101 Dalmatians II : Patch's London Adventure - Patch's London Adventure

Animation, Comedy, Family

Barry Bostwick (Voice)
Jason Alexander (Voice)
Barry Bostwick	Thunderbolt (voice)
Jason Alexander	Lightning (voice)
Martin Short	Lars (voice)
Bobby Lockwood	Patch (voice)
Susan Blakeslee	Cruella de Vil (voice)
Samuel West	Pongo (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	Horace (voice)
Jeff Bennett	Jasper (voice)
Jodi Benson	Anita (voice)
Tim Bentinck	Roger (voice)

Director	Jim Kammerud; Brian Smith
Producer	Carolyn Bates; Leslie Hough
Writer	Garrett K. Schiff; Jim Kammerud

Disney has had a rather chequered history over recent years, releasing a series of pointless sequels to classic original films; however, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure is more than worthy of attention. Picking up largely where the first cartoon left off, all the familiar characters are present and correct, from the loveable puppies to Cruella De Vil, surely one of the great villainesses of all time. The most noticeable feature of the film is the superb animation, hand drawn and totally in keeping with the style of the original movie. In an era when computer-generated images are so dominant, this gives 101 Dalmatians II a feel that is both fresh and classic at the same time.

The story, too, is pure Disney--a tale of one puppy's efforts to find his own identity and calling--but it has a fair smattering of the wisecracks that have characterised more modern successes such as Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. The character voiceovers are noticeably short on big-name stars, but that at least ensures that the English accents are actually English and not some misplaced American interpretation. They may have missed the target on more than one occasion recently, but with 101 Dalmatians II Disney has got considerably closer to hitting the bull's-eye.

On the DVD: 101 Dalmatians II is an excellent DVD package and has plenty to keep the kids amused. The behind-the-scenes documentary is presented in a bright and breezy style ("this is Bob, he's an animator") and there is an excellent, educational interactive game. While Gareth Gates contributed to Lilo & Stitch, Will Young is the musical attraction here with a decidedly average and surprisingly low-budget video. The hand-drawn animation looks splendid on the digital format with its rich colours and depth and the soundtrack is suitably vibrant. --Phil Udell