7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Roger and Anita meet cute through their dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita. All is wedded bliss until Anita's old college chum, Cruella DeVil, who has a psychotic obsession with fur, catches sight of Pongo and Perdita's puppies and hatches a plot to steal all the dalmatian pups she can find to make an enormous fur coat. Soon, the puppies have been dognapped and Pongo must lead a heroic cast of animals to rescue the pups before it's too late.
Starring: Rod Taylor, J. Pat O'Malley, Betty Lou Gerson, Martha Wentworth, Ben Wright (I)Family | 100% |
Animation | 86% |
Adventure | 52% |
Comedy | 44% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original)
French: DTS-HD HR 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Bonus View (PiP)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Credit where credit's due. It wasn't breathtaking animation, clever storytelling, filmmaking magic or Walt Disney himself who saved Disney Animation from shuttering its doors in the early 1960s. It was Xerox. After Sleeping Beauty failed to recoup its production budget at the box office in 1959, the situation was dire. Walt Disney began to entertain the notion that animated films were both too costly to produce and no longer the viable crowd pleaser they were when Snow White took audiences by storm in 1937. With the prospect of another animated film dangling in limbo, Walt Disney even considered abandoning animation in favor of traditional live-action pictures. Enter animator and technician Ub Iwerks, a shrewd innovator who came up with a way to slash costs, reduce staff, and keep the studio doors open... for at least one more production. Using a specially modified Xerox copier to transfer artists' drawings directly to the animation cels -- a technique fraught with limitations that was made much more feasible thanks to the hundred-plus black and white protagonists of 101 Dalmatians -- Iwerks whittled the film's production budget down by $2 million, paved the way for Disney's 17th animated feature, and effectively saved Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Without 101 Dalmatians, without Iwerks and his use of Xerox copying (which Walt Disney initially opposed), there might not be a Jungle Book (1967). The Fox and the Hound (1981). The Little Mermaid (1989). Beauty and the Beast (1991). Aladdin (1992). Tarzan (1999). Lilo & Stitch (2002). Tangled (2010). Frozen (2013). Or the forthcoming Big Hero 6 (2014). Without Disney Animation leading the charge, there's no telling where animation would be today, Disney or otherwise.
The Diamond Edition Blu-ray release of 101 Dalmatians features a solid 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Grain has been completely scrubbed from the image, yet again, but anyone bracing for a Sword in the Stone-level fiasco or a Mickey's Christmas Carol-esque nightmare can rest easy. The noise reduction utilized results in a slight uptick in softness, as well as an even slighter blurring of a few fine lines and background elements, but there's little here that calls for objection, much less serious concern. Otherwise, all is as it should be. The film has never been a vividly colored production, with its overcast skies, dusty farmhouses, and snowy streets, and, in that regard, the remastered Diamond Edition presentation doesn't alter the original animators' intentions. Not that it's all black and white gloom and puppy doom. The warm hues of the Radcliffe residence, the flashy pinks, purples and reds of Cruella De Vil's bedroom, fashion accents, and car, and the puppies' dog collars introduce welcome splashes of bright, playful color. Contrast is consistent throughout too, black levels are deep and satisfying, and clarity is decidedly decent (particularly when taking into account the nature of the original line art). Better still, there aren't any significant instances of macroblocking, banding or aliasing. Ultimately, purists will be disappointed to find another Disney classic has been subjected to noise reduction, yet relieved to see the ramifications aren't disastrous. Everyone else will wonder what all the fuss is about, happily declaring that 101 Dalmatians has never looked better than it does here.
101 Dalmatians offers two main audio options, though only one -- Disney's primary DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track -- is lossless. The other, a lossy Dolby Digital presentation of the original mono mix, will still please purists wishing to savor the film as Uncle Walt intended... just not as much as it might have had it been delivered via a second DTS-HD MA track. Ah well, the 21st century marches on. Like previous 7.1 Disney remixes, the 101 Dalmatians audio remaster walks a fine line between reverence and revisionism, but (mostly) maintains its balance. Voices are clean, intelligible and carefully prioritized, with subtle directional effects, a handful of notable low-end crashes and booms, and full, engaging music, all of which makes for a meticulously crafted, problem-free experience. Rear speaker activity and LFE support are never overwhelming or contrary to the tone and tenor of the original audio elements, and hiss and other inconsistencies have either been dealt with or eliminated judiciously. It's not exactly a revolutionary remix, but it's primed to win over fans and audiophiles alike.
101 Dalmatians finally arrives on Blu-ray, allowing its lifelong fans to add one of their favorite Disney classics to their collection. The film holds up quite well and will surely continue to delight audiences, new and old, from this generation and the next. The Blu-ray itself is just as good, with a solid video presentation, a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and a generous selection of extras. This one comes recommended.
Diamond Edition | with Bonus DVD
1961
Limited Release
1961
The Signature Collection
1961
The Signature Collection
1961
The Signature Collection
1961
Disney100 Edition with Collectible Pin
1961
Disney100
1961
2003
1970
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
1981
1977
40th Anniversary Edition
1973
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1953
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1942
Diamond Edition
1967
Peter Pan 2 | Special Edition
2002
2011
25th Anniversary Edition
1988
2003
2009
1977
1990
2006
2001
2000
2012