Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Get ready for a howling good time as an all new assortment of irresistible animal heroes are unleashed in this great family tail! In an unlikely alliance, the outrageous Waddlesworth - a parrot who thinks he's a Rottweiler - teams up with Oddball - an un-marked Dalmatian puppy eager to earn her spots! Together they embark on a laugh-packed quest to outwit the ever-scheming Cruella De Vil.
102 Dalmatians is a largely formulaic sequel to the 1996 live-action remake, recycling the same Cruella-scheming-after-puppies premise with few fresh ideas. The plot is thin and predictable, relying on slapstick and animal antics rather than story depth. Glenn Close chews the scenery as Cruella again but the supporting cast is unremarkable. The London production design and cinematography are competent for a family film of the era but nothing distinctive. Novelty is low given it retreads very familiar territory. The ending wraps up tidily but without any particular surprise or emotional resonance.