Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released on June 21, 2002. The 42nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, it was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois.
Dr. Jumba Jookiba is put on trial by the galactic governing body for illegal genetic experiments, including his latest creation, Experiment 626: an aggressive and cunning creature that is nearly indestructible. Jumba is imprisoned while Experiment 626 is set to be exiled on a desert asteroid. However, during transport on Captain Gantu’s ship, 626 manages to escape to the Planet Earth (despite having guns that are encoded with his DNA and designed to only shoot him pointed on him). The Grand Councilwoman orders Jumba to work with Agent Pleakley to recover 626 discreetly. 626 survives his escape attempt to Earth, landing on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, but is knocked unconscious by a passing truck, and is taken to an animal shelter because he is believed by the truck drivers to be a breed of dog.
After the recent death of their parents in a car accident, 19-year-old Nani Pelekai is looking after her younger, more rambunctious sister, Lilo. They are visited by Cobra Bubbles, a social worker, who is concerned that Nani cannot take adequate care of Lilo. He considers putting Lilo into foster care, but Nani is very much against this idea, as Lilo and she are the only remaining members of her family; Lilo does not help as she does not understand what may happen. After hearing Lilo in her room pray to be given a friend (Lilo has no “real” friends because every girl in her class bullies her), Nani agrees to allow Lilo to adopt a dog. At the shelter, Lilo immediately takes a keen interest in Experiment 626, despite serious misgivings that Nani and the shelter worker have about him being a dog. Lilo names 626 “Stitch,” and shows him around Hawaii; Stitch quickly discovers escape is impossible as he would sink and drown past the island to the sea.
