Rating: 
Summary: Like The Film, The Book is A Nice Departure
Review: "Lilo and Stitch" was the perfect summer family film. Lighthearted and heart warming, it contained all the elements of the best Disney has to offer. The great thing about this film is that it did this without all the fanfare and majesty that, as of recently, has been dragging down the Disney films. This pseudo-making-of book offers the same unpretentious vision. As most fans of Disney animation know, this type of book is released for every feature. While quite a few have been really nicely done, most have been bogged down in the technical aspects of animation. While it is an awe-inspiring and often misunderstood process, hearing and re-hearing about the animation process gets a bit stale. These publications began to feel like the same book with different pictures. Thank goodness the creators of this book have taken a refreshingly different approach to telling the story behind the story of Lilo and Stitch. Personal accounts and artistic insights prove to be just as entertaining and engaging as the sketches and watercolors that fill this slim addition to the Disney Making Of Library. Like the film, the book doesn't feel the need to show off the technical merrits of the production. Too often authors of animation books come across defensive about the medium, forcing comparrisons with other more respected mediums (film, fine art, literature) as if there is a need to defend animation. In a way they are preaching to the choir. Most people who purchase these books already respect the process, the amazing artists, and the mountains of work that goes into each production. Lilo and Stitch the book finally offers some insight into the creative minds and, more importantly, hearts of the creative forces behind the magic. Let's just hope that Disney, particularly their Florida unit, continues to produce animated features with this simple charm and storytelling. With more films and books like Lilo and Stitch it would make it easier to overlook the occasional "Atlantis" or "Treasure Planet".
Rating:
Summary: Lovely
Review: A charming, lovely book, a great compliment to the movie, and the perfect gift for any fan of Lilo & Stitch. If you count this gem among your favorite films (as I do), this book is a must-have for you, as it's filled with gorgeous sketches and watercolors, showcasing the development of the characters and setting. (I'm gushing, yes, but I can't help it.) And it's filled with little stories from all the key members who worked behind the scenes, reminding you of how very human animated films are. Personally, I think this is the best of the Disney "Art of..." books, but I'm biased, as Lilo & Stitch is my favorite Disney film. It's not hardcover, but it hardly matters. The book is unique, just like the film.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book. Essential for any Lilo and Stitch fan!
Review: At first, one may be a bit reluctant to purchase a book about the making of a movie. Oftentimes "making of" books can be bland and impersonal, reading more like a textbook with pictures than anything else.But not this book. I purchased this book because I'm one of the biggest fans of the movie Lilo and Stitch, which In my opinion is the best movie Disney has made for a long time. And Stitch is by far my favourite animated character, of any film, ever. Just thinking about him brings a smile to my face. I wanted this book to see the development of Stitch over the years, and ended up getting more than I bargained for. The very first page of this book opens you up to stunningly beautiful watercolour backgrounds, some from the movie, some entirely new. And as you read along, text is interwoven with the backgrounds like it is truly part of the picture, making for a beautiful book. But it's the content that counts, and here this book excells. This book is a collection of stories by people who were involved with the creation of the film. And every story hits a very personal note. You peer inside the very lives of the people who helped to make Lilo & Stitch a reality, and indeed get to know their very thoughts and feelings. Chris Sanders, in describing how Stitch came to life, is especially humourous, sometimes going on to tell about childhood embarassments that may or may not be related to the movie, but provide for some very good entertainment, again on a very personal level. All the creators of this film seem to carry an undeniable love for the characters they have created, and a respect and love for the Hawaiian culture and environment as well. They all were movitated people who had a clear goal in mind: to make the most out of Lilo and Stitch, and bring some nostalgia back as well. The storyline of the film is very believable, the characters almost as real as you or me, and very personal. And this book shows you how that all came to be. In reading this book I felt very close to the creators, and gained an even larger understanding and appreciation of all the work that went into Lilo and Stitch. And that's saying something because I truly didn't think it was possible to love the movie any more than I already did, but it happened. ;) I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone who has seen Lilo and Stitch and love that film. Even if you only like that film, you'll love it after reading this book. It's been years since I've enjoyed reading a book so much, and of course the absolutely stunning backgrounds make it even better. Most interesting, is of course the early pictures of Stitch (who just happened to be born in the same year that I was), and how this cute little alien became what he is today. The book is very detailed, even showing the bone structure and anatomy of Stitch. One must wonder...why did they go to that length when he's only an animated character? The answer: Because they love him, and all the other characters they created. That becomes more and more evident as you read further along. And of course the various products of Dean DeBlois will have you rolling with laughter. If I could give this 10 stars I would. The best book made for a long time, and if I do say so, just as enjoyable as the movie itself! :D Please buy this book if you can, it's worth every penny, and you'll be glad you have it. A turn of the first page will convince you right away, there is more to this book than meets the eye. :)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: I could not put this book down...I read it all in one sitting. If you're a fan of the movie this is the book for you...strong recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Best Making-of Book yet
Review: I started collecting Disney's making-of books with Lion King but soon realized that with each succeeding film I was basically reading the same information over and over again and stopped getting them after A Bug's Life. So I was skeptical about getting this one but I eventually caved in after I read a bit of it in a bookstore. This isn't a typical making-of book where the author tells you step by step how the fim was created. Instead we get many short essays from the creators of the film themselves telling their experiences on making Lilo & Stitch. It's a terrific idea that reminds us of the human element in creating a film. Even better, the essays seem genuine and give us little insights into the mind of the individual creator as well as the Disney corporation. Generous amouns of pre-production art is sprinkled throughout the book and I'm going to buy a second copy to frame a few of them. If you have any interest in Disney, animation in general or Lilo & Stitch you will definitely get something worthwile out of this book. I'm actually axiously looking forward to the next making-of book from Disney again! Life is good.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: I've been buying "The art of..." Disney books sense they first started coming out and I must say, this is one of my all time favorites! My only concern is that most people WILL be fooled by the title, heck, I was! ; ) This is just a WONDERFUL book! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful! As always, it's fun to see the progression of the characters and the story! I can't recommend this enough! It's worth every penny!!
Rating:
Summary: A MUST have for all fans of Lilo and the blue cutie!
Review: It's hard to to review this book without repeating what others have said. The illistations are great and there is some very good insight into the the minds and hearts of the creators of this wonderful animated film. It is a great reminder that no matter how easy it may seem to make an animated feature ,it's not. A lot of sweat and love seemed to go into Lilo and Stitch and it showed in the book as well as the screen.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting read and a feast for your eyes.
Review: This book acts as The Art of Lilo & Stitch. And it does fulfill the art aspect of the book, but it goes way beyond for a richer print. As it is actually called: Collected stories from the creators; it makes it so fun. Is like the book breakes the ice and stops being just a gallery of beautiful watercolor progress works, but one undertands and meets the people that created such illustrations. Of course, it works better as a support of the movie, but it also works on its own, as its own piece of literature, telling the story of people working hard to make an animated work of art.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting read and a feast for your eyes.
Review: This book acts as The Art of Lilo & Stitch. And it does fulfill the art aspect of the book, but it goes way beyond for a richer print. As it is actually called: Collected stories from the creators; it makes it so fun. Is like the book breakes the ice and stops being just a gallery of beautiful watercolor progress works, but one undertands and meets the people that created such illustrations. Of course, it works better as a support of the movie, but it also works on its own, as its own piece of literature, telling the story of people working hard to make an animated work of art.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, elegant, evocative
Review: This book is a "making-of" book, but just like the movie Lilo & Stitch was a simpler, more elegant, more personal movie than most of Disney's recent efforts, this book is a more personal, more elegant making-of book than any other making-of book I've ever seen. The book is comprised of a bunch of concept art, and art-in-progress from the development of the movie, as well as personal stories of the concept and movie's creation, told by the people who went through the process. There's a genuine sense of love for the characters that's prevalent throughout the book, and the theme of simplicity, and a personal connection with the audience pervades the entire structure of this book. From Chris Sanders' first drawing of Stitch, to some really zany sketches for products based on the likeness of Dean deBlois, there's lots of stuff that's both interesting because of its relation to the movie, and interesting because it's so ... off the wall. If you loved the movie, as I did, there's almost no chance that you won't find this book insightful, and entertaining.
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