DVD REVIEW
'Lilo & Stitch' on must-buy DVD list
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor
"Lilo & Stitch," out on DVD tomorrow, is likely to be this Christmas' must-have family movie.
You know the tale: A somewhat nasty alien meets a friendship-seeking Hawaiian girl, and heartwarming havoc results. The animated movie, set in Hawai'i, introduces the concept of 'ohana, where no one is left behind, to a global audience.
The extras make this one a treasure trove of continuing adventure. Deleted scenes are restored, extending the adventures of Stitch. Behind-the-scenes elements are revealing and resourceful reminders of the complexity of animation. Chris Sanders, a co-director, demonstrates the "round" style of the characters that prevail in the movie's over-all look. A 20-minute documentary sheds additional light on the process of launching this buoyant comic adventure.
Local fans, and the chorus members themselves, will flip over the footage of the Kamehameha School Children's Chorus, directed by Lynell Bright, recording Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu's two island tunes, "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" and "He Mele No Lilo." Ho'omalu, a West Coast kumu hula, offers a hula lesson.
A section dubbed "InterSTITCHals" is an overview of the long road filmmakers took to get the movie to the big screen. In the process, Stitch steals his way into other Disney turf such as "101 Dalmatians," "Lady and the Tramp," and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Those wonderful trailers in which Stitch bullies his way into tales such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King" are part of the package.
Wynonna, who sang "Burning Love," the Elvis Presley hit, talks about her contribution in a behind-the-scenes snippet.
A music video of the A-Teens batting out their charming "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" also is included. It will appeal most to who don't remember Elvis' original version.
