102 Dalmatians

Released: Wednesday, November 22, 2000

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Those loveable Dalmatians are back in Walt Disney Pictures 102 Dalmatians, the sequel to Disney's 101 Dalmatians live action film.  The hilarious adventure stars the audacious Oddball, an all white Dalmatian puppy in search of her rightful spots, and Waddlesworth (voiced by Eric Idle), a wisecracking macaw who thinks he's a Rottweiler.  From the streets of London to a posh Parisian bakery, this barking mad duo leads a posse of puppies on a mission to outfox unrepentant fur-felon, Cruella De Vil.  Filled with chases, close calls, hilarious antics, and thrilling escapes, this adventure-packed tale is a wacky good time that will have the entire family howling with laughter.

This time around directing duties have been given to Kevin Lima (Enchanted), and the screenplay has past from John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Home Alone) to four screenwriters headed by Kristen Buckley. 

Returning for the sequel is Glenn Close as the evil Cruella de Vil and Tim McInnerny as Alonzo her loyal butler.  The cast is rounded out by newcomer cast members, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans, and Gérard Depardieu, who do a wonderful job of filling the shoes of the cast from the first film.

While the 102 Dalmatians are quite enjoyable, it does seem to lack the same heart as the first film.  The characters are charming enough, and the Dalmatians are top notch.   However, Glenn Close just appears to be going through the motions playing Cruella, and the story seems to have taken on a sillier tone (i.e. the parrot who thinks he is a dog) versus the more dramatic tone of the first 101 Dalmatians live action film.

The bonus features on 102 Dalmatians are plenty -- including, a wonderful deleted scene of Cruella's release from prison, a behind the scenes look into the production including how computer animation was used for some of the dangerous dog tricks, the script required of the dogs, an interactive feature to pick a dog that fits your personality, theatrical trailer, and much more.

The DVD is presented in the original widescreen aspect ratio (1.85:1) with a punched up Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtrack that will have the neighbors wondering if you left your dog outside barking into the night.

All in all, 102 Dalmatians is a worthy sequel; while not having the same in-depth story of the first, it is a still a great family film to enjoy with your four-legged friends.

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-- Nathan M. Rose