Movie · 2000 · Family, Comedy · 1h 40m · G · English
Curator score: 0.5/10 (91.3K ratings)
Meet Two Unlikely Heroes With A Bone To Pick.
Overview
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.5/10
IMDb: 4.9/10
Letterboxd: 2.49/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 30%
Metacritic: 35
TMDB: 5.5/10
Director
Kevin Lima
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, Cruella Productions, Kanzaman S.A.M.
Cast
Glenn Close, Gérard Depardieu, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans, Tim McInnerny, Eric Idle, Ben Crompton, Carol MacReady, Ian Richardson, Jim Carter, Ron Cook, Timothy West, David Horovitch, Dick Brannick, Mike Hayley, Nicholas Hutchison, Tim Willcox, June Watson, Tony Bluto, Tessa Vale
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, kid-friendly sequel that survives mostly on Glenn Close’s gleefully unhinged Cruella and a few genuinely funny animal gags. The story is thin and repetitive, but if you want light family chaos, big costumes, and a villain who steals every scene, it can still be entertaining.
Best for
families looking for an easy live-action Disney comedy
viewers who enjoy campy villain performances
kids who like talking-animal antics
fans of colorful early-2000s studio family movies
Skip if
you want a fresh or especially well-written sequel
you dislike broad slapstick and obvious plotting
you’re hoping for the emotional warmth of the first film
you’re sensitive to movies that lean heavily on recycled ideas
Overview
102 Dalmatians is the kind of sequel that knows exactly where its value lies: not in narrative originality, but in giving Glenn Close another runway for Cruella De Vil excess. She is the movie’s engine, turning every scene into a comic threat display, and the costume work helps sell the whole cartoonish spectacle.
Worth noting
Outside of that, the film is a fairly standard family caper with a lot of predictable beats and a thinner emotional core than the first movie. The new human leads are pleasant enough, but they’re mostly there to move the plot from one animal gag to the next.
Bottom line
What keeps it watchable is the sheer commitment to silliness. If you’re in the mood for bright, harmless chaos and don’t mind a sequel that feels assembled from familiar parts, it does the job. If you want sharper writing or a stronger sense of adventure, this is more of a mild diversion than a must-see.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Darren · 438 likes
I think of this film every time I bake a cake.
Dylan (3.5★) · 383 likes
102 Dalmatians works because of:
- Glenn Close - Glenn Close’s extravagant outfits- Glenn Close’s brilliantly dazzling presence - Glenn Close’s iconic line delivery + facial expressions - Glenn Close’s nonstop screaming - Glenn Close gets baked into a cake - Glenn Close’s classic laugh
Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄 (3.5★) · 219 likes
The dogs bake Cruella into a cake🧁🔥! This is ‘Saw’ if it was made by Disney😈!
Pretty fun lil movie😁. Way over-hated. The new lead couple are sweet👩🏼❤️👨🏻, Glenn Close is wonderfully hammy again💅🏻 and there’s EVEN MORE PUPPIES🐶. It’s a rehash of the first one but it’s still a good watch👍.
Also, the dogs have a movie date & watch ‘Lady and the Tramp’. That’s too cute🥺.
Disney Live Action Reimaginings- ranked
•lily• (2★) · 203 likes
6 year old me had the worst taste in film
caitlin 🌙 (5★) · 132 likes
Some of y'all didn't obsessively watch this as a child and it shows #masterpiece