Disney, in its quest to do live-action remakes of its entire animated library, has been incredibly successful in the strategy of not giving people something new as much as what’s familiar with a fresh coat of paint. There have been a couple daring attempts likePete’s Dragon(which was a remake of a live-action/animated hybrid) and the surprisingly charmingCinderella, but they’ve now settled into a rut ofAladdin,The Lion King,Beauty and the Beast, andDumbowhere they attempt to paper over the controversial elements from previous iterations while really not adding much to the new version other than an incentive to get you to shell out money for something you probably already own. The new version ofLady and the Trampdoesn’t really buck this trend, but the remake is slightly more palatable since it comes with a Disney+ subscription you probably got forStar Warsand Marvel and the vast Disney library. The newLady and the Trampis largely the same as the animated version with a few minor tweaks, moments that will make you sad about dogs, and serves its purpose as a way to keep kids entertained when they don’t want to watchFrozenorFinding Nemofor the 1,000th time.
Lady (voiced byTessa Thompson) is a happy cocker spaniel living with Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons) while stray dog the Tramp (voiced byJustin Theroux) uses his wits to survive on the streets of an early 20th century New Orleans. The two have a meet-cute where Tramp cautions Lady that when Jim Dear and Darling’s new baby arrives, they’re probably going to throw her out. When the cruel Aunt Sarah (Yvette Nicole Brown) tries to put a muzzle on Lady after Lady is framed by Aunt Sarah’s cats (now without the racism!) for damaging the house, Lady runs away and loses her collar. She meets up with Tramp again and the two dogs start to fall for each other as they make their way across the city, taking in the sights, getting free spaghetti and meatballs, and avoiding a monomaniacal dogcatcher.
If you’ve seen the original 1955 animated movie, the newLady and the Trampwon’t hold many surprises. Like most of the live-action Disney movies, the newLady and the Trampis a way for parents to share a classic with their children while technically giving them something new. It’s basically the latest iteration of the Disney Vault except now there’s the novelty of a live-action twist that no one really asked for but allows Disney to dodge the more controversial aspects of past work without really engaging with it. So, for example, the racist Siamese cats from the original are gone, and no one has to have a hard conversation about race and entertainment. Look! New songs fromJanelle Monae!
That being said, between the original and the remake, I’d still give the original the edge because kids probably won’t pick up on the controversial aspects (and you could also, you know, talk to your child and explain it to them), but also there’s something uncomfortable about watching sad things happen to live-action dogs. When Tramp recounts his tragic backstory, it really kicked me in the gut, and while animated movies can also provide that experience (see: Pixar),Lady and the Trampwill hit your animal-loving triggers faster because the dogs are “real” even though the animation on them, especially when they’re talking, is relatively crude when compared to the big budget wizardry ofThe Lion KingorThe Jungle Book. If you don’t like being sad about dogs, you may want to avoidLady and the Tramp, or just hit fast-forward during these scenes.
Lady and the Trampis the first of many movies that will debut on Disney+, and it remains to be seen how the quality will vary across titles. The film clearly has a smaller budget and societal footprint than movies likeAladdinandThe Lion King, but it’s not a bad movie as much as it’s an easily forgettable one that probably would have slowed the momentum of the live-action Disney remake train had it been released in theaters. “Not Good Enough for Theaters” isn’t probably what Disney intended for Disney+ movies, and I’m curious to see other original titles the service offers. But on its own merits,Lady and the Trampis a pretty close cousin to the rest of the live-action Disney remakes: safe, inoffensive, and forgettable.
Rating: C+
