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So it stands to reason that when I was presented with one of these same direct-to-video sequels to what I believe to be one of Disney's finest pictures (and the picture which I felt went a long way towards "saving" the studios reputation from these very sequels), that I had some grave concerns. Concerns already validated with the release of the mediocre Stitch!: The Movie, which I am going to go ahead and pretend never happened...and I suggest you do the same. So what then can you expect from this third >ahem<, I mean second entry into this franchise? Let's take a look, shall we?
It seems Stitch has been having some terrifying premonitions and dreams of a return to his old ways. In these scary visions, he returns to being the violent tempered and destructive force that he was once designed to be, but has learned to overcome. Lilo senses something is wrong with Stitch, but since these thoughts come only to his imagination, she does not realize that there could be a problem brewing...and there certainly is. It seems Stitch was not ever fully finalized by his mad-scientist creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba, and these horrible emotions welling up within him are a sign that his entire emotional and physical composition is breaking down!
Pleakley decides that David needs some help in the romance department and to take it upon himself to share his amazing insight into the female species with him. Of course, this insight consists of Pleakley dressing up like a variety of very awful looking and all strangely one-eyed females and hanging all over David in an attempt to make Nani jealous. Nani, of course, falls for none of this requiring the lovelorn surfer and his alien relationship advisor to rethink their plan of attack. A frightening thought!
Stitch's newly altered state is causing him to slowly revert to his old self at completely random times and completely against his will. Without warning the normally benevolent little fellow is suddenly being thrown into violent and destructive fits, much to his own dismay, and the angry surprise of those around him. While Lilo and the others chalk this up to Stitch's "badness level" being on the rise, it will fall to his creator, Jumba, to find the true nature of Stitch's new glitches. Slowly falling apart, Stitch will run out of time if Jumba's concern doesn't turn into a cure very, very quickly.
As you can see above, the real strength of Lilo & Stitch 2 comes from it's very full plot; constructed from so many separate lines of adventure and hilarity. Normally, I would expect a film with this many eggs in its basket to drop a few when limited to a frantic 66 minutes of run time. But the filmmakers here have proven that while the story may be short, it is assured to entertain through every single second...and isn't that why these movies are made? So mom can grab the three kids and load 'em up on the couch for an hour or so of guaranteed family fun? Heck, this is even the sort of film that mom could enjoy staying in for date night!
Of course the values of forgiveness and acceptance are making an appearance in this film as well (can you imagine two more important things to need when dealing with this little blue dervish?), along with the value of a good laugh! The banter between Lilo and her quirky "dog" is as cleverly written and developed here as it was in the original, and while their montages, complete with Elvis song background tunes, are nothing we haven't seen the pair up to previously, it is still a blast to see them work together.
Beyond the Elvis, there are other returning tunes from the first feature film, so the kids will love the familiarity and being able to sing along with their favorite songs. More so, the characters remain unchanged. The talented voice actors have all returned, and nearly as important, the animators have kept the characters looking the same. I am surprised how hard this seems to be in these direct to video sequels, but with the recent success of Pooh's Heffalump Movie and now this film, it looks as thought they are starting to understand what audiences want when we are taken back to our past favorites.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that certain older audience members may be a little put off by the "ultra tidy" ending moments of this film, which honestly seem as though they were thrown together the day of the release with little thought and even less explanation, but younger crowds will be cheering with glee while we are left scratching our heads. I don't want to give away the end, and I am not saying that it should detract from the wonderful film that runs up to it, but the final heartstring-tugging moments do leave a little something to be desired.
Overall, I am getting pretty used to giving direct-to-video sequels decent reviews, which means that they are both getting better and I am allowing myself to admit it. Regardless, it is my pleasure to let you know that Lilo & Stitch 2 is a worthy purchase and succeeds in taking you back to those fabulous moments you remember from the first film.
-aaron-
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I remember watching Lilo & Stitch in the theater very well. But more so, I remember the next day! I needed to tell everyone I knew that I had just seen the best Disney film to come along in YEARS. In fact, upon re-reading my review for the first film's release on DVD, I stated "This is wonderful stuff, and I hope it marks a new attitude from the Mouse House"; a statement brought on by the saturation of straight to video sequels, produced at, shall we say, a "lesser" quality than the originals. 
In a brilliant move, the filmmakers here have chosen to follow our lead and simply pretend that Stitch!: The Movie never happened; which has the events of this film starting only three weeks after those of the first film. Stitch and Lilo have been bonding and growing closer, sharing every moment together and developing on their sense of "ohana" (family) together. Pleakley and Jumba have become close to comfortable with their adjustment to human life and all of it's intricacies; most of which consist of being lazy and getting out of helping around the house. This of course leaves Lilo's big sis Nani to take care of the whole clan; which she struggles to do, all while her infatuated suitor David looks on. As you can see, not a lot has changed around this bizarre family...yet.
Of course, this all goes unnoticed by the rest of the family, because in this film, they all have a lot going on to distract them. For David, he sees nothing but Nani...smitten and brought to the point of exploding by his desire to tell Nani how he feels and his fear of doing the same. Nani herself is so busy with her job at the rental shop and smoothing over all the trouble that Lilo and Stitch manage to get into on a daily basis, that she is simply run ragged and spends her hours in either a nervous fervor or a sleepy daze from lack of rest.
And even Lilo finds herself a bit too busy to really notice the change taking place within Stitch. Her hula class will be performing in a local event and it is up to each student to find a theme and develop a performance around it for the show. Desperate to win and prove herself to her class and the instructor who has just about given up on her, Lilo falls back on Stitch to help develop her show. Under normal circumstances this decision would be dubious, but with Stitch having a complete breakdown, the decision is more along the lines of disastrous! 
And speaking of family fun, the themes explored here are very similar to those from the first film; in both their message and their family friendly nature. Of course the feelings of "ohana" are alive and well here, but are expanded into new territories. In this second film, "family" takes on a broader meaning, to include any loved one, from friends (Pleakley, Jumba) to romantic interests (David). The message to open ones heart to all those around you in the hopes of bettering yourself through the experience is a natural progression and one which will not be lost on a young crowd.