101 Dalmatians (2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD)

"101 Dalmatians" may be the most unfairly slighted of Walt Disney's 'classic' animated films, as this dog-napping adventure literally saved the studio, introduced the ultimate Disney villainess, Cruella De Vil, and ushered in a visually graphic 'style' that would set the industry standard for a decade. Oh, and it's great FUN, too! Based on Dodie Smith's 1956 novel (inspired by her own Dalmatian pets), Disney knew it would be a 'natural' for the screen, at a time when he desperately needed a blockbuster. Despite the huge success of "Cinderella", in 1950, the decade, with the studio's resources stretched between both live and animated features and shorts, television, and the opening of Disneyland, had been a costly one, and the skyrocketing cost of producing animation, after a string of less successful cartoons (culminating in the failure of "Sleeping Beauty"), threatened to curtail any future animated films. It was a desperate time (most of the major studios were shutting down their animation departments, and the 'limited animation' of Hanna-Barbera, which Disney detested, appeared to be the 'future' of cartoons), and he turned to production manager Ken Anderson to find a way to make the film cost-effective while maintaining the 'Disney' look. Anderson's solutions didn't please Walt, but would create a film revolutionary in style, and far less expensive to produce. Utilizing xerox technology to copy original artwork directly onto cels, he eliminated the huge staff of painters who had traditionally inked and colored each frame. The line work had a scratchier quality, which he complimented by more stylized, linear backgrounds, with splashes of color. As the story would be the first 'contemporary' Disney feature (with far less music, and a more dramatic plot), the new 'look' worked perfectly (especially in the brilliant conception of the scene-stealing De Vil, who quickly achieved 'legendary' status among Disney villains). The technique did have shortcomings (the climactic chase between De Vil's hot rod and a Dalmatian-filled moving van, as she plows into a snow bank, looks artificial, particularly as snow covers her car), but the film, as a whole, was an astonishing achievement. Despite Walt's misgivings, the film was exactly the blockbuster the studio needed, becoming the top-grossing film of 1961, and, for years, the highest grossing animated film of all time. Critically praised, it became such a fan favorite that it was re-released frequently, always successfully. Blessed with a rich, funny plot, unforgettable characters, and 101 of the cutest dogs you'll ever see, it certainly has earned a place beside "Snow White", Pinocchio", "Bambi", and "Cinderella". While I wish somebody had invited Rod Taylor (the voice of Pongo) to share his experiences of the production, I was blown away by the extraordinary quality of image and sound of this remastered edition, and enjoyed the second disc of special features (did you know TWO actresses voiced Perdita?) This Platinum Edition is an absolute ESSENTIAL for every Disney collection!

If you or perhaps your child loved this movie originally, this is great with the added features

One of the best classic animated Disney movies. Digital code for Movies Anywhere still worked!

In common with many of my fellows of 50 or so years, I have fond memories of 101 Dalmatians as the very first "new" Disney animated film I ever saw. I remember being taken to see it and making my father sit through it twice because I refused to leave after the first showing, and I still have a bedraggled stuffed Dalmatian toy I must have gotten for Christmas that year. I've owned and cherished a VHS copy for years, but I leaped at the chance to get this new DVD version, and I'm so glad I did. First, the film itself is so beautifully restored its like watching it for the first time. All the characters are magnificently and perfectly depicted, with sharp personalities for each one of the puppies. I love the scenes of parks and streets in London, and the lovely English countryside. (I now realize this film must have been an early encouragement for my rabid Anglophilia, which manifested itself at a young age.) From an adult perspective, I was struck by the "Britishness" of the culture of the film, so to speak. So many of the characters have an air of the old Empire about them, from the name Pongo itself (originally a sort of nickname widely used among British soldiers) through to the innumerable Colonels and Sergeants among the animal characters, right down to the Cockney rhyming slang employed by the brothers who steal the puppies. Its very definitely late 50s early 60s vintage, but it has a timeless charm. The second disc is very worthwhile, too. I enjoyed the early history of Walt Disney and the story of the making of the film, especially a short piece on Disney's correspondence with Dodie Smith, the author of the book on which the film is based. The film turns out to have been truly revolutionary in its use of new techniques and equipment, including early photocopiers. I also liked the extra songs which were originally deleted from the film but are included here. You can understand why some weren't used, but there's one called "Cheerio, Goodbye, We're On Our Way to London" which I wish had been kept in. Its a lovely tune, and one which (to continue the military theme I alluded to earlier) its easy to imagine British troops singing in 1945. Another really pleasing inclusion is a series of unused trial versions of the "Kanine Krunchies" Jingle, which I can listen to over and over (be forewarned that you'll have it running through your head for the next several hours, though!)

I'm ecstatic to report that the movie "101 Dalmatians" arrived on time and safely sealed and packaged. Furthermore, as my subject implied: It was every bit as magically enjoyable as it was over 50 years ago! Although I was a bit too young to see it then: I saw it later and was positively mezmorized by it! When the movie was released: Mom got me records containing the 4 main songs from the feature. Although they definitely weren't The Original Sound track: I came to love them over the years! As for the DVD: The only thing I found to be inconvenient was the fact that it downloaded in French; and I had to convert it to English before watching it. Upon first inserting the DVD: All the initial group of ads were in English. therefore: When the movie started in French: I wasn't certain if this would be temporary or not. However: As it continued: I decided to try and convert The Language to English. The only things I found dissatisfying about this is that I wasn't alerted of this fact upon purchasing the movie. Fortunately: This was only a minor inconvenience that was easily corrected. IN closing: Let me assure all future readers that I was totally satisfied with this purchase; and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who enjoys old movies which are fit for entire families to watch! My sincere thanks goes out to everyone who was instrumental in making my obtaining of this marvelous DVD possible! I absolutely love it!

It's uneven, cheaply produced and its story is so basic as to be almost mechanical. There are long stretches with little humor or music. The hackneyed chase scene seems straight from a TV cartoon. And most of the puppies look exactly alike. So why five stars? Because, in this case, the good more than makes up for the mediocre. A large dose of Disney magic -- here, a combination of cute animals, touching sentiments, tremendous villain and many carefully crafted extra touches -- simply makes you forget the movie's weaknesses. To write this review I sat through this film dutifully noting all of its flaws, then immediately wanted to watch it again. In short, kids will love this DVD set, and you'll like watching it with them. I was viewing, of course, the 1999 release, and let me tell you if there's one Disney classic that could benefit from a digital restoration, this is it. The older DVD just doesn't capture the beauty of the film's pastel backgrounds, detailed interiors and storybook-style outdoor scenes. I haven't seen this new transfer yet, but Disney always does a good job with restoring these Platinum Editions, so I imagine it will look fantastic. Speaking of art, I should note that unlike earlier Disney films, "101 Dalmatians" is not completely hand-drawn. Much of the art was created through Xerography, a technique that, in essence, used a copy machine to reproduce the frame-by-frame line art. Surprisingly, though, it hardly matters. Sometimes the backgrounds are too flat or static, but the foreground figures are fully animated, and have the same fluid, three-dimensional movements Disney was already famous for. BONUS FEATURES The set includes Disney's typical varied collection of bonus features, none of which are subtitled. Those for adults include: * An option to have trivia tidbits pop up on your screen as you watch the film. * A documentary focusing on the movie's innovative use of the Xerox animation process. * An interview with the late Disney animator Marc Davis regarding the character Cruella De Vil. * A featurette that recreates the correspondence sent between Walt Disney and Dodie Smith (author of the book "The Hundred and One Dalmatians") during the movie's production. * Deleted songs Extras geared to kids: * A Virtual Dalmatians game that lets you adopt, name, train and care for your own computer canine. * A Puppy Profiler quiz which reveals which dog you're most like. * A music video of Disney Channel star Selena Gomez performing "Cruella De Vil." TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS * Sound: Disney-enhanced Home Theater Mix, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound * Close captioning: English only * FastPlay enabled By the way, Disney has just published a companion Little Golden Book, 101 Dalmatians . Like Disney classics about animals? Don't forget the essential The Lion King , moving Bambi and surprisingly good Lady and the Tramp . Topping them all however, at least in my opinion, is Dumbo .

We are now up to 4 stars for this gem of a movie. The problem described below with the captioning has been rectified. So happy that now those people that are hard of hearing or if the volume is down can now enjoy the movie via captions. They are now synced perfectly with the film. 101 Dalmatians remains one of Disney’s most charming and stylish animated classics. The sketchy, modern animation style still feels fresh, Cruella de Vil is as deliciously unhinged as ever, and the story balances humor, suspense, and heart in a way that makes it endlessly rewatchable for both children and adults. My granddaughter absolutely loves Dalmatians and so do I! However, this viewing is marred by a surprisingly frustrating technical issue: the captions consistently appeared ahead of the dialogue being spoken. Instead of supporting accessibility and clarity, the captions repeatedly spoiled jokes, emotional beats, and key lines moments before the characters actually said them. This disconnect pulled attention away from the film and disrupted the natural rhythm of scenes. As someone who relies on captions since I usually can’t hear what is said it is especially noticeable in fast-paced or comedic moments where timing is everything. It’s disappointing that such a beloved, carefully crafted film is undermined by something as basic as mistimed captions. For viewers who rely on captions, this isn’t a minor annoyance, it actively diminishes the experience. That said, the brilliance of 101 Dalmatians still shines through: the iconic villain, the clever use of music, and the warmth of Pongo and Perdita’s family story remain intact. With properly synced captions, this film would once again feel as flawless as the classic it deserves to be and be a 4 or 5 star review.

Childhood favorite. I had to own this movie. Picked it up for a good price. Super cute movie if you've been living under a rock and haven't seen it.

子供の頃VHSで観てたのと同じのがDVD・BDで観れたので満足です。 止まったりもなく、画質も特に気になりませんでした。 3歳の娘が楽しそうに観ています。

Absolutely love it, I'm a big Disney fan and have an even bigger Disney DVD collection. It looks expensive and goes well with my Jungle Book Book pack. It would be a good present to any Disney fan you know. The film itself is obviously for a younger audience but it's still good. :)

DVD parfait. Un bon classique. Cadeau pour mon petit fils pour compléter sa collection

Os 101 dálmatas um filme lindo e divertido que não pode faltar na sua coleção de blue rays da disney . produto impecável e sem nenhum defeito. recomendo

Rien à dire. Reçu rapidement et à très bon prix.