By BETH JONES
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Archives Reprint

   It's pretty easy to tell when kids are entertained.

    On Friday, for instance, youngsters in the theater groaned loudly after the trailer for "The Crocodile Hunter." Some of them even scampered into the aisles looking for alternative recreation.

    When "Lilo & Stitch," came on, though, they glued their eyes to the screen. They squealed in the funny parts and cried in the sad parts. When the credits finally rolled, they sighed with contentment.

    And so did I.

    Truth be told, I probably wouldn't have gone to "Lilo & Stitch" if I hadn't had to review it. I would have gone to a grown - up movie instead. And that would have been a shame because "Lilo & Stitch" is one of the year's best films.

    The animation is simple, but the movie's rolling blue waves and fluffy white clouds are breathtaking. Thankfully, the Disney police didn't force the filmmakers to insert cheesy numbers by third-rate rock stars, as in so many Disney cartoons. With "Lilo & Stitch," we get hula music and The King's "Suspicious Minds."

    The movie's first five minutes are amazingly bland considering what follows. Here we're introduced to Stitch (voice by Christopher Michael Sanders), who escapes to arth from another planet. Created by a mad scientist, Stitch's only instinct is to destroy everything he touches.

    The real magic begins when Lilo (voice by Daveigh Chase) enters the picture. Despite her idyllic Hawaiian surroundings, Lilo is a troubled girl. Her parents died in a car accident, and now she's being raised by her 19-year-old sister Nani (voice by Tia Carrere).

    The other kids shun Lilo because of her unconventional ways. They gasp in horror, for instance, when she tells them her baby doll's head is swollen because bugs laid eggs inside its brain.

    So Nani takes Lilo to the pound to pick out a furry friend. That's where she adopts Stitch, who was taken to the shelter after being run over by a truck and mistaken for a dog.

    Lilo's destructive pet doesn't make much of an impression with her tough-as-nails social worker Mr. Cobra Bubbles (voice by Ving Rhames). He warns Nani that unless she becomes a more responsible guardian, he'll have to take Lilo away.

    The movie is at its best when writers and directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois dump the sci-fi action and focus on the characters. Like the scene where Lilo, who has been ostracized once again by the other kids, goes home, cranks up "Heartbreak Hotel" and tells her sister, "Leave me alone. I want to die."

    Like I said, don't go expecting "The Little Mermaid."

    For all its funky goofiness, though, you'll still need your Kleenex. There's no avoiding tears when sweet Lilo explains to Stitch, "Our family is little now, and we don't have many toys, but, if you want, you can be part of it."

    Kids and grown-ups alike are bound to purr at this charming, animated achievement.

    After Friday's screening, one little girl tugged on her mother's sleeve and asked, "Can we see it again?"

    Beth Jones can be reached at 777-6493 or bethj@roanoke.com.

    Lilo & Stitch

    HHHH

    A Walt Disney Pictures release showing at Carmike 10 at Tanglewood Mall, Salem Valley 8 and Valley View Grande 16. Rated PG for mild action. One hour, 25 minutes.

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