LADY AND THE TRAMP (2019)
2019 was a big year for Disney adaptations. First there was Dumbo, then we had Aladdin and The Lion King, and finally Lady and the Tramp. The biggest difference was Lady and the Tramp was released on the newly formed Disney+ instead of in theaters. Disney had really built up anticipation for Disney+ which was going to have classic Disney Animated films, Marvel Films, Star Wars films, and Pixar films. In addition they were trying to promote brand new original films and shows that were premiering on the platform. One of the biggest original movies they were promoting was the live action adaptation of Lady and the Tramp. The biggest obstacle it was facing was trying not to feel like a lesser direct to video film.
The plot of the film is basically the same. It’s still a classy girl who meets a boy from the wrong side of town. The update moved the location to Savannah, Georgia from London. It also expanded Tramp’s back story, expanded the role of the dog catcher, and switched up the type of cats from Siamese Cats to Devon Rexes. The most noticeable difference is that Lady’s owners are a mixed race couple which based on IMDB reviews is the worst thing ever.
It’s not really fair to compare this to the original but when you watch them pretty much back to back it’s hard not to do. So let's just get it out of the way. The two things I think they did better in this adaptation are the expansion of Tramps backstory and the introduction of the rat early in the film. One of the things we never got from the animated film is really what happened to Tramp. We can guess what happened but this film really gets into it and helps us better understand him and also makes the romantic relationship more believable. Introducing the rat early on makes sense from a storytelling perspective. In the animated film it just pops up out of nowhere. Here there is at least foreshadowing. On the flip side there is something about this film that doesn’t quite capture the magic of the animated version. When the photorealistic The Lion King came out one of the big complaints is that the lions didn’t really show emotion. And maybe that's the problem with this film. The voice acting is fine but it just doesn’t match with the emotions you are seeing on screen. It’s kind of that uncanny valley when what you are hearing and what you are seeing doesn’t match up. I will say the CGI work did a pretty good job. There were a few scenes where it was obvious it wasn’t a real dog but the big scene of them eating spaghetti looked fantastic.
Overall: The movie was fine. It didn’t capture the fun or magic of the animated film, but it wasn’t awful. I was hoping for something more from the first big Disney+ feature film but we got what looked like a straight to video adaptation. Obviously the modern sensibilities will trigger some that feel Disney is just promoting SJW values and if you read the IMDB comments you will see what I mean.
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