101 Dalmations 2 on DVD

Remember Patch, the pup from Disney’s 1961 101 Dalmations?

Well, we didn’t either, since it’s been since about 1961 that we saw the original movie (gee, we’re old aren’t we?). But this made for video sequel to that Disney animation classic focuses on the little puppy of that name, and in the process weaves an entertaining yarn suitable for people of all ages.

Roger, Anita, and their clan of canines, are getting ready to move from London to the country, where the dawgs will have room to run (and run amok among the other farm animals, much to the chagrin of those other animals) and they’ll be safer from the clutches of that nasty old bag Cruella deVil.

Unfortunately, young Patch (voiced by Bobby Lockwood) - longing for a chance to be someone special rather than just one of a bunch of faceless pups - gets lost in the shuffle of moving and finds himself alone in the big city.

He gets a chance to audition for his favorite TV show, the Thunderbolt Adventure Hour, but it’s a humiliating experience for him and he slinks away, depressed.

But they’ve written in plots within plots, which gives us a chance to see Thunderbolt (Barry Bostwick) looking for a chance to be a real hero (thanks to a nasty sidekick, voiced by Jason Alexander), while Ms. DeVil (Susanne Blakeslee) looks for another opportunity to poke at PETA with a pointy stick at the expense of the spotted dogs she hasn’t spotted for far too long, in her never humble opinion. The other major cast member is Lars (Martin Short), an artiste who paints spots and is recruited by Ms. DeVil to help her in her nefarious scheme.

Rest assured, by the time this DVD’s 70 minutes run out, Patch has helped save the day, restored Thunderbolt’s confidence, and discovered that while he looks just like any other dalmation, he’s actually a discrete individual in his own right. Oh, and Cruella gets her comeuppance again, of course.

A tad predictable, perhaps, but what do you want from such a story? And, to be fair, we ended up enjoying Patch’s adventure more than we thought we would considering that the original was never one of our favorite Disney classics.

Kids will undoubtedly love it, and parents will be entertained as well. And kudos to Disney for assembling a first rate voice cast that includes some legitimate stars.

The animation isn’t up to Disney’s best standards, but it’s fine. Some of the computerization is obvious, for instance with vehicles, but that doesn’t spoil the fun, and the voice performances are top notch.

The DVD is also a good example of the species. Disney has wisely chosen to release it in anamorphic widescreen (16x9 TV compatible), and the image is sharp and clean and the watercolory look comes through very nicely.

For audio, you’re given the unexpected choice (for such a direct to video release) of Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround, and the audio quality is excellent, with pretty good use of the surround channels and good bass when required.

The extras are strictly kiddie fare, but that’s okay. You get a Behind the scenes “Dog-mentary” which shows the production from a dog’s eye view (talk about a “ruff” job!). And there’s a “Lost in London” game where your ankle biters have to guess different landmarks from their description.

“Thunderbolt: An Inside Look” gives a “virtual tour” of the dog star’s (you can’t be Sirius!) dressing room, complete with TV commercials and bloopers. There are also two music videos, and some DVD ROM Weblinks.

In all, a pretty entertaining package.

101 Dalmations II: Patch’s London Adventure, from Walt Disney Home Video
70 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.66:1), 16x9 TV compatible, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround
Starring the voices of Barry Bostwick, Jason Alexander, Martin Short, Bobby Lockwood, Susanne Blakeslee
Produced by Carolyn Bates, Leslie Hough
Written and Directed by Jim Kammerud & Brian Smith

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