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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Doggone it, this movie has gotten a bad rap.
There, I´ve said it.
But when I first saw the live-action version of "101 Dalmatians," I had the same response as other Disney purists: Why? While the animated classic was warm and engaging, this G-rated movie starring Glenn Close as Cruella DeVil scared the bejeesus out of my son, who was four at the time. And how could live action possibly capture the complexity that animation had to offer? The rich backgrounds, the voiceover doggie narration, the swervy DeVil car as it plowed through the snow, the cuteness of all those spotted puppies--make it real, and some of the magic is bound to evaporate.
So I was disappointed by this film when I first saw it (though certainly not as much as I was by "Scooby-Doo" or "Casper" or other live-action mutilations of beloved cartoons). But a funny thing happened over time. I watched it again, with my children now old enough to not be scared, and darned if I didn´t think it was pretty well done. In fact, I´d venture to say now that if this film had been released as a live-action original instead of an animated feature remake, it would have been better received. It suffers from comparison to the wonderful 1961 animated classic. But compared to the sequel, "102 Dalmatians," it looks positively brilliant. It´s all who you stand next to, and I think that too many critics had animation on the brain when they reviewed this one.
John Hughes ("Ferris Bueller´s Day Off," "Home Alone") wrote the screenplay, and this wise man decided NOT to have talking live-action dogs--which means there´s no doggie narrative voiceover, either. But it stood to reason that if Timmy´s mom could get "Timmy´s in the well?" from a few Lassie barks, we´d get the point here without much effort. When the dogs are kidnapped and the message is relayed across a network of barking dogs and other critters, it´s as smooth and comprehensible as if they had gone the "Dr. Doolittle" route . . . and far less grating.
Though Close plays it over-the-top--Doesn´t being a Disney villain demand a certain outrageousness?--the rest of the cast stays fairly grounded in reality and the type of relationship and situational warm humor that´s typical of Hughes´ films. The premise may be slightly outlandish, but the writing is so down-to-earth and the bulk of the characters so normal and appealing that you buy into it.
Here, it´s just DeVil and her henchmen--Hugh Laurie ("House") and Mark Williams ("Harry Potter")--and a skinner named Skinner (John Shrapnel) who are played for laughs. Which is to say, Hughes´ screenplay actually stays pretty close to the original animated script. It´s well-written, too, and strikes just the right tone.
