Movie Review – 101 Dalmatians

As you’ve likely seen advertised in television commercials, one of the greatest animated films of all time ( and I do mean all time, thank you so very much. ) has been released on DVD. 101 Dalmatians has been taken out of the Disney Vault for the first time this decade and is now available on a 2-disc platinum edition!

If you’re not aware, 101 Dalmatians is the story of Pongo and Perdita – Dalmatians, of course, who end up on an adventure to save their pups from psychoticly chic Cruella De Vil, who’s kidnapped them along with all of the other Dalmatian puppies in London – the point of which is to turn them into beautiful things for her to wear. But I’m sure all of that’s old news to you, but if it’s not you can check out a clip of the plot here.

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, I’ve got a copy of the 2-disc set that arrived in the mail today, and I’ve had fun playing with the game and the special features, and watching the film over again. It’s got some adorable stuff on it like a Virtual Dalmatian puppy DVD Rom game ( Think of a Gigapet and now make it big enough to run on your computer and three times as cute ), previously un-released songs that were written for the film, The Making of 101 Dalmatians and a lot more.

Plus you get a lot of neat added technical bonus stuff, like the fact that the entire film’s been digitally restored – and unlike a lot of other DVDs that claim this, you can actually tell they’ve worked their magic on this one.

My favorite extra is, as always, where you get a little peek into the world of Walt himself. Walt’s always been a hero of mine, and coming from a very abusive home as a child, his films ( Especially Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians ) were escapes for me, and I grew to adore them so much that I eventually became slightly obsessed with Disneyland ( Don’t make me whip out my Cast Member pins, lol ). To see Walt talking about his process and his vision in the extras on so many DVDs of the classic Disney films, plus rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, is a big deal to me and it always turns out to be the gem of a DVD for me and it’s definately worth checking the DVDs out just for Walt.

You know how there are some films you love as a kid, and later as an adult even after you’ve grown into an intellegent enough being to realize they royally suck ( Teen Witch )? Well, 101 Dalmatians is one of those films that you love as a kid, then you go back and watch it when you’re my age and say, “You know what? This is even better than I remember it.” – I don’t think there’s anything more to say on the subject, do you?

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