You remember the original 2002 Lilo & Stitch. It was weird, watercolor-pretty, and surprisingly heavy for a movie about a blue koala-alien. But then there’s the sequel. Honestly, most people just assume it’s one of those cheap, straight-to-DVD cash-grabs Disney churned out in the mid-2000s.
They’re wrong.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch is actually the best sequel in the entire franchise, and I’m including the TV series and the recent 2025 live-action remake in that conversation. It doesn't just rehash the first movie. It actually goes deeper into the trauma that made the first one so sticky in our brains.
The Weird History of Stitch Has a Glitch
If you’re looking for the lilo and stitch 2 movie on a timeline, things get messy. Technically, this movie is an "interquel." It takes place right after the first film but before the 2003 pilot for the TV show.
This matters.
Because it takes place so early, the characters are still raw. Nani is still figuring out how to be a "parent." Lilo is still dealing with the crushing weight of her parents' death. In most Disney sequels, everyone starts the movie happy and settled. Not here. Here, everything is still precarious.
Disneytoon Studios handled the production, which usually means the animation quality drops off a cliff. Not this time. They actually tried to mimic the watercolor aesthetic of the original. While it isn't quite as lush as the $80 million theatrical debut, it looks remarkably close. The curves are right. The "bubble" shapes are there. It feels like the same world.
The Plot: It's Actually Kinda Dark
The story revolves around a "glitch" in Stitch’s molecular structure. Basically, Jumba got interrupted by the police while creating Stitch, so his molecules weren't fully charged. Now, Stitch is literally breaking down.
It’s a metaphor for a terminal illness. Plain and simple.
Stitch starts having these uncontrollable outbursts. He tries to be good—he’s desperately trying to "be good"—but his body won't let him. Lilo, being a kid who doesn't understand science-fiction physics, thinks he’s just being a "bad" alien again.
The tension in this movie is high. You've got Lilo trying to win the May Day hula contest to honor her mother's memory, and you've got Stitch literally dying in the background. It’s heavy.
What happened to the voice of Lilo?
If you watch the original and then the sequel back-to-back, something sounds... off. That’s because Daveigh Chase, the original voice of Lilo, didn’t return.
She was too busy working on the TV series.
Instead, they brought in Dakota Fanning. At the time, Fanning was the biggest child star on the planet. She does a decent job, but it’s definitely a different "vibe." Fanning’s Lilo feels a little more mature, maybe a little more weary. Some fans hate it. I think it fits the tone of the movie.
The rest of the cast stayed solid:
- Chris Sanders is still Stitch (the man is a legend).
- Tia Carrere returns as Nani.
- David Ogden Stiers is back as Jumba.
- Kevin McDonald returns as the neurotic Pleakley.
Why it Beats the Other Sequels
Most sequels in this franchise, like Stitch! The Movie or Leroy & Stitch, focus on the "625 other experiments." They turn the franchise into a "catch-them-all" Pokémon clone. That’s fine for a Saturday morning cartoon, but it loses the soul of what made the original special.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch ignores the other experiments. It focuses entirely on the family.
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It explores the grief of the Pelekai sisters in a way the show never could. There’s a specific scene where Lilo looks at old photos of her mom. It’s quiet. It’s painful. It reminds you that this isn't just a movie about aliens—it's a movie about a broken family trying to stay glued together.
The Music: All Elvis, All the Time
One thing they got 100% right was the soundtrack. The first movie was famous for its Elvis obsession. The sequel leans into it even harder.
They used tracks like "I Need Your Love Tonight" and "Rubberneckin'." They even got the Junkie XL remix of "A Little Less Conversation" in there. It maintains that specific "Hawaii-meets-The-King" energy that gives the franchise its identity.
The Continuity Problem
Is it perfect? No.
Hardcore fans will point out that the house layout changes. In the TV show, there’s an elevator; in the lilo and stitch 2 movie, there are stairs. There are also inconsistencies with Mertle’s friends. In the show, they have specific names and personalities. In this movie, they’re basically just "The Posse."
Jess Winfield, an executive producer for the series, famously said they basically treated the sequel as an "alternate universe" because Disneytoon Studios didn't check in with the TV production team.
Honestly? It doesn't matter. The emotional arc is so much stronger in this movie than in the series that most people are happy to ignore the floor plan of the house.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that this movie is "just for kids."
I’d argue the ending of this film is one of the most traumatizing things Disney has ever put on home video. When Stitch finally "shorts out" and dies in Lilo’s arms, it’s brutal. The way they handle his "resurrection" (no spoilers, but it involves a lot of love and some Jumba-tech) is earned.
It’s a movie about the fear of losing the person you just finally learned how to love.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re planning a re-watch or introducing this to your own kids, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch in Chronological Order: Don't watch by release date. Watch the 2002 original, then Stitch Has a Glitch, then Stitch! The Movie. It makes the character development feel like a smooth curve instead of a jagged line.
- Pay Attention to the Backgrounds: The watercolor-style backgrounds are a lost art in Disney animation. Since the studio closed its traditional animation wings, we don't see this style anymore.
- Look for the "Origin of Stitch" Short: Most DVD and digital versions come with a 4-minute short that explains how Stitch was made. It bridges the gap between the sequel and the TV series perfectly.
- Check out the 2025 Remake Context: If you’ve seen the live-action version that came out recently, re-watching the sequel shows you just how much "soul" was missing from the CGI-heavy remake.
Ultimately, this movie isn't just a side-story. It's the emotional heart of the franchise. It’s the only time Disney allowed these characters to be vulnerable again after the first film. If you skipped it because it was "direct-to-video," you're missing the real ending to Lilo and Stitch's journey.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch:
- Verify if your streaming service (likely Disney+) includes the "Origin of Stitch" short in the "Extras" tab.
- Compare the "May Day" hula sequences in this movie to the opening "He Mele No Lilo" from the original to see how the animation team tried to stay consistent.
- Listen for Dakota Fanning's performance—once you notice it isn't Daveigh Chase, you'll start hearing the subtle differences in Lilo's sassiness.