Disney, 2019
Starring Tessa Thompson, Justin Theroux, Thomas Mann, and Kiersey Clemmons
Directed by Charlie Bean
Music and Lyrics by Sonny Burke, Peggy Lee, Jannelle Monae, and others
With the success of their big-screen remakes, Disney's now bringing the idea to the small and portable screens. How does their first made-for-streaming film stack up against the original and similar offerings on Netflix and elsewhere? Let's return to small-town America in the early 1910's and find out...
The Story: Lady (Thompson) is a Christmas present from "Jim Dear" (Mann) to his wife "Darling" (Clemmons). She's eventually adored by them and by the dogs on either side of her, former police hound Trusty (Sam Elliott) and Scottish terrier and artist's model Jock (Ashley Jensen). The cocker spaniel is baffled when Darling becomes pregnant, and she and Jim Dear seem to pay more attention to their new baby than her. Scruffy street dog Tramp (Theroux) insists this is how things will always be for her now. His words seem to be confirmed when grouchy Aunt Sarah (Yvette Nicole Brown) comes with her naughty cats to take care of her. She automatically believes that she caused the trouble that the cats did and has her muzzled. Tramp frees her and takes her to his favorite Italian restaurant, only to lose her to the determined dog catcher Elliot (Adrian Martinez).
She's delighted when Darling and Jim Dear not only rescue her from the pound, but send Aunt Sarah on her way. Lady is now a real part of the family, but she can't forget Tramp. He may be the only one who can save the baby when a rat gets in and Jim Dear thinks Lady's just barking at strays...and Lady may be the only one who can save Tramp from the dog catcher.
The Animation: The CGI here looks slightly better than it did in the other Disney movie from last year featuring photorealistic animals characters, The Lion King. They're still not terribly expressive, but they're a little less uncanny and a little more interesting. Maybe the live-action backgrounds help take your eyes off how lacking in expression they are, especially compared to the original.
The Song and Dance: I have to admit, I like some of the changes they made to the plot. One of the few things that annoyed me about the original was Aunt Sarah never got punished or scolded for the way she treated Lady; that's dealt with here. They also finished Peg and Bull's story; in the original, they disappear after the "He's a Tramp" number, and we never find out what happened to them or if they ever got out of the pound. Aunt Sarah's naughty kitties are now Devon Rexes, a cat breed that are as slender as Siamese, but lack the racist connotations. F. Murray Abraham as Tony still has an Italian accent, but it's now less cartoony and more like the way a real Italian man would have spoken in 1910.
Favorite Number: "He's a Tramp" is built into the closest thing this has to a big chorus number, complete with new lyrics by its performer, Jannelle Monae. Clemmons sings a really lovely "La La Lu" with Mann as they spend time with their new baby...and shut Lady out. "Belle Notte" is almost as gorgeous as the original, and I had no idea F. Murray Abraham was such a good singer.
What I Don't Like: For all that they changed, there's just as much that doesn't work. Elliott's vendetta against one dog comes off as ridiculous. Tramp may be a stray, but he's still just a dog. The cats' number "What a Shame" may be less offensive for most modern viewers than "The Siamese Cat Song," but it's also not as memorable as the original numbers. Nor are the new lyrics for "He's a Tramp" any better than the originals. The story's been rearranged, and some of the historical details fudged, especially the electric lights on the tree and house in the beginning and end.
But once again...and everyone keeps saying this...the story still lacks the heart of the original. Disney can try as much as they want, but they just can't seem to recreate the simple spark that made these animated films so popular to begin with.
The Big Finale: Taken on its own, this is an enjoyable little romantic comedy with some surprisingly decent animation and a fairly good cast for an online offering.
Home Media: It was created as one of the inaugural offerings for the new Disney Plus streaming service and at press time can only be found there.
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Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
As someone whose grandparents all came over "on the boat" from Italy, and who bristles at THE SOPRANOS and people who ask me if "I know people in the Mafia," I can tell you that I heard people talk like Tony and his assistant in the original movie all during my childhood.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, but I never equated the Siamese cats = Asian = evil when I was a kid. They were Siamese because they were a popular breed back then. They were EVIL because they were CATS, not because they were Asian!