When the rebellious youngster thinks he's better off without the family, he's in for "ruff" times.
That's what happens to young Scamp, the scruffy, growing puppy in this charming straight-to-video sequel to the Walt Disney classic "Lady and the Tramp."
Although it took the upper offices of the Disney studio 46 years to get this sequel on the racks, the action actually takes place just six months after the original "Lady and Tramp" film ends.
"Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" (Walt Disney Home Video, 70 minutes, VHS $26.99, DVD $29.99) follows young and restless Scamp (voiced by Scott Wolf) as he finds that a "dog's life" isn't about lounging around in junkyards and stealing bones from bullying bulldogs.
He does find romance with Angel, a street-wise mutt with a heart of gold, voiced by Alyssa Milano. But he also discovers that life is not simply a dandy chew toy when he meets up with junkyard dog Buster (Chazz Palminteri), who trotted alongside Scamp's dad, Tramp, when he was king of the streets.
Although the storyline is a bit predictable, the animation, new songs and earnest vocal acting make "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" a nice little movie for the whole family.
IF FAMILY VALUES is what you're looking for, Big Idea Productions is another good place to go.
The 7-year-old company, whose tag-line is "Sunday morning Values, Saturday morning fun," utilizes computer animation, talking vegetables and biblical stories.
Its latest release, "Veggie Tales: Esther . . . the Girl Who Became Queen" (Big Idea, $12.99), recaps the biblical story of Esther, using straight-forward and easy-to-understand language.
Small-town girl Esther finds herself in the middle of a sinister plot that would banish her family from their kingdom. Only courage and doing the right thing can resolve this terrible situation.
Music, humor, drama and eye-catching computer animation come together in this enjoyable video that teaches children that "you never need to be afraid to do what's right."
E-mail: scott@desnews.com