Remake has humor and heart; some peril, emotional intensity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Dogs face peril from cars, rats, cats, other dogs, and a villainous dog catcher who hunts them down to lock them up. Lady is locked up in a prison-like dog pound with other threatening dog prisoners, learns about what happens to dogs who don't get adopted. Mischievous cats destroy Lady's home. An evil rat sneaks into a baby's room. Tramp appears dead after being thrown from a moving vehicle.
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Flirting. Lady lands on top of Tramp after he helps her pull off a muzzle. The two have an unintended kiss when they share spaghetti. Jim Dear and Darling also land on top of each other in one scene. Lady and Tramp fall in love.
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Humans and dogs can be loyal to their own and to each other. Belonging to a family or community gives life meaning. Despite its allure, freedom from attachments like family can be lonely. A stable home life is healthy, but an occasional howl at the moon is, too. Everybody deserves love. Don't judge a book by its cover. Courage and teamwork are themes.
Positive Role Models
some
Dogs and humans stand up for and protect their friends and family, even if it means putting themselves potentially in harm's way. Some adults, including a mean aunt and a dog catcher with an unhealthy obsession with Tramp, behave cruelly. Different kinds of dogs learn to respect one another's differences. The cast is diverse.
Educational Value
a little
The characters teach us not to judge others by their appearance or background.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this remake of Disney's classic Lady and the Tramp is still family-friendly but is a little more intense than the original, largely due to the realism of the CGI and live-action characters. The human dog catcher, who hunts Tramp the entire movie, gives the remake a menacing villain, and the other dangers to the animals -- other dogs, cats, street traffic, the rat -- may feel more threatening now that they're more lifelike. Sequences that could scare little kids include when Lady is imprisoned in the dog pound, when Tramp lies unconscious after being tossed from a moving vehicle, and when the rat pounces on the baby's crib. There's a potentially upsetting scene of what happens to dogs that don't get adopted. As Lady (voiced by Tessa Thompson) and Tramp (Justin Theroux) fall in love, they share a couple of flirtatious moments, including the classic spaghetti scene. "Dang it" is used, and characters appear to drink a toast together. This take on Tramp is a little mangier than the original, but the cast of human characters imbues the classic tale with a welcome new diversity. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
When are we going to have characters that are nice to each other again?
Disney ruins a classic with characters that are snippy, sarcastic and adults who act like moody teens. For example, the OB who delivers the new baby, someone who has devoted a lifetime of learning to bringing babies safely into the world, is cynical and condescending about the event and the couple's new life. Lady and Jock make fun of Trusty for being old. When Lady causes the dog catcher's cart to crash the Darlings make no mention of seeing if the driver - a human - is ok. This movie teaches our youth that some people don't matter and deserve to be physically harmed if they don't act as we want them to or do jobs we disagree with. Disney's early movies are cherished for the civility, kindness and self-sacrifice they demonstrate. I keep hoping that Disney is going to stop with mean, self-righteous, sarcastic characters disguised as role-models for our youth - this movie isn't that.
(Written by 8yo boy) This is a good movie, but there is a lot of action and peril, especially at the end. Some scenes remind me of the Aladdin with real actors in that there is stealing food and chasing with street dogs. But there isn't really blood. I liked the original animated movie a little better.
What's the Story?
In LADY AND THE TRAMP, Lady (voiced by Tessa Thompson) is a pampered pet who lives a comfortable, predictable life. When her owners, Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons), have a baby, Lady feels forgotten. She runs away and meets stray dog Tramp (Justin Theroux), who teaches her about some of the pleasures of a life with no attachments. The pair slowly fall in love as Tramp shows Lady how to beg for scraps at the classiest restaurants, find the best starry lookout over their city, and howl at the moon. But Tramp is hounded by a persistent dog catcher, and Lady feels homesick. When her people find her again, Lady decides to stay home. Will she and Tramp find each other again?
There's always risk involved in remaking a beloved classic, and this remake is no different; it both pleases and falls short. Some will love this version of Lady and the Tramp, especially for the technical advances that have brought the CGI characters to life or for the diverse cast that will allow kids from more backgrounds to feel represented on-screen. And others will find things to complain about, like the phoniness of the unnamed time and place the movie is set in or the generally slow pacing. The remake -- which is an hour and 42 minutes long -- might have benefited from a length closer to the original's 76 minutes.
Curiously, the animals come across as more genuine than the live people in this remake. Even the secondary characters, like Lady's neighbor friends (hilariously voiced by Sam Elliott and Scottish actress Ashley Jensen) or Tramp's street friends (especially the commanding Janelle Monáe) are given much fuller personalities than Jim Dear, Darling, or the dog catcher. In this sense, and perhaps rightfully so, the film will appeal more to younger audiences than to adults. Let them have their version; the adults can hang on to the original of their own childhoods.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this version of Lady and the Tramp compares with the original. Which do you prefer? Why?
Did the movie's computer animation make the dogs seem more or less realistic? Why?
The film has a central message about family. What do you think it is?
MPAA explanation:
some mild thematic elements and action/peril
Last updated:
June 30, 2023
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By Jennifer Green
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