102 Dalmatians

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.

Unlike its predecessor, which was a live action version of the animated 101 Dalmatians, this version is completely new and original. However, the premise is as old as they get: boy finds girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again, and they all live happily ever after. Of course, I'm not giving anything away here because the movie is not about the humans; it's about the dogs and one bird. And you can't leave out the bird. The bird is the real star of the movie. His name is Waddlesworth, and he is a MacCaw that does more than just talk -- he converses. The voice is that of Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame). Waddlesworth thinks he's a dog and cannot fly and is the comic relief for the movie, adding asides for our enjoyment.

This film is better than 101 Dalmatians, which in its own right was very good, and both children and adults will enjoy it. It is pure entertainment. My teenager and six-year-old both liked it and said Waddlesworth was their favorite character. This is typical Disney entertainment: Wholesome with just enough adult humor for mom and dad, excitement for the teenagers, and tenderness for the younger ones. Besides, who doesn't like a little puppy? This movie has 102 of them!

Disney has the world's most advanced character lab.

That's what these kinds of movies depend on. What we see are the broad strokes, but what's more interesting are all the little touches that are added based on the science of discovery through tests.

It all revolves around the notion of the wheels of justice. So the mechanical ticks of the character mesh with the John Hughes-like mechanical contraption she gets caught up in at the end. And that mirrors the mechanical way that all this is derived and the mechanical reaction we unwittingly intend for our children to have when watching.

Wish he would have used Molly Ringwald.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

I knew "102 Dalmatians" would become one of my favorite films as soon as it started because it was filled with dogs and was clear plot was very important to those involved. My love for dogs attracted me and my instincts were not as I wasn't disappointed in the result of this movie.

"102 Dalmatians" was simply one of the smartest and funniest films I have seen. One thing that I found interesting was the director's drive and motivation to complete the project without quiting.

Glenn Close has done another incredible job portraying Cruella De Ville. Her performance was so incredible that she made me angry everytime she did something evil to one of the dalmatians; when this happens, you know you have a good actress on your hands.

Kudos to newcomers Ioan Grufford and Alice Evans as they pull off performances, which make them look like veterans. There performances were so great I could mistake them for naturals. These two have a lot to offer and are here to stay.

I'm so glad I saw this film because it allowed me to forget the outside world and let me relax with my popcorn and soda pop. "102 Dalmatians" is such a delightfully light-hearted comedy that will warm your hearts and spur you into action at the same time.

I was involved in this production in 2000, i always remember we were on location in the city under this old station , may have been Mile End , it rained for about two weeks non stop and i alway remember the water coming through the cracks of the station , the scene was the Catwalk , I remember that in between scenes everyone was looking for a warm corner to stay warm , Glenn close was very friendly with all the members around , i got talking to her for about 5-10 mins and she was the most friendliest ,nicest person you can talk to , she is up there as one the the best in dealing with the conditions and people around 10/10 for that ...