Review: Disney's LADY AND THE TRAMP Remake Is a Wonderfully Charming Film
The first original Disney film that is launching with Disney+ is a live-action remake of the classic 1955 animated film Lady and the Tramp. The film was directed by Charlie Bean (Tron: Uprising) from a script written by Andrew Bujalski and Kari Granlund.
I recently had the opportunity to watch the film with my youngest daughter, who is a huge fan of the original film. I don’t remember the last time I watched the original movie, but I did remember the story and most of the classic moments from the film before watching the remake.
If you are a fan of the original movie, you’re most likely going to love this remake. I mean, there are a few changes to the story, but nothing too jarring. One of the most notable changes was the removal of the Siamese cats song, which ended up being replaced with a new song.
Disney has been high on making live-action remakes of their animated films and it’s something that isn’t going to stop anytime soon. This one checks all the right boxes, though, in its update and retelling of the story. I was happy that the film was set in the same time period as the original film and that they didn’t set it in modern-day. The film also didn’t rely heavily on CGI. There were real dogs used for the film with subtle CG animation added to their faces for when they talked.
The film tells the classic story of a nice girl, or dog, who falls for the bad trouble-maker from the wrong side of the tracks. Lady, an overachieving American Cocker Spaniel who is voiced by Tessa Thompson, is brought up in an upscale suburban neighborhood and lives a pampered life. Things all change for her when her owners, Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons), bring a baby into the world. Lady is no longer the center of attention, and the arrival of Aunt Sarah only complicates matters. Lady ends up trying to survive on the streets, and that’s where she meets the street smart mutt, Tramp (Justin Theroux).
Like the original film, the two end up forming an unlikely relationship with each other and falling in love on their little adventures, one of which includes a dog catcher who is trying to chase them down. Along with way, they take moonlight strolls in the park, have romantic spaghetti dinners, and we are introduced to several of their other animal friends.
Over the course of the story, Lady’s eyes are opened to the world beyond her spoiled home life while Tramp learns a lesson that he’s a valued individual and someone that is deserving of a happy and loved life.
My daughter absolutely loved the movie, and I thought it was an enjoyable, heartwarming and charming film. The thing I liked most was watching the film with my daughter and seeing the joy and excitement in her eyes while she watched the story play out. It’s a great wholesome family film that you can’t go wrong with.
