| | | Walt Disney's Original Classic! Features: Platinum Series, DVD, Aspect Ratio 1.33:1, Spanish, French, Dubbed & Subtitled 101 Dalmatians has charmed audiences for generations with its irresistible tail-wagging stars, memorable story and wonderful blend of humor and adventure. Now, with spectacular new bonus features including a "Virtual Dalmatians" game, 101 Pop-Up Trivia Facts and all new digital restoration, this beloved animated masterpiece shines like never before in a special 2-disc Platinum Edition.Cruella De Vil, Disney's most outrageous villain, sets the fur-raising adventure in motion when she dognaps all of the Dalmatian puppies in London -- including 15 from Pongo and Perdita's family. Through the power of the "Twilight Bark," Pongo leads a heroic cast of animal characters on a dramatic quest to rescue them all in a story the whole family will enjoy again and again. "Grand Disney animated film that doesn't have a bad spot in it." Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland "Disney doggie classic is spot-on entertainment for kids." James Rocchi, NetFlix "No offence to Glenn Close, but nothing quite compares with the original Cruella DeVille." Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium "One of Disney's last true classics." Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com "As one of many delightful little aspects of the film, notice how the owners and their dogs look so much alike." Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
 Editor's Note
 When the wicked Cruella de Vil and her henchmen kidnap dalmatian puppies for their cherished spotted fur, it is up to the puppies' parents, Pongo and Perdita, and some brave farm animals, to free the caged canines. Though 101 DALMATIANS has fewer songs than many of its animated brethren, the essential musical number "Cruella de Vil" is as much fun as any 10 tracks. Based on the book by Dodie Smith, this Walt Disney animated classic spawned the 1996 live-action remake, as well as a sequel called 101 DALMATIANS II: PATCH'S LONDON ADVENTURE.
 Plot Summary
 When the wicked Cruella and her henchmen kidnap dalmatian puppies for their cherished spotted fur, it is up to the puppies' parents, Pongo and Perdita, and some brave farm animals, to free the caged canines.
| Features | One Hundred & One Dalmatians Fun With Language Games |  | All-New Cruella De Vil Music Video |  | All-New Digital Restoration With Enhanced Picture & Sound |  | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Mono |  | Audio: French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound |  | Deleted Songs |  | Dubbed: French, Spanish |  | Featurettes: Redefining The Line - The Making Of One Hundred & One Dalmatians, & Cruella De Vil - Drawn To Be Bad - Discover The Inspiration Behind Disney's Most Outrageous Villain |  | Interactive Game: Virtual Dalmatians - Over 101 Possibilities! Adopt, Train & Care For Your Very Own Puppy |  | Interactive Menus |  | Pop-Up Trivia Tracks: As You Watch The Movie, Discover Over 101 Things You Never Knew |  | Scene Selection |  | Subtitles: French, Spanish |
| Technical Info
| Release Information
|  | Studio: Buena Vista |
 | Release Date: 3/4/2008 |
 | Running Time: 79 minutes |
 | Original Release Date: 1961 |  | Catalog ID: 5439403 |  | UPC: 00786936735413 |  | Number of Discs: 2 | Audio & Video
|  | Original Language: English |  | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed |  | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish |  | Video: Color | Aspect Ratio |  | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Ben Wright - Voice Of |  | Betty Lou Gerson - Voice Of |  | Bill Peet - Screenplay |  | Cate Bauer - Voice Of |  | Clyde Geronimi, et. al. - Director |  | Dodie Smith - Based On Novel By |  | Donald Halliday - Editor |  | George Bruns - Original Music By |  | Ken Anderson - Art Director |  | Ken Anderson - Production Designer |  | Rod Taylor - Voice Of |  | Roy M. Brewer, Jr. - Editor |  | Walt Disney - Producer |
| Awards | Winner (1962) |  | British Academy Awards, 101 Dalmatians, Best Animated Film | | British Academy Awards (1962) |  | 101 Dalmatians, Winner, Best Animated Film |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times "...An enjoyable G-rated children's film with a cheery, innocent spirit and a meanie to remember..." 07/12/1991 p.C8USA Today "...[A] charmer..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 04/10/1992 p.3D Sight and Sound "...Undoubtedly one of the studio's most endearing and enduring films, DALMATIANS is as witty and fresh today as it was 25 years ago..." 04/01/1995 p.55 Los Angeles Times "...The film remains fresh, funny and thoroughly entertaining..." 07/12/1991 p.F12 Entertainment Weekly "Here, it's the humans who provide most of the slapstick, and the dogs who provide the grace." -- Grade: A 03/07/2008 p.75 Empire 5 stars out of 5 -- "Its storytelling is flawless, its animation staggering and, in Cruella DeVil, it boasts the greatest Disney villain bar none. Spotless." 04/01/2008 p.154 Variety 8 of 10 While not as indelibly enchanting or inspired as some of the studio's most unforgettable animated endeavors, this is nonetheless a painstaking creative effort. There are some adults for whom 101 - count 'em - dalmatians is about 101 dalmatians too many, but even the most hardened, dogmatic pooch-detester is likely to be amused by several passages in this story...Bill Peet's screen yarn, based on the book by Dodie Smith, is set in London and concerned with the efforts of Blighty's four-legged population to rescue 99 dognapped pups from the clutches of one Cruella De Ville, a chic up-to-date personification of the classic witch. The concerted effort is successful thanks to a canine sleuthing network ('Twilight Bark') that makes Scotland Yard an amateur outfit by comparison...Film purportedly is the $4 million end product of three years of work by some 300 artists. It benefits from the vocal versatility of a huge roster of 'voice' talents, including Rod Taylor, J. Pat O'Malley and Betty Lou Gerson. There are three songs by Mel Leven, best and most prominent of which is 'Cruella De Ville'. Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10 All of Walt Disney's animated films have his signature on them, but "101 Dalmatians" (1961) was one of the last to be made under his personal supervision. Seen 30 years later in a national re-release, it's an uneven film, with moments of inspiration in a fairly conventional tale of kidnapping and rescue. This is not one of the great Disney classics - it's not in the same league with "Snow White" or "Pinocchio" - but it's passable fun, and will entertain its target family audiences...One sequence stands out from the others, as the puppies line up in front of the TV set to watch their favorite show, starring a brave dog. The interplay between the show and the pups is clever, and the TV show itself functions as a little added attraction; this is the first feature with the cartoon built in...If there's one thing that's absolutely first-rate about the film, it's the character of Cruella, with a voice by Betty Lou Gerson, who achieves almost operatic effects with her sudden entrances and exits, accompanied by clouds of yellow cigarette smoke. She's in a league with the Wicked Stepmother and the other great Disney villainesses - but the rest of the movie is more ordinary. - Roger Ebert
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