Since its May 23 release in 4,410 theaters, Disney's live-action remake of "Lilo & Stitch" has earned $183 million domestically plus nearly $159 million internationally, according to boxofficemojo.com.
It was the top performer of Memorial Day weekend, earning $145.5 million, nearly double that of the second big release, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning", at just over $77 million.
The strength of the two releases has Hollywood observers thrilled. "By the time Monday ends the box office is expected to have made over $325 million in four days, shattering the record of $305.9 million held since 2013," reports Erik Childress, at Rottentomatoes.com.
How is "Lilo & Stitch" performing with critics and audiences?
Rottentomatoes.com ranks it at No. 9 among Disney's live-action remakes, with 68% positive critical reviews, just ahead of 2023's "The Little Mermaid" and just behind 2017's "Beauty and the Beast" at 71%.
"Lilo & Stitch" performed better with audiences, with more than 5,000 verified users of Rottentomatoes.com giving it 93% positive reviews.
Among top critics, Wall Street Journal's Kyle Smith disliked it, writing, "The two human leads, Nani and Lilo, don’t have nearly enough charm to make up for the deficiencies around them, which leaves the entire movie essentially in Stitch’s claws. Yet even his demented-toddler-on-three-espressos energy isn’t funny."
Olly Richards, of Time Out, liked it, writing, "It’s a sweet, funny, simple story with a cute central duo and modest scale (thanks to a smaller than typical budget). It turns out to be an excellent candidate for a do-over, able to establish a personality of its own without the original looming over it."
Among audience members, someone with handle of simply "Adam" said, "My wife and I took our daughter (4) to see this for her first time in theaters. great first experience for her. Good movie."
See all the reviews aggregated here.
The No. 1 ranked live-action Disney remake — and there have been 24 of them — is "The Jungle Book," 2016, at 94% fresh on the Tomatometer.
A. Kam Napier can be reached at kam@alohastatedaily.com.
