Review of 102 Dalmatians (2000) by Ryne W — 17 Nov 2008

Usually, sequels and remakes are unnecessary and so it is no surprise that "102 Dalmatians", the sequel to the 1996 remake, "101 Dalmatians", is no exception. Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) is back, but this time around the script has left the character stuck in the middle somewhere between heavy villainess and slapstick antagonist.

The end result is borderline pathetic. The story begins with Cruella De Vil being brainwashed by scientists to feel love and affection when she sees a dog much like Dr. Pavlov conditioned his canine subjects to salivate at the sound of a ringing bell.

She is released on probation under the skeptical eye of her parole officer Chloe (Alice Evans), who incidentally loves Dalmatians. When Cruella becomes involved with a local animal shelter run by Kevin (Ioan Gruffudd), it seems that she has become completely reformed, but upon the ringing of Big Ben (the biggest Pavlovian bell of them all) she inevitably reverts to her old ways and is soon scheming and screaming for the Dalmatian coat she has wanted for so long and the main frame of the original plot comes back into focus.

I will never know why movies like this use this method of storytelling. Of course, money plays a big role, but if film sequels and remakes broke free of the originals they are based, who knows what the story possibilities could hold for the industry.

Instead of using the original as a crutch, the film-makers could have turned "102 Dalmatians" into a character study of Cruella De Vil, or taken the story to new heights instead of reusing old plot devices or even, dare I say, brought it back into animation.

Another crucial flaw has been carried over from the previous film. Instead of getting top billing, the animal characters are turned into secondary characters and used either as MacGuffins or slapstick.

Even Oddball, a Dalmatian puppy who grows insecure due to a lack of spots, does not generate the same wattage as the original cartoon puppies did back in 1961. This affects not only the suspense, but also the overall participation of the audience.

If nobody cares for the animals, the entire story is derailed. "102 Dalmatians" is not a bad film. Like all Disney productions, there is an inherent charm throughout and fun is never lacking.

Gerard Depardieu as Monsieur Le Pelt, whose outlandish costumes give Cruella's a run for there money, is a brilliant addition to the saga. The production, itself is also worthy of praise, particularly the scenes in Cruella's gothic home, which is unfortunately underused.

Everything else, however seems to fall in the shadow of Cruella De Vil. Glenn Close gives it her all, but the character seems to take over in the end. Ultimately, Ms. De Vil is a star in her own right and cannot be embodied by an actress of flesh and blood.

She belongs in the animated world.