Films that make the jump from animation to live action usually struggle to match the quality of their predecessors.  To pull it off takes a keen eye, a truckload of visual flair and enough style to choke a horse.  102 Dalmatians shares the same flaws that befell 1996’s 101 Dalmatians, but since that version had an opening weekend higher than some films ever dream of making ($45 million), nobody at the Mouse House seemed to bother making any changes to the sequel.

The main problem 101 faced was that the dogs don’t talk, like they did in the animated version from 1961.  In fact, the dialogue of the cartoon canines was the best part of that film.  In the newer versions, the films are all about Cruella – as in De Vil (or Devil, if you’re slow on the uptake).  102 seems to feature even more of De Vil than 101 did, but since that version took in over $300 million worldwide, nobody at the Mouse … ergh, you get the point.

The only pooch that returns from the original is Dipstick (son of Perdy and Pongo), who has knocked up his bitch Dottie and, as the film opens, three new pre-marketed puppies are born.  There’s Oddball (born without any spots), Little Dipper (with a black tail like his pop) and Domino (dots on his ears).  Their owner is a pretty parole officer named Chloe (Alice Evans), who faces the unique challenge of handling the case of the recently rehabilitated De Vil, who is played again by Glenn Close.  It seems that in prison, one Dr. Pavlov cured De Vil of her addiction to animal fur, turning her into an out-and-out dog aficionada.

De Vil, of course, lasts only about a third of the film in dog-loving mode.  In a scene that is probably supposed to be funny, she completely wigs out and starts seeing all of London covered in big black spots. The rest of the film concentrates on De Vil’s insatiable lust for Dalmatian puppies so she can finally complete her ultimate canine coat. This time, she’s after 102 dog pelts, as opposed to the original 101, because she wants a hood for the coat.

De Vil gets a sidekick in this film (in addition to her harried butler, played again by Tim McInnerny).  She entices a burly fashion designer named Jean Pierre Le Pelt (Gérard Depardieu) to help create her dream coat.  He adds little to the film other than a funny pronunciation of the word “puppies,” and, at times, he resembles a homosexual WWF star (is there really any other kind?).  The big finale includes a ride through an industrial bakery, but it pales in comparison to the similar scene in Chicken Run.

Chloe gets a love interest, as well.  Ioan Gruffudd (Solomon and Gaenor) plays Kevin, an employee of a local dog shelter and the owner of a funny parrot who thinks he’s a dog (Eric Idle provides the voice).  The parrot is the highlight of the entire film, which isn’t saying much in a picture that features dogs and a crazy dog hunter.

Gruffudd, who did such a great job in the Oscar-nominated Gaenor, is completely wasted here.  Close does the same scenery-chewing thing she did in the first film, and her outfits and wigs are as disturbing as ever.  Newcomer Evans does a pretty good job with the weak material given to her.

102 was directed by Tarzan’s Kevin Lima, and its script was penned by Tarzan scribes Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, along with first-timers Kristen Buckley and Brian Regan.  This many hands in the writing process is never really a good thing (Shakespeare in Love’s Oscar winner Tom Stoppard was rumored to be involved in the project at one point).  The film runs a bit too long to hold the interest of most kids (at least the ones who attended my screening), and it isn’t witty enough to entertain adults who made it past the fourth grade.

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