Movie · 1996 · Family, Comedy · 1h 43m · G · English
Curator score: 1.5/10 (317.2K ratings)
So many dogs. So little time.
Overview
An evil, high-fashion designer plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.5/10
IMDb: 5.8/10
Letterboxd: 2.92/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 40%
Metacritic: 50
TMDB: 5.9/10
Director
Stephen Herek
Production
Great Oaks Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, Wizzer Productions
Cast
Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright, Hugh Laurie, Mark Williams, John Shrapnel, Tim McInnerny, Hugh Fraser, Zohren Weiss, Mark Haddigan, Michael Percival, Neville Phillips, John Evans, Hilda Braid, Margery Mason, John Benfield, Andrew Readman, John Peters, Bill Stewart
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, kid-friendly live-action remake that lives or dies on Glenn Close’s gloriously unhinged Cruella. The movie is uneven and often noisy, but its physical comedy, production design, and puppy chaos give it enough charm to work as a light family watch.
Best for
fans of campy villain performances
families looking for a breezy 90s Disney comedy
viewers who enjoy broad slapstick and animal antics
people curious about a surprisingly committed Glenn Close turn
Skip if
you want the animated original’s energy and wit
barking animals and chaos quickly become grating for you
you prefer sharper family comedies with stronger storytelling
you dislike very broad, cartoonish performances
Overview
This remake is less about narrative finesse than about giving Glenn Close a runway to devour the screen. As Cruella, she turns a simple children’s story into a camp spectacle, and that’s the main reason the film still has a pulse. The movie understands that its villain is the attraction, and it leans into that with big gestures, loud comedy, and a fashion-forward sense of menace.
Worth noting
Outside of Close, the film is more competent than inspired. The human romance is serviceable, the plotting is thin, and the animal mayhem can feel repetitive, but the production has a cheerful, old-school studio polish that keeps it watchable. It plays like a live-action cartoon with a stronger sense of physical comedy than many later Disney remakes.
Bottom line
If you’re in the mood for something silly, glossy, and mildly chaotic, it delivers. If you want emotional depth or a remake that meaningfully reimagines the original, this is not that movie. It’s best appreciated as a showcase for one of the great over-the-top villain performances of the 1990s.
Too much barking! Shut the fuck up with that shit!
vi (4★) · 482 likes
waiting for the 2017 remake starring bianca del rio as cruella de vil
Dylan (4★) · 421 likes
Why Glenn Close should have won an Oscar for her brilliant turn as Cruella De Vil:
You may forget what happened in this film, but there is one thing you will never forget: Glenn Close's performance. Close uses a menacing laugh, over-the-top line delivery, and a fiery demeanor to bring Cruella's genuine, cruel nature to life in a dramatically subversive way. Her ferocity in front of the camera makes her character obtrusive, self-absorbed, arrogant, delightfully nasty, and yet incredibly hilarious… more
\milo (4★) · 323 likes
Gay people love Cruella De Vil as much as white people love Starbucks
Film Cult first pick
1996 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 59m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (359.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A camp-forward comedy built around performance, style, and outsized character work.