a Tom Cruise super fan! She'll guest review it as part of next week's column.