With “The Mandalorian” seemingly taking the world by storm, it is easy to forget that the streaming service Disney+ also launched with two original movies, a live action remake of the Disney classic “Lady and the Tramp” and the Christmas themed “Noelle”. Being a huge dog person, I had to check out “Lady and the Tramp” for myself.
The film opens with a dog named Lady as she quickly warms her way into her owner’s hearts (and bed). Lady is part of the family and enjoys being an indoor dog with all the comforts that come with it. By contrast, we are introduced to a canine simply known as the Tramp who seemingly enjoys the freedom he has being a street dog. Lady and the Tramp soon cross paths when Lady helps the Tramp escape a dog catcher who has it out for him. Soon after their encounter together, Lady finds her place in the home threatened when a new baby is born and takes all of her owner’s attention. When Lady ends up getting loose one day, the Tramp ends up helping her find her way back home as she worries if she even has a home to return to.
The film is more or less a more politically correct live action update of the classic cartoon. The new film removes the controversial ‘Siamese Cat’ song with an updated new song. While I certainly understand and even support some of the changes in the film, it still leaves the film feeling as if they played everything a little too safe. I am not saying Disney films need or should be edgy, but a little cultural subtext like Disney cartoons used to have wouldn’t be the worst thing either. Maybe that is just the cynical adult of me talking though.
The dog actors used in the film did an incredible job (with some help from the cgi department). I loved the fact that Disney actually used real life shelter dogs for this film and the studio was smart enough to spin that into headlines. Good publicity can go a long way.
The remake has currently been hit with mixed reviews stating it lacked the heart of the original cartoon classic, much like the criticism of the latest “The Lion King” remake had. While I fully admit that I think the cartoon is overall superior to this live action remake, I still found this film to be quite entertaining and I think it had the same amount of “heart” as the original did.
This remake was enjoyable overall and a fine attention to Disney+. While I do wish the new streaming service had more original content out of the gate, I do prefer quality to quantity. “Lady and the Tramp” won’t change your life or make you think but it will provide you (and especially your young ones if you have them) a cute movie to enjoy for a few hours.
Grade: B-
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