REVIEWS 102 Dalmatians Mike Goodridge IN LOS ANGELES

Dir: Kevin Lima. US. 2000. 100min. Prod co: Walt Disney Pictures. Worldwide dist: Buena Vista/BVI. Prod: Edward S Feldman. Scr: Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker, A/on/' White, from a story by Buckley, Regan and the novel The One Hundred And One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. DoP: Adrian Biddle. Prod des: Assheton Gorton. Ed: Gregory Perler. Music: David Newman. Main cast: Glenn Close, laon Gruffudd, Alice Evans, Tim Mclnnerny, Gerard Depardieu, Ian Richardson, Timothy West, Jim Carter. Walt Disney Pictures has blazed the trail in the area of brilliant animated movies that can be enjoyed by children as well as the accompanying parents (the Toy Story movies, Tarzan, Aladdin), but its live-action films traditionally have failed to duplicate that magic. 102 Dalmatians, for example, is so dumb- ed down not only from the 1961 animated classic but even wards dogs in the first movie, but is let out on probation from the charmless 1996 live-action version, that it will delight thanks to a new therapy that has made her love dogs JHer pro- only the youngest of children. bation officer (Evans) owns several dalmatians and is highly That is where marketing comes in, and Disney's lavish suspicious of Cruella's investment in a dilapidated dogs' home campaign for this lame sequel-cum-remake should — unde- run by a kindly dog lover (Gruffudd). servedly — score a resounding hit at the box office worldwide. Of course, De Vil's new leaf does not last for long. She Families will flock to see the continuing adventures of Cruel- is soon up to her old tricks; stealing dalmatians to make her la De Vil, drawn by the hype and the unfulfilled promise of a perfect fur coat and enlisting French furrier (Depardieu) to fun-filled holiday adventure. help her do the job. Meanwhile Evans and Gruffudd are on The 1996 film took $180m in international markets and her tail. $136m in North America and 102 Dalmatians, although it Close is alarmingly over the top as Cruella, Depardieu thoroughly tarnishes the 101 Dalmatians brand, might come is singularly unfunny as the Frenchman and Evans and close. Let's hope some more invention and class goes into 103. Gruffudd are sickeningly squeaky-clean. At least the dogs Cruella (Close) has been imprisoned for her atrocities to- are cute.