Hi everyone!
Welcome back for another week of reviews. We’re starting off the week with another streaming exclusive, this time from a lesser-known company founded by, and let me check my notes here, Walt Disney. We’ll be reviewing our first feature film on the latest streaming service, but for two other films in this same vein, check out the live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” (Episode #030) and “The Lion King” (Episode #540). Both films are pretty mediocre versions of their animated counterparts. I’ll let you know if “Lady and the Tramp” fares the same in a little bit.
It’s also Sunday, so be sure to head over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch for an exclusive episode, this time the first installment in “OMP Presents: Sponsor Specials”. I polled our sponsors and received a list of films to choose from, so naturally I picked the one I wanted to watch the most, a full viewing of Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” (1972), easily one of the most influential science fiction films of all time, not to mention one of my biggest blind spots in terms of classic films. You’ll get to hear about the time I watched my first Tarkovsky film, along with my thoughts on this film. All contributions go to help pay for our expenses!
Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our good friends at the Movie Geek and Proud Podcast. Every episode, Rob and Shawn pick a classic or contemporary film to review, bringing their unique perspectives to each film, sometimes with the help of guests. You can find them on Twitter @MGnPpodcast, Facebook @mgppodcast, and Instagram @moviegeekandproud. Don’t miss a single episode!
Subscribe to stay current with the latest releases.
Contribute at Patreon for exclusive content.
Connect with us over social media to continue the conversation.
Here we go!
/////
<< MOVIE GEEK AND PROUD PROMO >>
/////
Today’s movie is “Lady And The Tramp”, the Disney+ live-action adaptation of the 1955 animated classic, directed by Charlie Bean and written for the screen by Andrew Bujalski and Kari Granlund. The film follows the lives of two very different dogs. Lady (Tessa Thompson) was born into luxury, living her life at the sole focus of her owners, Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons). And on the other side of the town is the Tramp (Justin Theroux), who lives off the leash on the streets with his friends, surviving one day at a time. When the two dogs meet, however, they experience a series of adventures that can only bring them closer together and where is all this eye water coming from?!
*SNIFF*
No spoilers!
To be quite honest, today’s film felt obligatory after covering AppleTV+’s initial offering last week, “The Elephant Queen” (Episode #637). I knew I had to cover at least one film from Disney+, and they gave us two options. Today’s live-action adaptation of “Lady and the Tramp” and a Disney holiday film titled “Noelle”. And since it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, I went with “Lady and the Tramp”. Once that decision was made, however, the trepidation sank in. After an excellent string of live-action adaptations in 2015 and 2016 (aside from “Alice Through The Looking Glass”), the quality of the live-action adaptations has fallen significantly. “Beauty and the Beast” (Episode #030) was an almost too-faithful remake of the original animated feature. Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” didn’t fare very well with critics or the box office. “The Lion King” (Episode #540) was exceedingly bad. So, my initial comment sitting down was, “I wonder how they will mess this one up.” And then the many, many tears started to flow.
The live-action adaptation of “Lady and the Tramp” takes us back to the turn of the 20thcentury, in a small city on the banks of a river, where a surprisingly inclusive and accepting community lives. We open on Jim Dear and Darling, an upper-class mixed-race couple, who are welcoming Lady into their lives, followed by an example of her nearly perfect life. It’s the first of many noticeable and welcome changes to the film, along with Ken Jeong as the town Doctor, and nearly every background scene showing a diverse cast of characters, whose only divisions seem to be based on class. While many of these changes are not historically accurate, they do represent the continuing evolution of Disney films to be more inclusive. Plenty of historically accurate films from the time period, especially along the Mississippi, but that’s never what “Lady and the Tramp” was supposed to be. And thankfully, they completely nixed the infamous, overtly racist Siamese Cat opening lyrics, transforming the rest into a Dixieland jazz number with modified lyrics. All very tastefully done, and for some reason, problematic for way too many critics and viewers who are also probably upset the streaming service isn’t including “Song of the South”.
Across town, we’re introduced to the Tramp, the polar opposite of Lady in nearly every way, roaming free around the streets, and looking out for his gang of friends, whenever it’s convenient. Most of his days are spent running from Elliott the Dogcatcher (Adrian Martinez), another inclusive addition with a much larger role in the film, along with friends voiced by Janelle Monáe, Benedict Wong, and Clancy Brown. Lady also has a couple friends, voiced by Sam Elliott and Ashley Jensen. The voicework is all fine, with Elliott and Jensen stealing the show with perfect voice casting for their respective dogs. By the time each dog has gone through their perfect day, we’ve been introduced to the entire community, people and dogs alike, along with the period-specific sets and locations. We’re also primed for a few surprises, which unfold along the way.
Where “Lady and the Tramp” really succeeds is nailing the transition from animation to live-action, understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each medium. The original “Lady and the Tramp” (1955) was a tight 76 minutes, whereas this live-action with CGI version has about an extra half-hour. Hand-drawn animation was a perfect medium to tell the original story, with anthropomorphized animals using language, able to show much more emotion than the ghostly voiceover technique used on, say, the famous “Mr. Ed”. However, hand-drawn animation comes with limitations as well, like making extensive action scenes with dramatic movements impossible. Cartoonists throughout the ages have quit when confronted with unrealistic expectations from their directors and administrators.
This live-action adaptation finds all the right transitions. “Lady and the Tramp” uses all the many lessons learned from Disney’s surprisingly extensive collection of talking dog films, getting the mouth animation great for voice while utilizing all the acting ability of well-trained, perfectly cast dogs Rose and Monte, including incredibly choreographed, longer action scenes which would take a large team months to animate back in 1955. Detail is embellished into the background, the costumes, and the dogs, always adding to the story and never getting in the way of it.
And the pièce de résistance remains the “Bella Notte” scene, which you might understand is coming, but nothing prepares you for experiencing this version. What was previously a semi-hokey, hopelessly romantic scene of young lovers that became an iconic moment in film is beautifully expanded, anchored and driven by perfect performances by F. Murray Abraham as Tony and Arturo Castro as Joe. I was moved so much that One Movie Spouse showed me an article afterwards that said people who cry during movies tend to be the strongest emotionally. I must be The Emotional Hulk based on my reaction to this scene.
More eye water? Really?!
“Lady And The Tramp” is a stunning live-action adaptation of the original animated classic, taking the core story and characters, and expanding the story with today’s technology, to deliver one of the better adaptations from Disney and possibly my new favorite live-action adaptation. You’ll laugh, you’ll be amazed, and if you’re not dead inside, you’ll cry. A whole lot. Disney fans have already signed up for Disney+ and watched this immediately. Fans of the original feature, along with fans of feel-good stories, will definitely want to check this one out as soon as possible.
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Metacritic: 47
One Movie Punch: 8.3/10
“Lady And The Tramp” (2019) is rated PG and is currently playing on Disney+.
