“Lady And The Tramp” streamed on Disney Plus. (same year The Mandalorian streamed) It received mixed reviews from critics. The live action remake is the first film to stream on Disney Plus while Disney’s other live action remakes such as “Dumbo,” “Aladdin” & “The Lion King” were released theatrically.
I thought about reviewing this live action remake before the upcoming “101 Dalmatians prequel” “Cruella” comes out this May with Emma Stone (one of my favorite actresses) filling in Glenn Close’s shoes. Other live action Disney remakes such as “Pinocchio,” “Peter Pan,” “The Little Mermaid” & “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame” will soon be out in the future. I’m gonna assume they’re gonna stink.
I already did a review of the original animated film. I didn’t like it. If you wanna know why, check out my full SPOILER review.
Today’s review contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t seen the animated version, it’s a requirement. Is the remake better than the original? Let’s find out shall we? Keep in mind, this is a short review, because it’s not a Marvel movie or a non-linear mystery thriller worth a rewatch. Just a low stakes remake.
Beautiful & Ugly Elements
Beautiful: Tessa Thompson & Justin Theroux both did a decent job for their respective voiceover performances as the titular characters.
Other Cast Members such as Clancy Brown, Kiersey Clemons, Janelle Monáe, F. Murray Abraham, Yvette Nicole Brown, Thomas Mann & Sam Elliott all did a good job for their respective performances.
The Twin Cats are not depicted as racist caricatures of Asians. This time they sing and jazzy R&B tune. We’ve come a long way to expand diversity.
The remake didn’t forget to include the famous spaghetti kiss.
Cinematography felt ok lacking technical difficulties.
In the remake, we learn about Tramp’s backstory prior to becoming a street dog. To be honest, I did not cry. Last time a movie made me cry, it was “Avengers: Endgame.”
Unlike the original, Aunt Sarah is kicked out for her mistreatment towards Lady. To quote Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. “You get what you f**king deserve!”
When Lady is taken to the dog pound, a pug appears. Pugs are my favorite dog breed.
Ken Jeong makes a cameo appearance as a doctor. He’s also a doctor in real life.
The Ending felt organic without Lady And The Tramp having a litter of puppies. Their owners adopted puppies. An improvement of the original.
Ugly: Like the original, The Twin Cats never get their comeuppance. They frame Lady when the pair make a mess in the living room. They’re the one of the worst villains in movie history. They lack characterization, redeeming qualities and are unsympathetic. I have Triple Down this flaw for Disney who’ll never live it down. Imagine if Calvin Candie from “Django Unchained” never got what he deserved?
Similar to the original, there’s padding until The First Act is over. It takes 35 minutes for you to wait when the real action commences. The First Act from Christopher “Chris” Nolan’s “Interstellar” didn’t easily bore me to death. Chris perfectly executed buildup prior to Cooper leaving Earth when you see him and his daughter Murphy have a close bond before departing to save Earth. The First Act from both the original and remake of Lady And The Tramp however, didn’t do so well.
Visual Effects are pretty fake. It’s noticeable whenever an animal talks or interacts with a human. Could be worse if the effects are beyond worse like Razzie winning musical “Cats.”
Pacing can be a drab at times. It takes a little longer for the movie to transition from one scene to the next.
Supporting Characters are forgettable just like the original. I couldn’t remember his or her name.
The Final Verdict: D, FOR DOG POOP!
From my perspective, the live action Lady And The Tramp remake is a slight improvement of the original. I’ve given the animated version a D- while the remake is a D. I have to give Disney tough love when it comes to their filmography whether a movie is old or new, I break down the pros and cons. If you want to watch a legit remake, watch some of my favorites such as “John Carpenter’s The Thing,” “The Fly,” “Dawn Of The Dead,” “True Grit” & “3:10 To Yuma.”
Nickthemoviecritic.com 