Leroy & Stitch

Disney bids "aloha" to the Lilo & Stitch animated TV series with this made-for-DVD release that doesn't measure up to the hit feature film but does capture the warmth, quick wit, and mischievous exuberance of the franchise. All but one of the 625 unleashed genetic experiments seen in the original film have been captured, changed from bad to good, and sent where each belongs. In sort of a reverse The Wizard of Oz, a heartbroken Lilo (Daveigh Chase) must summon the "aloha" spirit and let her three friends—Stitch, former evil genius Jumba (David Ogden Stiers), and self-proclaimed Earth expert Pleakley (Kevin McDonald)—go to take their rightful places in the galaxy. But things get all shook up when Dr. Hamsterviel (Jeff Bennett, still taking his outrageous accent from the taunting French knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) compels Jumba to create Leroy, who's just like Stitch, only red, with "extra destructive capabilities." As with the earlier entries, Leroy & Stitch reinforces the concepts of family, friendship, and good karma ("rhetorical questions" are also instructively defined), while also serving up some Elvis ("I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Jailhouse Rock"). As Lilo learns, it's hard to say goodbye, but it's even harder to imagine Disney pulling the plug on such a popular member of the studio's "ohana" (family). A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a bonus episode and a trio of games and activities. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a reasonably entertaining film.] (D. Liebenson)