Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch

Plot

Stitch is having a nightmare about turning bad again and causing destruction to Earth, including hurting Lilo. After Stitch wakes up, Lilo comforts him by telling him she knows he would never cause harm to her. Lilo also tests his goodness level by having him do a few good deeds. Discovering that they are late for hula class, they use their hovercraft to get there.

While at the hula class, Kumu announces that Lilo and her classmates have to prepare to perform at the local May Day festival. Each student is required to create an original dance. Lilo is inspired when he tells her about her mother being in the festival at her age and winning, giving her a picture of the event. After the hula class ends, Mertle insults Lilo by telling her that she will never be like her mother, causing her to start a fight with her. But after taking pictures of the brawl, Stitch forgets to flush the evidence. Kumu thinks that Lilo is not ready for the competition because of the fight with Mertle, but Lilo says that she is ready and "triple promises" to be good.

While preparing for the competition, Lilo and Stitch have a hard time coming up with ideas and Nani wants them to enjoy their family fun night. While watching Them! on family fun night, Stitch's past comes back to haunt him and he goes berserk in the house. It seems that after Stitch was created, Jumba did not get a chance to fully charge Stitch's molecules as he was arrested by the intergalactic police who disrupted the process. At first, this glitch causes Stitch to revert to his old destructive programming, but it will ultimately destroy him if Jumba cannot create a fusion chamber before Stitch's energy runs out for good.

Meanwhile, Stitch's uncontrollable destructive behavior drives a wedge between him and Lilo and threatens to ruin her chances for success at the hula competition. Lilo and Stitch try to be inspired for their hula, but Stitch keeps malfunctioning because of his molecules. Since Lilo is so concerned about winning the competition, she fails to notice Stitch's glitch and believes his new behavior is deliberate and begins to neglect him.

Eventually, the two devise a hula based on the legend of Hi'iaka. Lilo gets increasingly mad at Stitch as he ruins their practice sessions. To make matters worse, Jumba is having problems creating the fusion chamber because he doesn't have the proper alien technology to build one and must resort to using mere household objects. However, just before the competition, Stitch arrives just before Lilo is to perform, wishing her luck. The two make up as Jumba finally completes the fusion chamber. However, Stitch has another abrupt fit. Lilo, confused, tries to come up to him, causing Stitch to accidentally scratch her face. After this, Stitch becomes greatly upset that he hurt her. Knowing that Stitch would never want to voluntarily hurt her, Lilo finally realizes that something is wrong with him. Lilo tries to ask what's wrong, but Stitch runs off to leave Earth, believing himself to be too dangerous. In the middle of her performance, Lilo runs off to help him.

As Stitch attempts to leave Earth, Lilo and the rest of the family desperately try to get him back to re-charge him. While taking off, Stitch has another outburst, which causes him to crash the spaceship in the Hawaiian mountains. Lilo rides over to the crash site in the hovercraft from earlier where she finds Stitch close to death and hurriedly gets him into Jumba's fusion chamber. However, it's too late and Lilo watches in tears as Stitch dies.

Taking him out of the chamber, Lilo clings to him as she tells him that while she kept saying that she needed him, he needed her more. She says that he is her ʻohana and, therefore, will always love him and breaks down in tears. Very much like the Legend of Hi'iaka, Stitch is revived from the sincere love from his family. The family (along with David) then performs Lilo's hula dance together on the empty stage of the competition. Nani tells Lilo that their mother would be proud of her and a star twinkles in the sky to prove it.

Main characters

Secondary characters

Production

This is the only film in the series without actress Daveigh Chase who voices Lilo in all other Lilo & Stitch films. According to Disney Animation Studios, Chase was so busy working on Lilo & Stitch: The Series that she suggested to have renowned child actress and good friend Dakota Fanning play her. Chris Sanders, the writer/director of the first film, did not participate fully. The film also became Disney's first direct-to-video animated film to be rated PG by the MPAA for some mild action.

Jason Scott Lee makes the final appearance as David Kawena (beginning with Stitch! The Movie, Dee Bradley Baker voiced David), as he was too busy with other roles that he booked.

The Origin of Stitch short film

The Origin of Stitch is an animated short film included on the DVD release of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. The short has a total running time of 4:35 minutes and serves as a bridge between Stitch Has a Glitch and Stitch! The Movie. In the short, Stitch discovers Jumba's secret computer that reveals what creatures Jumba had used to create Stitch, and also hints at his other 625 experiments. Stitch is scared to find out what a monster he is, only for Jumba to come and explain how he found love when he met Lilo. The short was directed by Mike Disa and co-directed by Tony Bancroft.

Soundtrack

Disney's Lilo & Stitch Island Favorites Featuring Songs from Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is the soundtrack to Lilo & Stitch 2. The song "He Mele No Lilo" had been included in the first film, Lilo & Stitch. It was released by Walt Disney Records on August 30, 2005.

Critical reception

On critical response aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 40%, and an average score of 5.5 out of 10 based on 10 reviews.

Hi-Def Digest said "The humor in the second movie is juvenile, and lacking in the wit that makes the first so distinctive. The characterizations are heavily simplified, to the point where some of the characters feel dumbed down. Also, a lame subplot involving one of Lilo's peers feels silly and has a poor resolution. Even worse is the false sentimentality of the climax, which feels like cheap heartstring tugging". ReelFilm gave a 2.5 out of 5 star rating, saying "Lilo & Stitch 2 is cute enough - there are a few genuinely funny moments here, while the voice acting is surprisingly effective - although the film does eventually wear out its welcome".

Home media

Although originally slated for a theatrical release (like Return to Never Land), it was released to DVD and VHS on August 30, 2005. This is the last Lilo & Stitch film to have a VHS release; the fourth film, Leroy & Stitch, would later be only released on DVD.

The DVD extras include a short film called The Origin of Stitch which features a newly redesigned Stitch, a music video for the theme song "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" by Jump5, two games ("Jumba's Experiment Profiler" and "Where's Pleakley?" - similar to Where's Wally?).