If you can’t eat a plate of spaghetti without thinking of the 1955 Disney animated classic, “Lady and the Tramp,” you’ll be as excited as I was to see the new live-action Disney Plus exclusive remake.  Although I loved the classic, the remake was definitely not one to miss out on.  

“Lady and the Tramp” is a romantic love story between a pampered house dog, Lady, and a street dog, the Tramp.  After some mix-ups, when Lady’s owners have a baby, Lady becomes a street dog for a brief amount of time and she meets the Tramp. The Tramp, who has been a street dog for most of his life, shows Lady the ropes of the street.  As the two embark on many adventures through the city together, the pups soon start to fall in love, but tensions rise between the two because of circumstances with Lady’s owners.  

Charlie Bean, who usually works with children’s movies and animations, was an outstanding director.  In the film, Bean used real dogs, which I enjoyed since it made it seem more real. Bean made sure not to leave out any key moments that were in the original version of the movie. The cinematography was pleasing, and the overall filter and crisp footage were nice to see.

“Lady and the Tramp” included a wide range of actors in the film.  Justin Theroux performed the voice of the Tramp. Theroux did an amazing job of speaking as a lovable street mut, since he used his endearing flare.  Performing the voice for the iconic part of Lady was Tessa Thompson who embraced the part of Lady perfectly, as she was both stuck up yet caring at the same time.  Janelle Monae played the voice of the supporting role of Peg, the petite dog that helped both Lady and the Tramp when they needed her most. 

Personally, one of my all-time favorite guest stars is Ken Jeong. Jeong starred as ‘Joe,’ the doctor who delivered the baby for Lady’s owners. In all of the films or TV shows that I have seen Jeong in, he always makes the scene funny, and he definitely did in “Lady and the Tramp.”  Instantly when he came on the screen, a smile came upon my face because of his presence, and because of the laughter that he brought to such a dull scene.  

While there are certain elements I love about both films, the live-action version holds its own against the animated original. Obviously the original is the original, and nothing can top a classic, but I have to say that the live-action version brought this story to a whole new level.  Typically live-action versions do that, but this film, in particular, felt like a whole new story to me. Although it had the same plot, seeing the real dogs, as well as humans interacting with them, made it seem more real than the animation. I was definitely at the edge of my seat during this film because of how real it felt. 

If Disney films are your forte, then this unique remake of “Lady and the Tramp” is right up your alley. Seriously though, this film is not one to miss.  Borrowing a friend’s Disney Plus password, or using the free one week trial would be worthwhile just to watch this movie. I think that Trusty the Cocker Spaniel, and Lady’s friend says it best, but “Everybody knows a dog’s best friend is a human.”