101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (DVD)

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Being the runt of the litter is rough. Ask any smallest sibling. But being the runt of a litter of 101 is bound to cause feelings of inferiority. That's what happens to the feisty but feeling-neglected Patch (voiced by Bobby Lockwood). Complicating matters is that it's hard to feel unique when every one of your brothers and sisters has the same spots as you.

So when their masters Roger (Tim Bentinck) and Anita (Jodi Benson) decide to leave London for a more spacious "Dalmatian Plantation" in the country, Patch is only half-traumatized when he's inadvertently left behind. That's because he sees this as an opportunity to finally become something on his own.

That's the main premise behind this animated sequel to "101 Dalmatians," though after more than 40 years with NO sequel fans were probably thinking that their beloved favorite cartoon might actually be allowed to stand alone. No such luck. And, predictably, "101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure" doesn't measure up to the original.

For one thing, it feels closer to a Disney Channel animated series in terms of its animation, backgrounds, and overall tone. Drawn and animated by Disney's Japan team, it features a Cruella (Susan Blakeslee) who isn't nearly as evil. Instead, she's more of a "fall guy" for slapstick pratfalls and a sputtering reactionary. Then there's the introduction of a wholly unnecessary character--an artist named Lars (Martin Short), who feels like a cartoon cliché with his post-Beat affectation. Lars is into painting spots. Cruella wants him to paint a SINGLE spot for her, and he agrees if she will pose for him. Of course, all this obsession with spots gets her going again to where she violates her probation and conspires to dognap Dalmatians on a grand scale again. Predictably, this time it's Patch to the rescue, not the older dogs.

But there's one twist that does add new life to an old story. If you recall, the little puppies loved to watch their favorite dog-hero on TV in the classic animated film, and this one spins off of that. With Patch suddenly alone in London, he decides to seek out Thunderbolt (Barry Bostwick), who's shooting a movie not far away. But the trouble is, Thunderbolt's conniving sidekick is tired of playing second doggie bone to the swelled-headed "hero," and Lil' Lightning (Jason Alexander) tricks the arrogant Thunderbolt into thinking he's going to be canned. That, of course, leaves Lightning free to step into the starring role.

Needless to say, Patch and Thunderbolt do meet up and Patch learns a few truths about the movies and about life. But when they get wind of Cruella's latest plan, they team up and learn a little bit about themselves, too.

All in all it's the kind of animated feature that kids will think is well done, and adults will think of as an entertaining-enough but warmed-over adventure. There's nothing here you can't anticipate or that you haven't seen before. Yet, those two henchmen Horace (Maurice LaMarche) and Jasper (Jeff Bennett) are back and always fun to watch, and for TV-style animation there are a number of sequences that are striking or accomplished. People who have been to London will revel in seeing some of the most famous city sights beautifully rendered, and an out-of-control red double-decker bus filled with Dalmatians is nothing short of inspired.