Many of the Disney Direct-to-DVD releases feel like they're stretching the source material way past what it was meant to be. Did we really need a sequel to "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Beauty and the Beast," and other classic movies that ended with the phrase "
and they lived happily ever after?" These sequels should carry a tag line reading "
But theeen
"
"Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" is one of those movies. Revisiting it because of the recent Blu-ray release reminded me how gratuitous it feels throughout a short 70-minute running time.
Lady and the Tramp are the proud parents of three female pups and a scrappy dog name Scamp who has inherited a wild streak from his father. When his chain breaks after being sent outside for tearing up the house, Scamp runs off and meets the Junkyard Dogs. Seeking their approval, he goes through the leader's initiation process to become a member of the group. Could a spunky young pup named Angel help change his mind about wanting to live on his own away from his family?
The life lesson is definitely "front-and-center" in "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure." Everyone needs to be part of a family. Another lesson Tramp gives Scamp is that you're always welcome home because family loves you no matter what. These are great lessons and do need to be emphasized. However, I start to wonder as I'm watching this movie how many orphanages or broken homes the producers of this movie have been to lately.
This isn't a bad movie by any means. The story is well-written and the voice cast performs wonderfully. The weakest points are the songs. They're bland and lackluster. If a Disney film is going to have musical aspirations it has a lot to live up to in the shadow of "Snow White," "Aladdin," and countless others.
Parents will find the "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" needless. Their children will no doubt embrace it as much as they did the original. I'd say they have another success on their hands since that's why Disney makes these sequels. Just don't expect older fans of the original to feel the same way.
"Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" is one of those movies. Revisiting it because of the recent Blu-ray release reminded me how gratuitous it feels throughout a short 70-minute running time.
Lady and the Tramp are the proud parents of three female pups and a scrappy dog name Scamp who has inherited a wild streak from his father. When his chain breaks after being sent outside for tearing up the house, Scamp runs off and meets the Junkyard Dogs. Seeking their approval, he goes through the leader's initiation process to become a member of the group. Could a spunky young pup named Angel help change his mind about wanting to live on his own away from his family?
The life lesson is definitely "front-and-center" in "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure." Everyone needs to be part of a family. Another lesson Tramp gives Scamp is that you're always welcome home because family loves you no matter what. These are great lessons and do need to be emphasized. However, I start to wonder as I'm watching this movie how many orphanages or broken homes the producers of this movie have been to lately.
This isn't a bad movie by any means. The story is well-written and the voice cast performs wonderfully. The weakest points are the songs. They're bland and lackluster. If a Disney film is going to have musical aspirations it has a lot to live up to in the shadow of "Snow White," "Aladdin," and countless others.
Parents will find the "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" needless. Their children will no doubt embrace it as much as they did the original. I'd say they have another success on their hands since that's why Disney makes these sequels. Just don't expect older fans of the original to feel the same way.