In Disney's new live-action remake, "Lilo & Stitch" brings its beloved furry alien back to the big screen for a more earnest, less rambunctious tale.

Despite Lilo & Stitch succeeding where other Disney live-action remakes have failed, the plot is weighed down by real-world implications.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp brings a light touch of the tender-hearted sensibility of his “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.”

When co-writers/directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders first brought Stitch into this world, it was an especially experimental time for the company following the much beloved Disney Renaissance. Movies like The Emperor’s New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet also came out during this more eccentric and adventure-filled era.

Step aside, Moana, Elsa and Simba. In recent years, Stitch has quietly become one of Disney’s most popular — and most merchandised — characters.