Disney’s Lady & the Tramp sequel, Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure, gets a lot of criticism from fans and critics alike, and I will never understand why. Disney sequels often hit or miss; when they miss, it is usually by a landslide. They will be compelling and entertaining, or a Disney sequel will be so bad that it never should have existed. Sometimes, mediocre Disney sequels are praised, such as Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. It is not necessarily a bad movie, but it messes up the magic that makes Cinderella one of Disney’s most timeless films.
At other times, Disney sequels are really good, but critics do not like them. One of these sequels is Lady & The Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure. I firmly believe it is an excellent film, but it garners so much criticism, most of which is definitely not deserved. Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure is a fun sequel that focuses on Lady and Tramp’s son, Scamp, while incorporating additional backstory for Tramp that makes the film more entertaining. It is easily one of Disney’s best straight-to-DVD (or video) sequels, so it never made sense why it has so many critics.
I’ll Never Understand Why Lady & The Tramp 2 Gets So Much Hate
Lady & The Tramp 2’s Hate Is Totally Undeserved
Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure attracts a lot of hatred, but there has never been a good enough reason. The Lady & the Tramp sequel has a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, while the audience scores land at 49%. Most complaints revolve around the movie’s predictability, but given that it is a direct-to-video sequel, it is a pretty good movie. The hatred Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure receives is nonsensical. It is an adorable, feel-good film that reminds us why the original Lady & the Tramp is one of the best dog movies.
Disney’s Lady & The Tramp Sequel Has A Lot Of Underrated Strengths
Lady & The Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure Has A Compelling Storyline, An Amazing Soundtrack, & Well-Rounded Characters
Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure is neither a repeat of the first film nor predictable. The narrative follows a different path because Scamp’s motivation is different from Lady’s. In Lady & the Tramp, Lady is spooked by the muzzle Aunt Sarah tries to force on her, and along the way, she becomes enchanted by Tramp’s charm. However, in Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure, Scamp does not like being a domestic dog, claiming he wants to be “wild and free.” This key difference already sets up a much different story from the original film.
While Tramp was wonderful in the original movie, he did not have much of a personality outside of being a stray who had many flings with other dogs. Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure allows Tramp to become a more complex character.
The sequel also expands on Tramp’s backstory by introducing his former best friend and gang, also known as the Junkyard Dogs. He plays an active role in this film; the narrative adds much more significance to his characterization. While Tramp was wonderful in the original movie, he did not have much of a personality outside of being a stray who had many flings with other dogs. Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure allows Tramp to become a more complex character. Tramp and Scamp’s father-son relationship is also a critical aspect of the sequel, further strengthening the film.
Scamp’s Adventure Is One Of The Few Straight-To-Video Disney Sequels That Works
Many Straight-To-Video Disney Sequels Are Terrible, But Scamp’s Adventure Is Not One Of Them
Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure is one of the few good straight-to-video Disney sequels. More often than not, these types of Disney sequels produce several issues. Mulan, Shang, and Mushu are all extremely out of character in Mulan 2, while Tarzan & Jane creates illogical narrative problems. Some Disney straight-to-video sequels are unnecessary, such as Tarzan 2 and The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2. Others are simply the worst of the worst, such as Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World, where Disney continues to avoid telling Pocahontas’ true story, opting to further romanticization instead.
There are even entertaining straight-to-video Disney sequels that essentially repeat the first film, such as The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea. However, Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure does not fall into these categories. The sequel further expands existing characters and introduces new ones without repeating the story from the original film. The plot is compelling, the soundtrack is iconic, and the brief romance is adorable. Some critics are just picky with Disney sequels, and it should not define a film’s quality, especially if it is a Disney direct-to-video sequel.
Both
Lady & the Tramp
films are available to stream on Disney+.
The Return of Jafar, Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning are all good sequels with poor ratings, similar to Lady & the Tramp 2. Film ratings should not always define whether a movie is good or not, even if they are helpful. The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and 101 Dalmatians 2: Patch’s London Adventure are among some of Disney’s best direct-to-video sequels, and Lady & the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure deserves to be on that list.
