5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Lady and Tramp's mischievous pup, Scamp, gets fed up with rules and restrictions imposed on him by life in a family, and longs for a wild and free lifestyle. He runs away from home and into the streets where he joins a pack of stray dogs known as the "Junkyard Dogs." Buster, the pack's leader, takes an instant disliking to the "house-dog" and considers him a rival. Angel, a junkyard pup Scamp's age, longs for the safety and comfort of life in a family and the two become instant companions. Will Scamp choose the wild and free life of a stray or the unconditional love of his family?
Starring: Scott Wolf, Alyssa Milano, Chazz Palminteri, Jeff Bennett (I), Jodi BensonFamily | 100% |
Animation | 85% |
Adventure | 54% |
Romance | 15% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Disney has long been one of the more conservative studios when it comes to releasing catalog titles on Blu-ray, especially its classic (and even its not-so-classic) animated films. The reasons are many -- some noble, others shrewd -- but chief among them is the sheer amount of time and level of care the studio invests in the restoration and remastering of its most treasured animated features. There's another big reason, of course; one that requires a healthy dose of corporate cynicism to discuss. You and I know it as the Disney Vault, that vacuous and abstract netherworld designed to drive demand, increase perceived value, provide marketing muscle, and bolster a film's legacy. It's a practice that has continued well into Blu-ray's life cycle, with only a small number of animated films being issued in high definition each year.
Apparently someone left the Vault door cracked open this month. August 21st sees the release of not one but seven animated films spread across five different Blu-ray releases. Included in the sudden, generous deluge: five theatrical features -- The Aristocats (1970), The Rescuers (1977), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Pocahontas (1995), and The Tigger Movie (2000) -- and two direct-to-video sequels, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) and Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001). And, in what will come as a surprise to no one, Journey to a New World and, more to the point, Scamp's Adventure are the worst of the seven. Scamp's Adventure is particularly doomed, though. Pocahontas II is bundled with Pocahontas. Want one? Pony up for both. Lady and the Tramp II, meanwhile, in addition to being a sequel no one asked for and no one needed, is being released on its lonesome, six months after the vastly superior 1955 original made its Blu-ray debut.
"No, you don't belong there! You're better than that, Scamp. And that's what I like about you."
Scamp's Adventure may soon be forgotten again but its 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer will not. Full of soft pastels, springtime hues and more impressive animation than your standard direct-to-video Disney sequel, Lady and the Tramp II almost looks like a full-fledged feature, barring the random bits of scruffy pup CG sprinkled throughout, some of which is prone to inherent aliasing and artifacting (the bursting balloons and streamers at the Independence Day celebration being one of the most noticeable). The animators' hand-drawn work looks great, though; crisp, fluid and expressive, without any distractions or mishaps worth noting. The backgrounds exhibit plenty of painterly textures, the line art is clean and sharp, and every little nuance in the animation has been preserved. There also isn't any significant encoding anomalies to contend with, making Scamp's Adventure a pleasant, eye-popping sight to behold.
Scamp's Adventure may be better on mute, but not because its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track fails or falters in the slightest. Voices are light and playful, alleyway clangs and clatters ring true, and the sequel's songs, underwhelming as they are, fill the soundfield nicely, without a gnarled lyric or misprioritized bit of orchestration to be found. The soundscape itself is inconsistent -- ranging from flat and front-heavy on the whole to boisterous and enveloping on occasion -- but chalk that up to the film's sound design, not the quality of its lossless track. LFE output and rear speaker support are commendable, dynamics are decent, and every ounce of yip yip yipping and barking comes through with the utmost clarity. Scamp's Adventure may not be an arresting sequel, sonic or otherwise, but its lossless mix works wonders.
Lady and the Tramp II amounts to direct-to-video roadkill. It isn't as mangled and bloody a heap as it could be, but it isn't very pretty either. Ah well, its Blu-ray release sure is. With an energetic pup of a video transfer, a well-groomed DTS-HD Master Audio track and a small but healthy litter of extras, it gives fans their money's worth. It doesn't help the film much, but anyone laying down cash for a direct-to-video sequel to a Golden Age animated classic shouldn't be surprised by the trouble they're getting themselves into.
DVD Packaging
2001
2001
2006
2002
2007
2003
1998
Peter Pan 2 | Special Edition
2002
2006
1981
2003
2003
1990
2000
2004
1995
2004
2006
1977
Censored Version
2002
1998
2012