Ladies & gentlemen, I have a surprise for all of you. For those of you who read my review for Iron Will this past Saturday evening, you know how I mentioned that I had access to Disney+ for a limited amount of time? Well, today, we are going to review yet another Disney film that I watched on Disney+ just last night. Did I also forget to mention that this is not just any Disney film? Today, we are talking about a film that is Disney+ exclusive (most likely meaning a film that one can only watch on Disney+). Presenting to you the one and only, 2019 remake of the beloved 1955 animated film of the same name, Lady & The Tramp.
Plot: A Cocker Spaniel named Lady (voiced by Tessa Thompson) grows up enjoying life with her owners Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons), and hanging out with other dog neighbors near her such as Jock (Ashley Jensen), and Trusty (Sam Elliott). But one day, circumstances occur, where Lady stumbles upon a Schnauzer-mutt hybrid from the wrong side of the tracks named Tramp. As they share adventures together, can these two bring out the best in each other, and get the best out of life?
Okay, when I first heard about this film, I was very interested in seeing it. However, I couldn’t, since I had no Disney+ account. So, because of being able to have Disney+ for a short amount of time now, I figured, why not take advantage of the opportunity? Now, it is time for me to talk about the newer Lady & The Tramp. Friends, while not exactly one of Disney’s best remakes, there are some elements to enjoy in this film. First of all, the new Lady & The Tramp film goes more of a route like last year’s remakes, most notably The Lion King and Aladdin in terms of following very closely to it’s original source material. Of course, as with nearly every other remake, 2019’s Lady & The Tramp does add some newer elements to it. Still, Disney does very well with incorporating the special moments that made the original 1955 animated film memorable in the first place. They also change some things up when it comes to certain moments in the film. Honestly, that may cause some people to enjoy this film just as much, maybe even a tiny bit more than the original film. In addition to all of this, 2019’s Lady & The Tramp does a spectacular job of portraying what life was like in New England back in the days of the 1950s, or whatever time period either film took place, whether it be the style of music, the clothing, the types of vehicles that were around, and things like that. Some of the characters also get fleshed out fairly well this time around as well, especially Tramp. That is at least one thing to like at least a little better about this version of the story is that we get to have a better understanding of Tramp’s outlook on life. The landscape of New England is also very beautiful, whether it be daytime, or nighttime in this film. There are also some good messages about not letting difficulties in life change you for the worst, and things along those lines as well. One other thing to mention, as far as the good things go, is that this Lady & The Tramp seems to lighten up more on the dark, and depressing moments.
Now, while these are all very good benefits for the film, there are a few down points to this particular remake as well. First of all, there are some of the songs. Unlike with say Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, or The Lion King, where most of the songs worked just as much, if not more, than their animated counterparts, the music here seems to be okay. I mean, “Bella Notte” still seemed to work okay, but songs like “He’s A Tramp” we’re not the best this time around. To make matters worse, you know how the original film had the “Siamese Cat” song a little after the beginning of the original film? Well, this time around, we have a musical number that replaces the “Siamese Cat” song that, let’s just say happens to be very forgettable at best. Okay, I understand that the “Siamese Cat” song was apparently deemed very controversial, and racist. However, if that truly was the case, why not just try going with a somewhat epic musical score, or something like that this time around, you know? Oh, and what was with Jock being a female, and being voiced by a female actress because of that? We’re we trying to add more females for Lady & The Tramp, or what? Finally, some of the dialogue was a little corny at certain points as well.
And that’s my review for Lady & The Tramp. Yeah, while it is at least a GOOD remake, it’s probably not one of the best. Seeing as this one doesn’t seem to be as good as other Disney remakes such as Beauty & The Beast, Christopher Robin, Aladdin, or The Lion King, it’s likely understandable as to why 2019’s Lady & The Tramp went straight to Disney+, as opposed to theaters first, followed by video, and/or Disney+, like nearly all of the other remakes before it. It may have a good plenty of good things in it. Still, the film is probably slightly weaker than some of the other remakes that have been released. I would say that if you have access to Disney+, still see it to see what you think. Just know that if you liked, or loved remakes such as Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, or The Lion King, don’t go into this one, expecting it to be in the same league as those. Still, if you’re okay with a remake that’s still very fun and entertaining, you’re bound to enjoy it.
Final Grade: B+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 