101 Dalmations - A Movie Review

Who let the dogs out?

101 Dalmations is a 1996 Disney live-action film. Roger and Anita’s dalmatian puppies are stolen by an evil high-fashion designer who plots to make an extravagant fur coat. Pongo and Perdita seek vengeance and go after the perpetrators while teaming up with several animals.

I always feel a wave of nostalgia when I re-watch Disney movies. Disney needs to go back and watch this live-action movie for what these current live-action films are missing now: heart and creativity. 101 Dalmations is a fun adventure with four-legged dogs.

101 Dalmations is crawling with dogs. I suppose you can imagine that over hundreds of dalmatian puppies had to be trained for the making of this movie. Puppies only stay small for so long. The dogs are well-behaved and have alert responses. This film is another great example that you don’t need a CGI-speaking dog to emote their feelings. Dogs have their own language.

How hasn’t Glenn Close won an Oscar yet? You wouldn’t think she’s acting as the ruthless Cruella DeVille. She has the evil laugh down. Close totally disappears in this wicked role. After reading the script, Close voiced to the writers that they didn’t make her evil enough.

In a humorous behind-the-scenes tale, one of the dogs tried to scamper away when they saw Close in her signature costume. Most of the animal actors were terrified of her. In a complete contrast to her character’s obsession with fur, Close only wore fake fur.

Jeff Daniels and Joely Richardson play Roger and Anita, the owners of Pongo and Perdita, who set their owners up. The pair has funny and sweet interactions. Jeff Daniels is a comedy wizard and always makes me laugh. Roger skyrocketing off his bike in the park made me laugh just like when I was a kid.

One of the reasons why I revisited this film was because of the late Joan Plowright, who passed away earlier this year. Plowright was a humble actress with a lovely personality. The late Plowright stars as the nanny. I cheered when she punched the criminals. That’s impressive defense!

101 Dalmations casts Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams as Cruela’s cronies, Jasper and Horace. You may also know them as Gregory House and Arthur Weasley. More credits include John Shrapnel, Tim McInnerny, Hugh Fraser, and several more furry friends.

I just learned that the late Margery Mason has a small part as the woman sitting on the park bench. Mason had a small (but notable role) in The Princess Bride (1987).

With Disney live-action remakes now, they don’t have fun like this one. All Disney remakes have become carbon copies of their animated predecessor, except this one. Since 101 Dalmations was originally a cartoon, this live-action film blends a lot of cartoonish energy. The whole climax is one cartoonish roller-coaster after another.

Stephen Herek had a lot of jobs during production, especially with keeping track of 250 dalmations - more than the film's title! Herek looked after the dogs, assigning a veterinarian to be on set every day. He gave the film a fun atmosphere. He spoke highly about everyone who worked on the film, but praised the dog actors the most.

Based on the making of the film, 101 Dalmations sounded like it was fun to be a part of. Set designers also had a unique job - making sets at human scale and puppy level.

101 Dalmations was quite popular when it was first released, producing over 17,000 items of merchandise. This is a Disney live-action film to check out, especially for dog lovers.