102 Dalmatians

102 Dalmatians‘ aggressively kid-friendly sensibilities ultimately ensure that it boasts few attributes designed to appeal to viewers over a certain age, with the end result a surprisingly tedious endeavor that makes its comparatively masterful predecessor look like a filmed adaptation of a Chekov play. The storyline picks up three years after the events of the original and follows Cruella de Vil (Glenn Close) as she emerges from prison a changed woman, although it’s not long before she once again sets her sights on assembling a spotted coat using the hides of dozens of dalmatian puppies. Screenwriters Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker, and Noni White place a consistent emphasis on plot elements that are downright cringe-worthy in their obviousness (eg an entirely needless fake break-up), which only exacerbates the almost uniformly over-the-top bent of the various performances – with Cruella’s upgrade from secondary to central figure resulting in an almost non-stop barrage of mugging from star Close. Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans, cast as the owners of the aforementioned puppies, prove unable to infuse their admittedly bland characters with authentic attributes, while Gerard Depardieu’s shamelessly broad work as vicious fashion designer Jean-Pierre Le Pelt is not quite as amusing as one imagines it’s supposed to be (this is despite his penchant for referring to the myriad of dogs as “poopies.”) By the time the action-packed, egregiously frenetic finale rolls around, 102 Dalmatians has firmly established itself as an utterly desperate piece of work that is sure to turn off even fans of the first film.

*1/2 out of ****