Will the fans ever learn to spell "Dalmatian" ?

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2006)

It's more than 30 years later, and "dalmations" are still the order of the day. The turn of the century brought us several sequels, both animated and live action, but none are as good as the original or even have the right "feel."
Now, this film is not perfect, as the first half is pure gold, but it gets tedious beyond that. The animation is classic and fluid with nicely stylized dogs, even if it's a sketchy in places, and at times you can see the same puppy with the same spots running across the screen over and over. It's also a clashy film in that it has childlike themes (cute puppies, lots of slapstick with the barnyard animals) alongside mature themes (animal slaughter, marital relations, a truly evil villain), so it lacks a certain consistency.
The first half is all wonderfully written and sure to please any adult or child: Pongo trying to find a mate for Roger, the cruelty of Cruella, the birth of the puppies, and especially the charming family scenes like when the dalmatians are watching TV. ("Why Patch, where did you ever hear such talk? Certainly not from your mother...") As long as Pongo and Perdita are around, the story stays nicely grounded, and it is lovely entertainment of a type we seldom see anymore. This isn't the modern "Joke Every 2 Minutes" animated film; it's pure storytelling with all sorts of clever detail that never gets old.
But then we get to the antics of the animals in the barn, the madcap car chases and the constant scenes of puppies running away, and it loses most of its appeal. Scattered in there are a few good moments (like when the puppies are slipping on the ice), but it's mostly downhill because that adult feel from the beginning is gone.
I give this a 6/10 because it's great fun up until the puppies are kidnapped. The design of the dogs is so cute, as is the way they interact and fall in love without being "too human." It's also good to see a villain with some grit; this is from a time when family entertainment was much broader and could appeal to anyone, unlike the dumbed-down fare of today.
Overall, a must see just for the experience, but subsequent viewings need only the first half.