102 DalmatiansMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 35 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
6 OK for kids 6+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Boston Globe | Jay Carr

    It is Close's performance that gives the movie its oomph and will leave adults with smiles as wide as the kids'. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    In every kids' picture, there are going to be sections that only kids will enjoy. Fortunately, 102 Dalmatians has enough for the adults, too. Read full review

  • 63
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Desmond Ryan

    The film, which is amiable, undemanding family holiday entertainment, is more a tribute to the astonishing skills of the dog trainers than anything else. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Susan Wloszczyna

    Though 102 Dalmatians digs up little new ground and muzzles its villain, it does have a fetching sense of functional fun now and then. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Doesn't really seem necessary. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    A pale reworking of its predecessor. Read full review

  • 33
    Entertainment Weekly |

    This sequel adds more insults and injuries that could traumatize little ones. Most frightening of all, the ending leaves the door open for ''103 Dalmatians,'' which would certainly constitute Cruella and unusual punishment. Read full review

  • 30
    The New York Times | Dana Stevens

    May have had the unintended effect of obscuring the original it meant to honor. Read full review

  • 30
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Thomas

    You can't help but feel that Disney has delivered a turkey for Thanksgiving. Read full review

  • 10
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    So dull and formulaic, it ought to be leashed and led directly to the doghouse. Read full review

View more reviews for 102 Dalmatians on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 6+ Sequel better than first live-action Dalmatians movie.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that 102 Dalmatians is the sequel to the live-action 101 Dalmatians released in 2000, and it has a good many scenes of comic jeopardy to both dogs and humans. Kids who are comfortable with larger-than-life danger, cackling villains, and puppies being stuffed into burlap bags (all accompanied by suspenseful music) should have no problem discerning that nothing is real. But for younger or more sensitive little ones, it could be scary. The central story involves Cruella De Vil's attempts to dognap puppies, kill them, and make a fur coat out of their pelts. She’s an iconic villain and there's no end to the absurd mayhem she and her partners-in-crime cause. A few scenes show Cruella smoking; she proposes a toast with a silver goblet; celebratory champagne is poured on another occasion.
  • Families can talk about how this movie compares to the first live action Dalmatians film as well as to the animated 101 Dalmatians. Which one is best? Which one is funniest?
  • Kevin explains that he was arrested once for kidnapping dogs from a laboratory, and families may want to discuss how people sometimes decide to break rules to defend values they feel are important.
  • Why does the dog Oddball feel bad about not having spots?
The good stuff
  • educationalvalue true0 Educational value: Intended to entertain rather than inform. One lengthy action sequence takes place in a bakery production facility and behind the pratfalls and chaos, offers glimpses of the baking process on a massive scale. A few English and French landmarks are seen and identified.
  • message true1 Positive messages: Actions speak louder than words -- just bragging about having learned a lesson is worthless unless behavior backs up the pronouncements. Be careful with trust; it's a precious gift and not to be given carelessly. There is a distinctly negative view of furriers and the fur trade.
  • rolemodels true3 Positive role models: The heroine and hero are always admirable -- upstanding, charitable, honest, and brave. The villains are vicious, amoral, and greedy – evil on a grand scale. One is an accident-prone fellow who stutters and ultimately is repentant.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence and scariness: Almost nonstop exaggerated, cartoon-style action. Puppies, as well as adult dogs, are frequently on the brink of disaster: falling from high places, jumping onto a moving train, threatened with knives, carried away on balloons, etc. Humans are crushed, pummeled, drowned in cake batter, sent into a fiery oven, bitten by dogs, run over, thrown through windows, fall into a toilet, and more. Villains shriek, cackle, grimace, and threaten, with their scary faces often seen in close-up.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: One shot of a model in a fur bikini. A young couple falls in love, share a few chaste kisses.
  • language false1 Language: Lots of insults like "idiot," and "bird-brain." One use of "hell."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Scenes are set on The Orient Express. There are multiple Disney trailers on the DVD, including an invitation to join a Disney rewards program.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Cruella uses her dramatic cigarette holder and smokes in several scenes. There is a toast, and champagne is poured.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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