Welcome to the Galactic Theater, where we'll explore the works of master manipulators of light waves, examine the themes brought to play, and critique the final products of months of hard work.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Movie adaptations of novels are nothing new. Some books have been made into movies countless times. It's the quality of the movies that sets them apart from the rest. One thing you can count on: Disney will always turn out quality movies, and the live-action remake of 101 Dalmations is no exception.
You may think from the title that this is a children's movie. I disagree. There are scenes involved that can be frightening, humorous moments that only an adult would truly comprehend, and issues at play that require a mature understanding of the movie's depcitions of them. What would you think if you were a child watching a rich woman kidnapping puppies and planning to make them into fur coats? Do you think you would understand what was really going on with the news item about the skinned white tiger or when it turned up in Cruella de Vil's possession? I don't think so.
Glenn Close looks quite...impressive with her black-and-white hair and her furs. Her turn as Cruella de Vil adds dimension to the character that animation simply cannot do. After all, it isn't the easiest thing to imbue a mere drawing with the gradual turning of emotion. Close allows the audience to see her feelings run the gamut from reason to impatience to frustration to anger. She also adds a degree of snobbery that comes across as natural and a level of self-possession that never deserts.
Jeff Daniels does a splendid job in his turn as Roger, allowing the audience to see both a slightly...er...silly man as well as a devoted husband and dog-owner. Especially memorable is his scene when he stands up to a Cruella determined to purchase the puppies. I will say, however, that there were some moments that seemed forced. The anxious parenting scene when Perdita's giving birth seemed to strain the levels of credibility. The "I wonder" moment was especially lacking in believability, because it isn't really clear what it is he's wondering about. In the book it's known that he's remembering something that might help. The audience has no way of knowing, which makes the scene less than perfect. I can't really be helped, though.
In the animated movie, the dogs could talk. Not so in the live-action version, for which I am extremely glad. Seeing the village dog's elaborate demonstration was really something, as was all the emotion and communication the animals managed to establish simply by their behavior. It says a lot of the trainers' expertise and the animals' capabilities when they can do so much.
The modernization of the plot was to be expected, I suppose, but a computer game designer? Well, I guess that's as "iffy" a profession as being a song-writer. Still, the graphics of the games seemed almost...animated? Like they were obviously drawn in and not really programmed. Maybe I'm mistaken in that. Still, even the best of my own games don't have quite so vibrant graphics. Oh, they're good and all, but they don't seem so bright and as seamless as in the movie. Again, maybe I'm wrong.
I can't say much more about the movie, except that I really enjoyed it. There are the humorous moments and the heart-wrenching moments and the heart-pounding moments, but these all work to create a tremendous movie that, however strangely, relies on the acting capabilities of actors who have very few voice parts. I'm talking about the animals, of course. The human actors did what they could, but the show really rests in the hands of the dogs, horses, birds, squirrels, racoons, etc. Check it out and see what I mean!
You can purchase 101 Dalmatians on videotape at just about any video store and, since it's a presentation of Walt Disney Pictures, any Disney Store as well.
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the link to order the VHS version or the DVD version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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