101 Dalmatians

G

Released Nov 27, 1996

1 hr. 43 min.

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

TRAILER

for 101 Dalmatians: Trailer 1

List

39%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Fashion designer Anita and computer-game writer Roger meet, fall in love and marry along with their dalmatians Perdita and Pongo. The dogs' puppies are kidnapped by Anita's boss Cruella De Vil, who is stealing young dalmatians to make the coat she has set her heart on. Pongo and Perdita set out to find and rescue all ninety-nine pups from their fearsome captors.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Apr 24

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Disney+

Apple TV

Watch 101 Dalmatians with a subscription on Disney+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Neat performance from Glenn Close aside, 101 Dalmatians is a bland, pointless remake.

Read Critics Reviews

Caleb J

Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil is iconic. Love Jeff Daniels in this. Honestly, still one of the best live action remakes from Disney.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/24

Full Review

Derek L

Despite Glenn Closes' standout performance that made Cruella de Vil iconic, the live action take of the classic animated 101 Dalmations film seemingly lacked anything magical or charming.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

Adam E

Before Disney went all in remaking its own animated features into live-action blockbusters, we got the occasional attempt at doing just that. One of them was 1996's 101 Dalmatians starring Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson and Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil. Written and produced by John Hughes, this 101 Dalmatians was a significant success at the box-office and prompted a sequel several years later. This first installment follows game developer Roger (Daniels) and fashion designer Anita (Richardson) as they meet and soon get married before their dogs are stolen by the fur-obsessed Cruella De Vil, who is desperate to make a dress out of their 15 puppies. The film plays out like a romantic comedy for its first half and, while not terribly ground-breaking, this is done pretty well. Though, Greg and Anita getting engaged the very first day they meet doesn't help make an already rather ludicrous story seem any less so. The dalmatians are as cute as you'd expect and dog lovers should approve of their portrayal, though later CGI shots have not aged well and, in fact, could have easily been excised altogether. The film's second half is essentially just a rescue mission as the dalmatians alert... every animal on the planet, it seems, to help locate and free the stolen puppies. What started as a light yet competent rom-com devolves into Home Alone-style shenanigans as Cruella's silly henchmen (played by Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams) get tricked time and time again by all sorts of critters, leading to various slapstick mishaps. Cruella herself finally joins in and suffers the same fate. Greg and Anita are nowhere to be seen until the last minute and it's almost like the film got bored of them as characters entirely, making 90% of the film's first half feel irrelevant. Glenn Close is fantastic throughout as the show-stealing Cruella De Vil, sporting the most extravagant outfits and haircuts, cackling maniacally and being generally deliciously evil. It's just a shame that such a great character was not given a better and more consistent movie to shine in, and let's not even talk about the even goofier sequel. There are some sweet and funny moments here and there in this retelling of the classic story but this is an uneven and altogether unimpressive effort that starts off well but ends in a complete farce. Kids should enjoy its simplicity and cartoonish zaniness but everyone else might regret not watching the far more charming and memorable animated original instead. Lightweight adaptation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/12/23

Full Review

J K

Glenn Close. The only reason to watch this film. And she is phenomenal.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/06/23

Full Review

Leticia q

This is reality Disney movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

Full Review

Timothy D

It's not magical, but one can respect the updated times in this live-action 101 Dalmatians, and Close puts on a good show. The rest is kind of boring.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Stephen Herek

Director

Glenn Close

Cruella De Vil

Jeff Daniels

Roger Darling

Joely Richardson

Anita Darling

Joan Plowright

Nanny

Hugh Laurie

Jasper

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

56%

44%

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

30%

32%

102 Dalmatians

87%

71%

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

67%

74%

Meet the Robinsons

92%

72%

A Bug's Life

TRAILER

for A Bug's Life

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Disney+ in June 2020

SXSW Promises Vendettas, Betties, Dreamz & Slithers

"Saw" Producer Passes Away

101 Dalmatians: Trailer 1

1:40

View more videos

View more photos

David Ansen

Newsweek

While the adorableness quotient of the new "101" is never in doubt, fans of the original may feel that its wit and charm have been diminished...Cute and broad, this re-make's OK. What I miss--what I'd hoped for--was a tad more sophistication.

Feb 26, 2018

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Nov 6, 2009

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Glenn Close is easily the most notable element of the production, looking the part about as ideally as imaginable.

Rated: 5/10

Sep 9, 2020

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

Brilliant puppy wrangling, seamlessly blended with special effects, and a witty and sophisticated performance by Glenn Close as dazzlingly costumed Cruella DeVil more than compensate for spottier moments.

Jun 6, 2018

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

[Glenn] Close creates an iconic, comically menacing character that lingers in the memory long after the bland nonsense of the film has faded.

Rated: 4/10

Jun 3, 2014

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Fashion designer Anita and computer-game writer Roger meet, fall in love and marry along with their dalmatians Perdita and Pongo. The dogs' puppies are kidnapped by Anita's boss Cruella De Vil, who is stealing young dalmatians to make the coat she has set her heart on. Pongo and Perdita set out to find and rescue all ninety-nine pups from their fearsome captors.

Director: Stephen Herek
Executive Producer: Edward S. Feldman
Screenwriter: Dodie Smith, John Hughes
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures, Great Oaks Entertainment
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 27, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $136.2M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now