102 Dalmatians *** (2000, Glenn Close, Gérard Depardieu, Ioan Gruffudd) – Classic Movie Review 2225

Director Kevin Lima’s 2000 slapstick Disney live-action comedy is a quite cute and reasonably funny sequel to the 1996 hit, a remake of the 1961 classic animated feature, based on the novel by Dodie Smith. Unfortunately, though, it’s a case of more Dalmatians, more Cruella, but less fun. It’s Lima’s live-action directorial debut, after A Goofy Movie and Tarzan. He also directed the 2007 Enchanted.

Glenn Close makes a welcome return as the iconic villainess Cruella De Vil, out of jail after three years and apparently cured by therapy of her penchant for puppy-fur coats. That is, until Big Ben’s chimes send her back round the twist and she’s back trying to steal puppies for her grandest fur coat yet. With a spotty script by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, Disney’s daffy comedy adventure is even sillier and less surprising than before. But again it’s still quite a lot of fast and fur-ious fun, though noticeably less than before.

This time there is a virtually entirely new cast, but Tim McInnerny returns as Alonzo, Cruella’s long-suffering butler, who she starts by mending her working relationship with. Close and McInnerny are the only actors to return for the sequel. Unfortunately, Gérard Depardieu is a bore as Monsieur Jean-Pierre Le Pelt, a mad fashion designer Cruella gets involved with.

Also in the classy cast are Ioan Gruffudd as Kevin Sheperd, the owner of the financially troubled Second Chance Dog shelter, Alice Evans as Cruella’s probation officer Chloe Simon, Ben Crompton, Carol MacReady, Ian Richardson, Jim Carter, Ron Cook, Timothy West, David Horovitch, Dick Brannick and Mike Hayley. Eric Idle provides the voice of the talking parrot Waddlesworth.

The film survived poor reviews to do quite well at the box office, earning $67million in the US and $116million overseas, for a total of $183million worldwide. But that was well down on 101 Dalmatians, which earned $136million in the United States with a total of $314million worldwide. And it had a high cost of $85million.

Oxford Prison is used for the scene as Cruella walked out of prison, and there’s filming at various London locations, including St Pancras Station, but 102 Dalmatians is also filmed partly in Paris.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design but lost to Gladiator.

Gruffudd married his co-star Evans on 14 September 2007 and they have two children.

In 2015 a live-action Cruella de Vil film is in development by Disney.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2225

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A customised Panther De Ville driven by Cruella de Vil in the film.