Lady and the Tramp

The movie starts out so cloying and insipid that a viewer of any sophistication has to wonder how it can ever be redeemed. Fortunately, the story picks up steam once the mutts are on the move, and the proceedings are brought to a satisfying—albeit still somewhat insipid—conclusion. The most striking thing about this movie may be its setting, not in place—an unidentified but seemingly American city—but in time. This film from the '50s is set sometime around the turn of the century, roughly 1900 by the visual clues—meaning its setting and milieu was archaic and out of date even when it was released, let alone today. Still, this piece provides enough entertainment to qualify as an overall success, even for the cat lovers among us.