Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and Stitch share some heartwarming moments in the new Disney film. (photo courtesy of Disney)

Disney’s second live-action remake is a vast improvement on a sea of mediocre predecessors. “Lilo & Stitch” is an easy top five in this niche category. Mind you, that doesn’t mean it’s a true banger based on the insane, troubling, shocking low bar, but at least it’s watchable, emotional and fun.

Don’t expect a carbon copy. That’s a good thing. In fact, this one’s at its worst when it attempts to replicate iconic moments from the 2002 original. Those sequences often feel rushed, taking up screen time out of obligation. This dilemma creates a rocky start when establishing the premise.

Far off in space, a galactic league of planets arrests a mad scientist (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) for creating a super weapon, a creature identified as 626. He shows no signs of empathy or concern for other life, only chaos, hence he’s banished. He then escapes and crash-lands in Hawaii. If you click both sequences, I bet the original is longer. For some reason, this iteration flies by. There’s brisk, and there’s impatient editing.

Luckily, the story’s pulse stabilizes soon after. And more additions occur, especially surrounding the dynamic and everyday lives of sisters Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and Nani (Sydney Agudong), who must serve as guardian and sole job source following their parents’ deaths. Nani tries, but bills pile up, while her plans for the future must remain on hold.

In the original, a single social worker reminds Nani of her shortcomings. In this version, Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original) is a more sympathetic, caring social worker. This time around, Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) isn’t a social worker at all but a secret agent attempting to apprehend 626, renamed Stitch when Lilo adopts him at an animal shelter.

As with every Disney remake, scandal is on the horizon. Don’t expect antagonistic Gantu. Apparently, director Dean Fleischer Camp (“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”) couldn’t make him work. I can hear the naysayers now. “That alone means this one is gonna suck.” Calm down, Chad.

Gantu’s absence isn’t the issue, but without him, Stitch’s biggest foes are Galifianakis’ Jumba and Billy Magnussen as the one-eyed Pleakley, tasked with the blue space koala’s capture. Unfortunately, their scenes are too juvenile, derailing the story’s more enjoyable moments.

We can argue the merits of remakes another time, but if you accept them, then perhaps entirely mimicking what came before doesn’t have to be the only outcome. “Maleficent” was a bad film, but at least it tried to do something different. The “Pete’s Dragon” remake worked incredibly well because it completely did its own thing.

These films go wrong for, well, many reasons, including attempts at homage without a singular identity. This “Lilo & Stitch” occasionally tries to have it both ways, but it eventually settles into a sweet story about family, you know, ‘Ohana.

Central to this is the chemistry between Kealoha and Agudong as sisters navigating grief, daily struggles and their new alien pup. Then there’s Kealoha as Lilo, who is so stinking charming. Top her performance with the seamless CGI Stitch she shares many scenes with.

To make the story feel fuller, we also meet neighbor Tutu (Amy Hill) and enjoy an expanded role for her grandson David (Kaipo Dudoit).

This one ain’t winning any awards, and you can easily visualize all the debates amongst creatives and executives on what stays and goes based on nostalgia, marketing and budget. But it’s a family story that has much more to say about family than its predecessor, even if the original enjoys more quirks and adventure.

Lilo (Maia Kealoha), left, and Nani (Sydney Agudong) endure some heart-racing moments in “Lilo & Stitch.” (photo courtesy of Disney)