Lady and the Tramp II: Scramp's Adventure (February 27, 2001)

This movie encapsulates everything I dislike about these direct-to-video sequels. The story takes place fairly soon after the original and follows Scamp, the only son and one of the four children of Lady and Tramp. He takes after Tramp in more than just looks. He is tired of the domesticated life and all its rules and wishes to be a free and ‘wild’ dog. He does not believe his father understand him as he surely was domesticated all his life. So, Scamp runs away and joins a gang called, “the Junkyard Dogs.” Scamp develops a romantic relationship with one member of this pack, a female dog named Angel (who secretly wishes to be a house pet with a loving family). Scamp enjoys this new life and eventually has decide between it and his family. These children of the original protagonist stories could have been interesting, but the kids end up simply repeating the mistakes/ adventures of their parents instead of going on their own unique adventures, or, God forbid, having fun with their parents. They always start off feeling misunderstood because of a failure to communicate between parent and child that could have been easily remedied. This film, like many others, also feature a romance subplot which is cute, but they feel rushed and obligatory instead of organic like in the original movies. If this was the first of these direct-to-video films, it might have been palatable, but this film is one of many and ends up feeling formulaic. The animation in this film is the best part. It keeps the original designs but updates them in a modern way (I still prefer the original designs but at least they feel authentic). The setting, during Independence Day is delightful but it serves no real purpose besides being a pretty backdrop. The voice actors, however, take me out of the film. They are prolific, working actors and they both do not fit the original characters (though in the case of the sequels to the classics it is understandable that they had to be replaced) while also lending nothing unique to the new characters. Additionally, the film features many songs that, while failing to capture the magic of the originals. Overall, Scamp’s Adventure lacks any heart and soul. Its characters are fine, nothing special but passable, its plot contrived and predictable, and its soundtrack mediocre. Overall children might enjoy it, but it has little value otherwise. Lady and the Tramp is one of my favorite Disney films and it was fine the way it ended. While it is nice to see the original cast again, this sequel is unnecessary as it adds no additional intrigue and just feels like a blatant cash grab that parents bought to appease their children.

Final Rating 3/10