I was actually a bit surprised a few years ago when the Disney characters “Lilo & Stitch” became quite popular. The original movie did pretty well in theatres and on DVD, and of course the subsequent plush toys moved pretty fast. Back in 2003, Disney went an extra step further and tried a new format on the DVD market by releasing a set that included a couple of newer animated adventures and a fully immersive board game that you could play along with the DVD. Now Disney is set to release an all-new full-length film into the ‘straight-to-DVD’ market. “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” hits store shelves this week, and unlike most of the Disney animated sequels lives up to the standard set by the original. Of course, this wasn’t too hard since the original isn’t what you’d call a ‘classic’, but more just a laugh-filled animated adventure.

“Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” continues the adventure of the little alien who comes to Earth and befriends a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo. Stitch, you might remember wasn’t just any alien, but number 626 in a long line of failed experiments attempting to create the perfect weapon. But Stitch escaped and made his way to Earth and eventually became a part of Lilo’s world.

In this sequel, we find Lilo preparing to follow in her mother’s footsteps… or rather dance steps, by entering a hula contest. All seems well until Stitch begins to exhibit bizarre behavior… a glitch… if you will, and it takes the entire gang including Lilo’s sister Nana and ex-evil scientist Jumba to… fix… Stitch.

Like all of Disney’s DVD releases, this disc offers up a gorgeous picture in terms of clarity. This is a very colorful film and there are times it appears to leap right off the screen. There are also several fun little extras like Jumba’s Experiment Profiler, which tests the knowledge of young viewers on the subject of previous ‘experiments.’ There is also a nice little bonus cartoon where Stitch discovers a video file that tells him more about the experiment that created him. Fans of ‘Where’s Waldo”, will enjoy a little game of “Where’s Pleakely” where you have to find Jumba’s assistant in a series of crowded pictures. Finally the group Jump5 performs the song “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride” in a video.

“Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” isn’t Disney at it’s best by any means, but it retains most of the humor that made the original funny and it’s a sure bet to while away a rainy afternoon with the kids.

Extras: The Origin of Stitch, Jumba’s Experiment Profiler, Music Video “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride” by Jump5
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Disney
Release Date: 8/30/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG (For Some Mild Action)
Website

We'll give Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch a C+.