Having loved the unique Lilo & Sew when it was launched in 2002, I knew I might finally watch the live-action remake to see the way it in contrast. So after lacking its theatrical run on the 2025 films schedule, I streamed the brand new Lilo & Sew with my Disney+ subscription final weekend. General, I assumed it was high quality, albeit inferior to its predecessor, which is usually the case with these live-action Disney film remakes. What actually irritated me, nonetheless, was how Cobra Bubbles was extremely short-changed on this new model.
As disappointing because it was to study months again that Gantu wouldn’t seem within the live-action Lilo & Sew, I actually didn’t discover myself lacking him that a lot upon really watching the film. Frankly although, I really feel prefer it additionally might have gotten away with excluding Cobra Bubbles. It’s not that there’s something mistaken with Courtney B. Vance’s efficiency, it’s simply that because of tweaking his function for the brand new Lilo & Sew, he feels superfluous to the story.
I wouldn’t thoughts this altered characterization as a lot if Cobra was given extra to do, however once more, there’s nothing remotely fascinating about him. Not like his animated counterpart, this Sew incident is his first encounter with alien life, which mainly takes away all of his intriguing thriller. We don’t study why Vance’s Cobra Bubbles determined to dedicate his life to investigating aliens, which might have helped make him really feel extra like a three-dimensional character.
By the top of the film, his most helpful second comes when he agrees to regulate each Pleakley and Sew, and I really feel like that was one thing that might have been sidestepped fully or by having Lilo or Nani being somewhat extra persuasive whereas talking to the Grand Councilwoman. Sure, it was mildly amusing to see Cobra chilling with Billy Magnussen’s one-eyed alien character in entrance of the TV throughout the Lilo & Sew mid-credits scene, however in the end this model of him got here throughout as a poor reflection of his predecessor.
Lilo & Sew 2 been formally greenlighted by Disney, which Dean Fleischer Camp, the director of the unique Lilo & Sew and voice of Sew, will write. I strongly urge him to both give Cobra Bubbles extra to do within the sequel or simply go away the character out fully. Courtney B. Vance is simply too proficient to be underutilized on this function once more, so fingers crossed they both get it proper the second time or simply transfer on from Agent Bubbles.
Be happy to let me know within the feedback what you considered how Cobra Bubbles was used within the live-action Lilo & Sew. In the meantime, the subsequent live-action Disney remake lined up is Moana on July 10, 2026, however I’ll be over in my nook nonetheless championing that fellow early 2000s Disney films Atlantis: The Misplaced Empire and Treasure Planet ought to get the live-action remedy.