102 Dalmatians (2000) Reviews

• Well, the puppies were cute...

  jennifer-992000-11-27

  I decided that this was going to be the first movie that I took my young daughter to see. Seeing as how she is a dog lover and is riveted to the TV screen every time she sees a commercial or TV show with a puppy, I figured how could I go wrong? I was sadly disappointed. I found that the movie tried too hard to be dark and sinister....Cruella got way too much screen time and the puppies, too little. The movie just wasn't much fun. Amazingly, my daughter got an hour or so of entertainment from this film, and then got horribly bored. We ended up leaving before the movie was finished, so I'm not even sure how it ended. The movie was cute, but it ran way too long for the younger set who have a reduced attention span. More time should have been devoted to the puppies and their antics, and less to Cruella and her scheming. I don't believe I was the only one who felt this way....as my daughter and I were leaving the theatre, I noticed two youngsters fast asleep. Not a good testimonial for a children's film. Save this one for a video rental so your kids can fast forward through the boring bits before they, too, fall fast asleep.

• Cruella DeVil is at it again...

  MISSMOOHERSELF2003-01-09

  I saw the original "101 Dalmatians" 3 times while en route from England back home to the USA and I loved it. So when I saw there was a new dalmatians movie, "102 Dalmatians," I was elated and when I saw it, I was NOT disappointed. In fact, I liked this version even better than the first. Glenn Close's performance as "Ella" who has been imprisoned for 3 years for dognapping but who received behavioral modification but reverts to "Cruella" when Big Ben's chimes go off, is delightfully dastardly. And the performance by Gerard Depardieu as the loathsome LaPelt is extraordinary. But the best performances, the ones who "take the cake" are those by the Dalmatians, real or created, especially Oddball, the spotless dalmatian puppy who is obsessed with "S-P-O-T-S." The scene where she goes berserk when she sees a black and white sweater on a puppet in a Punch & Judy show is hilarious. There were scenes in which it looked like the puppies were in real danger but the magic lies in the fact that, when you read the credits, you realize those scenes were created; no puppy was ever in danger. I recommend this movie highly and I should; I've seen it at least 7 times and I also have the video.

• a pale imitation of it's predecessor

  disdressed122008-11-13

  unfortunately,this second live action film is a pale imitation of its predecessor.it's a lot slower,and the story feels contrived.it almost seems like filler to me.there are a few comic moments,though not as many as its predecessor.i think they should have left it at the first one,101 Dalmatians.Glenn Close returns as Cruella De Vil,and is good,but has much less to do this time around.plus,her two henchmen form th preventions film are not in this one,and they added some comic relief.Gerard Depardieu is in this one,in a completely ridiculous role,and he looks quite silly,to be polite.despite its problems its still watchable.my vote for 102 Dalmations is a 5/10

• Sure, it's inferior to the first, but lets not get too harsh.

  vip_ebriega2007-05-08

  My take: Not as good as the first, but decent family fun nonetheless. Yes we know, it's kid's stuff compared to the original, which is an enjoyable film, no less. This one follows where the original left off. Cruella "Ella" DeVille is kept in prison, and a group of scientist have altered her mind, turning her from evil to a good. Sadly, when the Big Ben rings its chimes, compassionate little Ella turns back to evil Cruella, with plots to capture more puppies for her "Poppy Coat" and for vengeance. Of course, this one adds one more puppy to the 101 others. Sadly only one of the puppies from the first makes it here (of course, he's full-grown now), it's none other than Dipstick. Besides the dog, Cruella and her stuttering butler Alonzo (Tim McInnerny), no other character from the first film returns for this sequel. The plot, if you removed some elements, is basically similar to the first film. Making this a formulaic sequel, but let's not get to harsh in reviewing this. You got to admit it still has some entertainment value, despite the flaws. The puppies are cute, as always, and some of the laughs are well enjoyable for the kiddies. So overall, not a brilliant flick, but a fun one for the family. Rating: *** out of 5.

• Oh I will be harsh!

  pkzeewiz2010-04-12

  Cruella has been in jail and in her time there a doctor has worked with her and made her change and become a brand new person. She now loves puppies and hates fur and comes out a brand new woman. She tires her best but for stupid reason, which never gets explained in the movie, the ticking of Big Ben (the London tower clock) she goes mad and goes back to her evil self. After she had gotten out of jail, and before she turned back to her old self, she helped organize a puppy "safe house". After she goes back she once again wants more dalmatians and although different in action, same in story as far as her getting them stolen and all attempts are captured in goofy glory as we see a less funny version of part one over again. Production was bad in this one, definitely a lower budget, and no where near the time and effort and talent devoted into this one. The music was bad, the acting was bad (for the most part) and its just a waste of time. Sequels often suck, so its not that big of a deal, you should know what you are getting. Glenn Close did a great job again, but her character was written badly here, so her acting couldn't save it. Most of the acting was mediocre at best. Ben Crompton did a good job as Ewan and thats about the only person that stood out. Eric idle as the voice of that stupid bird was annoying too. This movie is something you might shut your "youngins" up with for an hour and a half but it's a truly inferior film to its predecessor. Was hard for me to set through. 2 out of 10 stars.