Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (credited as just Lilo & Stitch 2 in the opening credits and named Lilo & Stitch 3: Stitch's Revenge in the UK version) is a 2005 direct-to-video animated film produced by DisneyToon Studios. The film is regarded as the first "true" sequel to the 2002 Disney animated feature Lilo & Stitch and taking place before the events of Stitch! The Movie and subsequent additions to the franchise. Although originally slated for a theatrical release (like Return to Never Land), it was released to DVD and VHS on August 30, 2005, due to the poor performance of The Jungle Book 2.

Like the original film, Lilo & Stitch 2 features the music of Elvis Presley and the original film's animation style. Despite always being labeled with the subtitle Stitch Has a Glitch, this does not actually appear in the title card. However, a modified title card featuring it did show up in the preview for the film's Disney Channel airing.

This is the only film in the series to not feature Daveigh Chase as the voice of Lilo. According to Disney Animation Studios, because Chase was busy working on Lilo & Stitch: The Series at the time, she was replaced by renowned child actress Dakota Fanning, Daveigh's best friend. It is also notable that this is the only direct-to-DVD animated film by Disney to get a PG rating by the MPAA and is the shortest (in running time) PG-rated film of all time. It was also DisneyToon's only film to have that rating until 2013's theatrical Cars spin-off film Planes.

Plot
At the start of the movie, Stitch is having a nightmare about turning bad again and causing destruction to Earth, including hurting Lilo. After Stitch wakes up, Lilo tests his goodness level by having him do a few good deeds. Discovering that they are late for hula class, they use their hovercraft to get there.

While at the hula class, Kumu announces that Lilo and her classmates have to prepare to perform at the local May Day festival. Each student is required to create an original dance. Lilo is inspired when he tells her about her mother being in the festival at her age and winning, giving her a photo of the event. After the hula class ends, Mertle insults Lilo and tells her that she will never be like her mother, causing them to start a fight. But after taking pictures of the brawl, Stitch forgets to flush the evidence. Kumu thinks that Lilo is not ready for the competition because of the fight with Mertle, but Lilo says that she is ready and "triple promises" to be good.

While preparing for the competition, Lilo and Stitch have a hard time coming up with ideas and Nani wants them to enjoy their family fun night. While watching Them! (film clip courtesy of Warner Bros.) on family fun night, Stitch's past comes back to haunt him and he goes berserk in the house. It seems that after Stitch was created, Jumba did not get a chance to fully charge Stitch's molecules as he was arrested by the intergalactic police who disrupted the process. At first, this glitch causes Stitch to revert to his old destructive programming, but it will ultimately destroy him if Jumba cannot create a fusion chamber before Stitch's energy runs out for good.

Meanwhile, Stitch's uncontrollable destructive behavior is driving a wedge between him and Lilo and threatens to ruin her chances for success at the hula competition. Lilo and Stitch try to be inspired for their hula, but Stitch keeps malfunctioning because of his molecules. Since Lilo is so concerned about winning the competition, she fails to notice Stitch's glitch and does not understand that the trouble he is causing now is not his fault. She is too busy trying to get him to help her and, believing his behavior is deliberate, begins to neglect him.

Eventually, the two devise a hula based on the legend of Hi'iaka. Lilo gets increasingly mad at Stitch as he ruins their practice sessions. To make matters worse, Jumba is having problems creating the fusion chamber because he doesn't have the proper alien technology to build it and has to try building it using ordinary household objects. However, just before the competition, Lilo and Stitch make up as Jumba finally completes the fusion chamber. Then Stitch has another abrupt fit and accidentally scratches Lilo's face. Greatly upset that he hurt her, Stitch decides to leave Earth, believing himself to be "too dangerous" and forcing Lilo to stay away from him. Lilo finally realizes that something is terribly wrong with Stitch and, in the middle of her performance, runs off to help him.

As Stitch attempts to leave Earth, Lilo and the rest of the family desperately try to get him back, so they could re-charge him. While Stitch takes off, he hears Lilo calling him on Pleakley's phone and asking him to stay with her. But as he refuses to come back and tries to steer the ship, Stitch has another outburst, which causes him to crash the spaceship in the Hawaiian mountains. Lilo rides over to the crash site in a mini space scooter, where she finds Stitch close to death and struggles to get him into Jumba's fusion chamber. Sadly, she's too late by the time she places him in the machine and Stitch dies.

Taking Stitch out of the chamber, Lilo tells Stitch that while she kept saying she needed him, he needed her more. She says that he is her 'ohana and that she will always love him and then breaks down in tears. But with her (and everyone else's) love for him, Stitch is revived, leading to a happy ending. The family (along with David) performs Lilo's hula dance together on the empty stage of the competition. Nani then tells her their mother would be proud of her and a star twinkles in the sky to prove it.

Cast

 * Dakota Fanning as Lilo Pelekai
 * Tia Carrere as Nani Pelekai
 * Chris Sanders as Stitch
 * Kevin McDonald as Pleakley
 * Kunewa Mook as Kumu
 * David Ogden Stiers as Dr. Jumba Jookiba
 * Jason Scott Lee as David Kawena
 * Liliana Mumy as Mertle Edmonds
 * Emily Osment as Additional Voices
 * Jennifer Hale as Additional Voices
 * Derriqua Dorsey as Additional Voices
 * Paul Vogt as Gator Guard and Various Voices

Continuity issues

 * The film seems to overlook the continuity established in the PlayStation 2 video game, Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626. In this game, set before the events of the first film, Stitch is apparently fully charged and wreaking havoc in outer space. This plot is also evident in the deleted scene entitled "Stitch's Trial" shown on the first Lilo & Stitch DVD.
 * It is also retconned with Disney Adventures Magazine, where Jumba created Stitch and Reuben helps him, but in the movie, how Jumba created Stitch is much different and when Jumba was caught, Reuben and the other experiments are nowhere to be seen.
 * It can be noted as an inconsistency that in Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Stitch mostly talks in his native alien language, yet for most of Lilo & Stitch 2 (and the English dub of the Stitch! anime), he can speak in fluent English.
 * Despite these differences, it appears that Disney has retconned Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 and that Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch stands in continuity, appearing after the first installment, and prior to Stitch! The Movie.
 * The layout of the house has changed, but because Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch takes place before Stitch! The Movie, it is possible that the house has been renovated between the two films.
 * However, in the Stitch! anime third season two-parter "The Day Stitch Was Born", Stitch, Yuna, and Pleakley go back in time, accidentally delaying Past Jumba's creation of Past Stitch, causing Stitch to glitch as he is slowly being erased from history. At the end of the episode, Past Jumba completes Past Stitch and had him fully charged, thereby restoring present day Stitch. Also, Past Jumba and Past Stitch were not arrested at the end of the episode.
 * According to TV.com, Jess Winfield, executive producer and writer for Lilo & Stitch: The Series, stated that when the series started production, his production team discussed with the Lilo & Stitch 2 producers to avoid any story conflicts for Stitch! The Movie. When Leroy & Stitch was well into production, they were asked to look at an early version of Lilo & Stitch 2 to check for inconsistencies, and they definitely noticed a few. Some of the inconsistencies included completely different names for Mertle's posse (DisneyToon came up with their own names, hence why Teresa was called "Aleka" in the film) and the inconsistency regarding Mertle's unseen father (he apparently still lives with his family in Lilo & Stitch 2, whereas he's absent in Mertle's life as of The Series ' s continuity). Considering that Lilo & Stitch 2 was released without correcting these issues, it was apparent that DisneyToon felt it was not necessary to revise their film to maintain consistency with The Series ' s mythology. Winfield implied that he treats Lilo & Stitch 2 as an alternate universe, even though Disney tends to promote the film as an interquel on some digital storefronts and the original DVD release.

The Origin of Stitch
Included on the DVD release of the film is the animated short The Origin of Stitch. The short has a total running time of 4:35 minutes and serves as a bridge between Stitch Has a Glitch and Stitch! The Movie (and Lilo & Stitch: The Series). In the short, Stitch discovers Jumba's secret computer that reveals what creatures Jumba had used to create Stitch, and also hints at his other 625 experiments. Stitch is scared to find out what a monster he is, only for Jumba to come in and explain how he found love when he met Lilo. This short was directed by Mike Disa and co-directed by Tony Bancroft.

Soundtrack (2005)

 * I Need Your Love Tonight by Elvis Presley
 * Rubberneckin by Elvis Presley
 * A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley (Radio Mix - Junkie XL)
 * Always by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu, Dennis and David Kamakahi, Hayley Westenra, and Johnson Enos
 * Hawaiaan Roller Coaster Ride by Jump 5
 * He Makana Ke Aloha (A Gift of Love) by Kunewa Mook

Reception
The film received mixed reviews.

CommonSenseMedia gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5, saying the film has "a good script, excellent animation and fine work by the actors". It added that "this is a lovely tale of friendship and family, with some refreshingly realistic scenes...reminding us of the sometimes crazy bonds that hold us together." 7M Pictures gave 3.5 stars out of 5, saying "The story is somewhat crumbly, but the real charm of “Lilo & Stitch” are the characters and their interactions...The best parts of this film are when Lilo and Stitch interact."

Hi-Def Digest said "The humor in the second movie is juvenile, and lacking in the wit that makes the first so distinctive. The characterizations are heavily simplified, to the point where some of the characters feel dumbed down. Also, a lame subplot involving one of Lilo's peers feels silly and has a poor resolution. Even worse is the false sentimentality of the climax, which feels like cheap heartstring tugging". ReelFilm gave a 2.5 out of 5 star rating, saying "Lilo & Stitch 2 is cute enough - there are a few genuinely funny moments here, while the voice acting is surprisingly effective - although the film does eventually wear out its welcome"

On IMDb, the film received a rating of 6.2/10 from 4,024 users. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 40%, and an average score of 5.5 out of 10 based on 10 reviews.

Trivia

 * This film is often considered the first sequel of Lilo & Stitch (because it has "2" in its name), but it's actually the second sequel, the first one being Stitch! The Movie.
 * This is the shortest film to be rated PG by the MPAA Rating System.
 * When the film aired on Disney Channel, it was presented in its original letterbox picture, as opposed to the pan-and-scan version shown on standard definition pay-per-view.