TakaNeko Review – Lady and the Tramp (2019)

Continuing a trend of live action adaptations for cartoon classics, Lady and the Tramp is now available to stream through the new streaming app, Disney+. Told mainly from the perspective of Lady, a Cocker Spaniel, it’s a story of love, loyalty and family set in Savannah, Georgia. The movie is directed by Charlie Bean and stars  Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux as the voices of Lady, and the homeless Schnauzer-mutt, Tramp.

“In this heartwarming romantic adventure, a timeless re-telling of the 1955 animated classic, Lady, an overachieving, pampered American Cocker Spaniel house dog, and Tramp, a tough but lovable, fast-talking stray, embark on an unexpected adventure and, despite their differences, grow closer and come to understand the value of home.” 

– Disney+ Movie Summary, 2019

Refreshing and Creative

Talk about giving a refreshing and creative spin on another Disney classic. While it’s a shame that this movie will not have a theatrical release, I understand that it’s mostly meant to be an incentive for subscribers to get into the new Disney+ streaming service. As part of the lineup of movies on the platform, I think it’s a worthwhile movie to see.

One of the first things to address is that this is a movie about talking animals. Disney is no stranger to this genre, but talking animals have been handled in different ways from telepathic voices and animal body language, to legitimately speaking like humans. This movie chose to go with the latter, similarly to movies like Air Bud, The Lion King (2019). The mix of moving mouths and realistic animal behavior is done well enough to make the characters bearable.

The additions they make to the movie along with it’s characters adds to the creative aspect of the film. The dogs live as dogs do, with an added understanding that pets are more than just companions. For Jock, the Scottish Terrier, her life revolves around her owners love for art using her dog as her subject. This has left Jock with an appreciation for clothing and accessories. It’s a cute quirk for her character alongside being the feisty voice of reason from the classic movie.

An Adaptation Done Right

The live action movie follows the beats of the original almost scene for scene. If there was nothing taken away, then there was room to add more into the story. Lady and Tramp have more time to interact with each other making their bond more believable.

There is one particular scene involving the removal of a muzzle which fans of the classic movie will really like. I love it when re-adaptations of stories and movies make a reference to something that is missing, including it as an Easter egg for sharp eyed viewers. Thanks Disney, very cool.

I think this is how a live action adaptation should be done. It follows the source material just close enough for everyone to remember the classic fondly. It also adds more information to make the story and its characters all the more likable.

And when you’re done with the live action version, Disney+ is all ready to recommend revisiting the animated movie. Make sure you see it so you can tell what was changed for the new movie.

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