The situation worsens when the troubled Lilo wishes upon a star for "someone to be her friend, someone who won't run away". The star turns out to be spaceship and the special someone a mini-monster: Stitch. The creation of a mad alien scientist, this virtually indestructible creature--whose only instinct is to "destroy everything he touches"--inconveniently trails a couple of mismatched alien agents bent on recapturing him. As chaos erupts, Nani, Lilo and that ultimate orphan, Stitch, must learn what it really means to be part of a family.

The upbeat Elvis soundtrack is the perfect accompaniment to the story, not only reaffirming the Hawaiian feel, but also adding humour and an edge to the lonely little girl with a penchant for the King. A timely return to the watercolour medium creates an informal, lush background in keeping with the Hawaiian setting and gives the film a much softer feel than most animated features of late. Funny and imaginative, Lilo & Stitch is one of the most original Disney films for years. --Helen Baker