Disney Movie Challenge Bonus: 101 Dalmatians (1996)

 Disney Movie Challenge Bonus

101 Dalmatians (1996)

Before it became a thing in the 2010's the first Disney Live Action adaptation of an animated film was 101 Dalmatians in 1996.  It was a huge hit that year ranking number 7 at the box office for the year even beating the Animated Disney Film that year The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

The film updates a few of the aspects of the animated film.  In this one Roger is a video game designer not a musician and the relationship between Anita and Cruella is explained better.  In this one Cruella is Anita’s boss as a fashion designer. The rest of the film is pretty similar to the animated film.  Pongo is the one that gets Roger to meet Anita. Pongo and Perdita have 15 puppies. The puppies get dognapped by Cruella’s henchmen and taken to a rundown house with 84 other puppies.  Pongo and Perdita use the twilight bark to find them and rescue them.  Anita and Roger adopt all the puppies for a total of 101 Dalmatians.  Of course the biggest difference is that the dogs don’t talk in this one.  

This movie has everything you want from an adaptation of an animated film without having the animals talk.  It keeps the cartoonish slapstick comedy, over the top villain, and a whole lotta family fun.  The highlight of the film is of course Glenn Close as Cruella De’Vil. She just looks like she is having the time of her life being evil (she even got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy). The rest of the cast is perfect also. Jeff Daniels as Roger, balances the slapstick with being charming perfectly.  Joely Richardson and Joan Plowright are great as Anita and Nanny. And it’s fun to see a pre-House Hugh Laurie just getting knocked around by animals. 

The biggest disappointment from the original is that Pongo and Purdita don’t have a bigger role in the rescue and the police due. Some of the charm of the animated film comes from the dogs being able to do what the humans can’t. But all the animals get a time to shine and watching Glenn Close get beaten by farm animals is fun. 

Overall: A fun adaptation that is able to show dogs communicating without making them talking dogs. The movie is perfectly cast with Glenn Close being the standout. Best line in the film “You may have won the battle but I won the wardrobe”