101 Dalmatians Movie Review 1996

Yes, it's the live-action Disney version of their own 1961 animated feature (based on the book by Dodie Smith) about dog-napping villainess Cruella De Vil (Close) and lots of spotted pups. They're absolutely adorable, of course, Cruella's costumes (and hair) are certainly eye-catching, and the bumbling crooks get their proper comeuppance. Daniels and Richardson have the thankless role of the dogs' human owners, Roger and Anita, and get upstaged at every opportunity. Kids familiar with the cartoon pups may be surprised that the live pups don't talk--and keep in mind that Close, while terrific, may be too scary for the little ones. The Hound is always happy to see another dog movie but still feels some classics should be left alone.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 103 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

King of Beasts (Dogs), London, Disney Family Movies, Disorganized Crime, Kidnapped!, Top Grossing Films of 1996, Pregnant Pauses

Screenplay

John Hughes

Cast

Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright, Hugh Laurie, Mark Williams

Cinematography

Adrian Biddle

Director

Stephen Herek

Music

Michael Kamen

Producer

John Hughes, Ricardo Mestres, Edward S. Feldman, Walt Disney Pictures, Buena Vista