101 Dalmatians (DVD)
APPROX. 103 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1996 - MPA RATING: G
" It may not be as magical as the animated version, but it's still a very good family movie.
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Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson make for a likeable Roger and Anita, two Dalmatian lovers who are brought together because of their dogs. Here, though, Roger is a video game designer, and Cruella doesn´t just have a fur fetish--she´s also head of a fashion empire that specializes in fur creations, with Anita unintentionally setting the whole plot in motion when she draws an outfit that has spotted fur. After that, Ms. DeVil sets her dognappers to work collecting Dalmatians, among them poor Roger and Anita´s 15 puppies.
The animal sequences are fluid and believable, without Hughes or director Stephen Herek ("Bill & Ted´s Excellent Adventure") pushing it so far that you feel they´re milking the furry situation. From start to finish, the film never sags and never makes you feel as if it´s wandered off into the land of the dumb. That´s an achievement, really, when you´re trading in cartoon humor, and Hughes and Herek ought to get the credit they deserve for finding a way to win despite the no-win situation of adapting animation for live action.
Video:
Disney has gotten quite good at delivering high-quality pictures in standard definition. "101 Dalmatians" is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, "enhanced" for 16x9 televisions, and it features bright, vibrant colors and some very nice edge detail for a DVD.
Audio:
The audio is a robust Dolby Digital 5.1, available in English, French, or Spanish. No subtitles. Bass is strong, and the effects speakers are put to good use. Some of the front channel effects seem a little startling in terms of how close the sound appears to the source, but aside from that it´s a nice presentation all the way around.
Extras:
Since this is a reissue, and other recent Disney reissues have had a single game at least to make it attractive, this release has only the theatrical trailer. That´s it.
Bottom Line:
In retrospect, despite the G rating I wouldn´t show this one to any child under age six (first grade). The cartoon version works well enough with younger viewers, but save this one for older children who can appreciate the Hughes and Herek blend of reality and stylized exaggeration. It may not be as magical as the animated version, but it´s still a very good family movie. Parents will appreciate that it introduces animals without all the inane silliness or scatological humor that too often results. And when Jasper and Horace, those henchmen you love to hate, get theirs, it´s like "Home Alone" all over again.
You don´t want to mess with John Hughes.
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