Cheap 101 Dalmatians (Widescreen) & 102 Dalmatians (Full Screen) - 2 Pack (DVD) (Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels) (Stephen Herek) Price

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Customer Reviews of 101 Dalmatians (Widescreen) & 102 Dalmatians (Full Screen) - 2 Pack

Making Cruella (or more precisely, Glenn Close) the star of the remake suited Disney and moviegoers just fine, but I think her casting tips the balance of the story toward spectacle. The improved animation with CGI tips it even further, although it's hard to fault the production for using the best modern tech. I guess it's all part and parcel of trying to make a twentysomething film palatable to a modern audience. In my opinion, the original film has less visual dazzle but a lot more character as a whole.

As for buying this twofer instead of just one of the films...it's completely a matter of personal tastes. If Glenn Close was one of your biggest reasons for enjoying 101 Dalmations, the sequel is probably a must-view. The movie is almost entirely hers, as Cruella is given the lion's share of characterization and screen time. The supporting cast is affably anonymous, with the exception of Gerard Depardieu, who must have sold his soul to Disney to get stuck in such an apalling role. (Gratuitous humiliation: Gerard's Van Pelt winds up face-first in a toilet.) If you found yourself slightly disappointed by aspects of the 101 remake (like the fact that the dogs didn't talk any more), the sequel isn't likely to improve your opinion (even though you'll get a talking cockatiel with the voice of Monty Python's Terry Gilliam).

This DVD set has the usual Disney extras, at least for modern releases, so you can expect subtitles, some "making of" docu-footage and (drumroll please)... a garsh-honest DELETED SCENE from 102. (In it, Cruella is released from prison...but don't blink 'cause it's a short segment.) Put these bonuses together with the features and you have, IMO, a little four star bundle of entertainment to enjoy. (My personal rating for this package is about 3 stars, but I've adjusted my final rating to reflect the belief that most young kids will love these films in all their live-action spectacle.)

J

Dalmatian Serration (attempted)
The saga of 101 spotted pups abducted by a omnivorous fashion maven after their pelts. In classic Disney fashion, exquisite animation, infectious music, endearing characters, and a gory storyline are melded into a truly hypnotic tale. This movie operates on a deep personal level for me as arch-villainess Cruella De Vil is almost certainly based upon my ex-wife. Not only is her lust for the epidermi of adorable animals eerily familiar, but the physical resemblance between the two is striking - particularly since my ex started going gray in the mid-1980's. My four-year-old twins (from a second marriage, their genes therefore untainted by Cruella's doppelganger) arrived at this conclusion with absolutely no prompting from me. The first time De Vil flounced onto the screen they both squealed "Daddy look - it's Auntie Sheatan!" (i.e. the name I encourage them to call her, Sheatan being Arabic for the man with the horns and the cape). Whatever your own personal experiences with De Vil or her look-alikes, you and your children will delight in this vengeful tale of her deserved comeuppance.

My kids loved this one.
Purchased at first oportunity, this was a heavily watched movie by kids when they were pre-kindergarten. They are older now, and still watch it occasionally.. the true test of a kids movie don't you think?!