The Rotten Tomatoes score for the live-action live-action Tangled halting development as Disney began reassessing its approach to remaking its beloved animated movies.

Despite these setbacks, the Lilo & Stitch reviews are now confirming that this feat has been achieved, which is reflected in the Tomatometer score.

Lilo & Stitch's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is The Best For A Disney Live-Action Remake In Years

The Reception To Disney's Live-Action Remakes Is Changing For The Better

Lilo & Stitch's Rotten Tomatoes score is 76%. The only Disney live-action remake to come close to this in recent years was Cruella's 75% score in 2021. In the time since Cruella, the 2022 adaptation of Pinocchio has the lowest score in recent years at 27% and the highest is 2023's The Little Mermaid at 67%. Lilo & Stitch's Tomatometer score will continue to fluctuate as more reviews are added, but if it stays in the mid-70s range, it will still be Disney's best-received live-action remake in a long time.

After the positive reception to Cinderella and The Jungle Book, the critical response to Disney's live-action remakes became increasingly negative. This has fed into the narrative that Disney does not need to continue reimagining its animated movies. Lilo & Stitch has now disrupted the downward trend that has been occurring for years now and can help change the overall narrative.

Why Lilo & Stitch's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Better Than Disney's Other Recent Remakes

It Strikes A Perfect Balance

Lilo & Stitch works better for critics than other live-action remakes because it stays true to the heart of the original film and the reasons why the animated movies resonated with audiences in the first place. ScreenRant's Mary Kassel writes that "Disney is finally beginning to understand that these live-action remakes need to be as warm and inviting as their animated counterparts." Deadline's Gregory Nussen has a similar sentiment, expressing that Lilo & Stitch is "succeeding where other remakes have failed" in its ability to retain the original movie's themes.

While remakes are bound to bring in new audiences, they should appeal to longtime fans of the original movies as well. So far, Lilo & Stitch seems to have achieved this balancing act with its crowd-pleasing take on the titular characters and their tale of found family. Amid the many familiar and successfully replicated elements of the original, numerous critics have also pointed out changes that they appreciate, with some alterations even being an improvement on the 2002 movie.

Lilo & Stitch's Rotten Tomatoes Score Sets Up The Movie To Be A Huge Success

Positive Reviews Are Great News For The Box Office

Lilo & Stitch's box office projections have been high for a while now, including an estimate of a $120 million opening during the four-day Memorial Day weekend. If the Rotten Tomatoes debut score had been low, though, and received reviews similar to Snow White, the high expectations could have taken a significant hit. The 76% score ensures that this will not be the case, especially with so many critics hailing it as the best Disney live-action remake ever, or at least the best in several years.

The mostly positive reviews can help assure families and a wide range of audiences that Lilo & Stitch is well worth seeing during Memorial Day weekend. With Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning releasing this weekend as well, both movies are expected to have a massive opening weekend at the box office, and are poised to benefit from double-feature viewings, akin to what happened with Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023 and Wicked and Gladiator II in 2024. Lilo & Stitch is the critical and commercial win that Disney needed for its live-action remakes.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Deadline