Can 102 adorable Dalmatian puppies make up for an unoriginal story line, predictable plot development, shallow performances and bad puns? Not quite. Yet "102 Dalmatians," the sequel to the 1996 remake of the animated classic, tries to prove that they can.
"Dalmatians" varies little from the original plot of "101." A reformed Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close) leaves jail at the end of her sentence, but not surprisingly, her reformation doesn't last long and she once again sets out to make her Dalmatian coat. The only twist comes when she decides to add a hood to her creation and therefore requires one more puppy, bringing her total to 102. To aid her in her endeavor, Cruella enlists the help of fashion designer Jean Pierre Le Pelt (Gerard Depardieu) and her trusty, but rather incompetent, butler Alonso (Tim McInnerny).
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Cruella's probation officer, Chloe Simon (Alice Evans), and Second Chance Dog Shelter owner Kevin Shepherd (Ioan Gruffudd), with the help of a few good dogs and a rascally Macaw named Waddlesworth (voiced by Eric Idle), set out to foil Cruella's plan.
In portraying the wildly insane Cruella, Close makes evil and cunning believable. Her wicked laugh and dramatic fits show that she relishes playing a detestable character. Cruella, incidentally, is also the best-dressed character. Her costumes, with an eccentric wardrobe and equally extravagant accessories truly are stunning.
Unfortunately, Close's performance is the only one by a human that was even somewhat inspired, although the actors are not necessarily to blame. The screenplay, written by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, left little room for character development, resulting in dull, one-dimensional parts.
The roles of Kevin and Chloe are awkward and flat, as is the romance that expectedly develops between the two protagonists. Their characters seem to take away from the main attraction of the movie - the dogs - more than they contribute.
But Depardieu certainly could have done more with Le Pelt. His disinterest in the role seems to mirror that of Le Pelt's hesitant dedication to Cruella. Depardieu lacks any emotional commitment to Le Pelt's wild fits and evil ways.
One of the oddest points of the movie comes when Chloe bursts through a door to free herself from Cruella's capture just as Cruella's own pup works to free Chloe. Chloe trips and falls down a short set of steps and is seemingly left unconscious. "Dalmatians" goes from humorous to frighteningly sad in less than 30 seconds, leaving viewers unsure of how to interpret events.
Given the weakness of the writing and the rather lacking human performances, "Dalmatians" would have been more successful if it had focused more on its intended stars: the dogs. This does not include only Chloe's five Dalmatians, but the wide variety who call Second Chance Dog Shelter their home.
The dogs were simply fantastic. Well trained and strategically used, they are the true heroes of the movie.
Ironically though, the lead animal in "Dalmatians" is no dog, but the Macaw, Waddlesworth. Waddlesworth, who refuses to fly because he is convinced that he is a dog, is the one truly well-written character of the movie. He also solves the pesky problem of focusing on characters in a live-action film who can't speak. He serves, though rather awkwardly, as the dogs' interpreter.
In his live-action directorial debut, Kevin Lima falls short of success with "Dalmatians." The dogs and Macaw were great. Not much else was.
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