We didn’t need another ‘Lady and the Tramp,’ but it was worth the watch

With the launch of Disney+ on Nov. 12, the next several weeks were locked in for the Hayeses. Classic Disney Afternoon cartoons, old school Disney movies and brand new Star Wars series filled our Watchlist, but an immediate watch was the live action/CGI remake of the 1955 classic “Lady and the Tramp.”

Featuring the voice talents of Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok, Westworld) and Justin Theroux (Parks and Recreation, The Leftovers) as the titular characters, as well as Sam Elliot (A Star is Born, The Big Lebowski), Janelle Monae (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), and Clancy Brown (Sleepy Hallow, Star Wars: Clone Wars), the film follows a budding friendship between a spoiled cocker spaniel and a streetwise mutt throughout their adventures in (presumably) Savannah, Georgia.

When Lady’s humans have a baby, she suddenly finds herself no longer the object of their affection. And, as the Tramp points out, “When the baby moves in, the dog moves out.”

When Darling and Jim Dear take a trip to visit his sister, Darling’s Aunt Sarah (played by Yvette Nicole Brown) comes to care for Lady but brings along her mischievous cats who tear up the living room. This prompts Sarah to go out and buy a muzzle for Lady, assuming she is the trouble maker. Lady makes a run for it and finds herself alone — without a collar — on the streets for the first time. The Tramp then takes her on a series of adventures to show her how the other half lives. And, of course, eat spaghetti.

This film is very sweet and surprisingly funny. The script is very well written and updates the classic tale quite well. The voice casting is fantastic as are the humans who appear in the film, including F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus, Star Trek: Insurrection) as Tony (the restaurateur who gives them their iconic meal), Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken, Community) as the Doctor for one scene for some reason, and an actor I know personally from NYC, Adrian Martinez, who plays Elliot, the dog catcher. The film is beautifully shot in Georgia, the costumes and set pieces are wonderful, and the CGI on the dogs is pretty top notch. They were able to blend the use of real dogs with the CGI much better than I’ve ever seen before and knowing no animals were ever in any type of danger was a relief for sure.

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