Lady And The Tramp Blu-Ray Review: Another Classic Given Appropriately Magical HD Treatment

By Simon Gallagher / January 30, 2012

Film

rating:5

Broken down, the shining history of cinema is defined not by genres or by the measure of stardom, and in mockery of the vast budgets that are spilled on overblown epics, it is the smallest moments that endure in memory. Few will remember the specifics of a grandly-made film, no matter how impressive, if it doesn't have the hooks that drive nostalgia or the kind of visual and lyrical versing that stick in the mind, it won't be remembered. It is the briefest exchanges, the shortest of lines that tend to extend a film's life beyond traditional timescales, and Disney films thrive on those moments. The Mouse House has always been well versed in that sort of instant iconography, and one of the single most enduring images of all is that of two dogs sharing a single strand of spaghetti and inadvertently kissing at an improved alley-based table for two. It is a simple, romantic image that burns brightly in the collective audience consciousness, but it is only one small part of the classic Romeo & Juliet style romantic culture clash's appeal. The animation is fabulous, as is typical of the classic Disney period, with elaborate and gorgeous backgrounds complimented by iconic, essential character designs, and all is set to yet another infectious soundtrack featuring two stalwart additions to every Disney compilation album - "He's A Tramp" and "We Are Siamese". The Tramp - who actually never uses a name for himself - follows a grand Disney tradition of idiosyncratic, individualist male characters, like Aladdin, Baloo, Thomas O'Malley, Robin Hood who ooze charisma but whose bravado invariably hides a rich, undiscovered sentimentality that is revealed through the course of the narrative. And that journey for revellation is something that Disney has always done incredibly well long before and since Lady and The Tramp was released in 1955. What Lady and The Tramp misses, at least in comparison to fellow Disney classics stablemates is the presence of a truly iconic villain figure: Aunt Sally is presented as something of a villain, but she is more the victim of ignorance, and her tendency to be something of a busy body, and the rat which accelerated the finale of the film is only a brief third act addition whose malignance is short-lived, though almost catastrophic. There is no Cruella De Ville, no Scar, no Maleficent to really hang the evil label on, and some might point to that as one of the reasons that Lady and The Tramp isn't quite held in the same esteem as other classics. But make no mistake, Lady and The Tramp is still Disney on top form. It is a classic tale, driven by a simple but hugely engaging storyline, and two characters (in the shape of the titular canine lovers) who fit the bill for almost every romantic comedy ever released, and show most of their human counterparts up quite markedly.

Quality

rating:5

Once again, Disney have given the original source dutiful and celebratory treatment to bring it to the high-definition market, which is always made somewhat easier thanks to the hand-drawn animation medium. Colours are vibrant and lines sharper than they have ever been, and contrast is just as impressive: detail in background scenes seems more pronounced and the overall lift in picture quality is quite remarkable - like a film of dust has been lifted from the original source. Because the film was photographed using Cinemascope, the image appears with two black bars framing it on top and bottom, but it's far from a deal-breaker. Just something to take note of before you start trying to "fix" the aspect ratio on your TV. Likewise with the audio: the songs have never sounded so sharp or immersive, and dialogue, sound-effects and what ambient noise there is are all strongly transferred. It isn't the busiest of soundtracks, but when the need for more bombastic effects arises, they land the right weight (as in the climatic chase scene with the dogcatcher). In short, it is another essential purchase for Disney home release collectors, and can go down so far as one of 2012's finest release packages.

Extras

rating:4.5

As incredibly annoying as the multifarious Disney Editions conundrum is, the Diamond Editions still appear to be the most prestigious option for Disney home release buyers. We have a good selection of completely new features, including never before seen footage and a feature with Diane Disney Miller talking about her late father, and some typically good older special features that look behind the scenes of the animation. The Disney Second Screen is a particularly good extra feature, which allows tablet or laptop users to watch a behind-the-scenes presentation on that screen while watching the movie. It might seem counter-productive to have a second screen taking away attention from the primary one, but it is something that works surprisingly well, and which fundamentally changes the way a film can be watched and interacted with. Or at least that's very much how it feels. New - Disney Second Screen: Inside Walt's Story Meetings New - Audio Commentary: Inside Walt's Story Meetings New - Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad New - Three Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes New - Never Recorded Song: "I'm Free as the Breeze" Lady's Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs "The Siamese Cat Song," Finding a Voice for the Cats "Bella Notte" Music Video Deleted Scenes Trailers Excerpts from "Disneyland" TV Shows DVD Copy Lady & The Tramp is available to buy on blu-ray and DVD now.