101 Dalmatians

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Lovable cartoon classic with cute dogs and a mean villain.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Disney's classic puppy tale is rated G but may contain a few disturbing scenes featuring one the studio's vilest villains, Cruella de Vil. As the song goes, "if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will." For an animated movie, there's a considerable amount of smoking and drinking (Roger smokes a pipe; Cruella is always shown with her long-stemmed cigarettes; and her two henchman drink wine straight out of the bottle). Language is limited to several insults like "idiot," "imbecile," "fools," mostly said by Cruella. On the bright side, the dog parents and their human pets are relentless in their goal to save the puppies -- all of them, not just their own.

  • This story shows how evil greed and animal cruelty are, and why it's important to treat our pets well. The dogs are also an example of cooperation and teamwork to save the defenseless puppies.
  • The dalmatian parents, as well as the human "pets" are fiercely protective of their puppies, and they open their home to 84 extra puppies that have been displaced because of Cruella's evil scheme. The many English dogs in the bark network all put themselves at risk to help their fellow canines.
  • Horace and Jasper make threatening comments to the puppies and dogs. They kidnap the puppies and are prepared to "skin" them to make Cruella a fur coat. There's a couple of high-speed chases as well as close calls with the puppies as they attempt to get away from Cruella and her goons. Two cars crash and plummet off a cliff, but we don't know what happens to the villains.
  • Roger and Anita flirt, as do Pongo and Perdita (they rub noses). Both couples get married and are shown embracing and kissing chastely.
  • Cruella says: "idiot," "imbecile," "fools". Horace and Jasper say a few threats and insults, including "shut up," "twerps," "clumsy clod," and "bumbling blockheads." Other insults include "witch," "scoundrels," "inhuman beast," and "rascals."
  • While there are no product placements in the film, Disney movies always generate merchandise and straight-to-DVD sequels, and in this case even a live-action adaptation.
  • Cruella smokes cigarettes (that emit a foul green smoke) in nearly every scene. She often spreads the ashes and puts them out all over the place. Roger smokes a pipe. Horace and Jasper drink wine straight from the bottle.

What's the story?

Like Lady and the Tramp, this story is told from the perspective of dogs, this time two dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, the cherished pets of Roger and Anita. Anita's old friend, one of the most notorious villains in movie history, is the aptly named Cruella De Vil. Her henchmen kidnap Perdita's puppies and 84 others so she can make them into a dalmatian fur coat. Pongo and Perdita, with the help of their animal friends, undertake a daring rescue.


Is it any good?

 

The puppies are adorable, and the movie is exciting, funny (with a sly poke at television and the kids who watch it), and fun.

Cruella is one of the most memorable female villains in the history of the movies -- for good reason. She's loud and mean, and she is willing to wear a coat made of 101 puppies -- what could be worse!


What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the responsibilities of raising a pet. Do kids think they would be able to maintain enthusiasm for their pet? Would they be responsible for feeding, brushing, playing, and walking it? What kind of commitment is it to raise a pet, particularly a dog?

  • What makes Cruella scary? Can you think of any other villians as scary as her? What similarities do all villains share?


This review was written by Nell Minow
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
A classic, and a must-see for all families.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
December 26, 2010
 
best movie for your family!
i watch this anytime, cause it shows plenty of positive messages, and in one scene, the two thiefs stole 15 puppies, and cruella de ville smokes a long cigarette, and some alcohol drinking, the language they say is "stupid", "idiot", "imbesciles", "hell" and "shut up", but the puppies in this fabolous movie are adorable, and the movie is exciting, funny and fun for the whole family!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
May 26, 2010
 
A Dog-gone good time!
Adorable! I have loved this movie for as long as I can remember and still view it occasionally! I think it's a classic that will always stand the test of time :) For the youngest of children I could see how Cruella De Ville might scare them with her wicked ways so depending on the maturity of your child, you may want to withhold this movie until they are ready. But to me the positive influences of Pongo and Purdy are so endearing, that they would save not only their children but so many more. This movie should be viewed by everyone!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 6 year old
October 13, 2009
 
Comedy, action and suspense for the little ones.
Classic movie. There is a fair bit of smoking, and might be a bit scary for sensitive ones. The use of the word 'idiot' might put some off.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
woof!
some of the scenes with Cruella might be a little frightening to younger kids..

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, and 19 year old
September 29, 2009
 
Dalmation Love
I think this movie is wonderful, and any age can watch it. It's timeless! Cruella might be the tiniest bit scary to really younger children, and the thought of turning cute puppies into coats might scare them, but other than that this movie is a classic family film!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 3 and 6 year old
June 3, 2009
 
"you idiot"
my 4 year old started calling everyone "you idiot" after watching this

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
This is a good movie! It is 500 times better than the non-animated one!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
a- must-read- book for every 8 year old.
i want to see the movie....

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Nell Minow
Topics:cats, dogs, and mice
Studio:Walt Disney Pictures
Director:Clyde Geronimi
Cast:Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer, Rod Taylor
Genre:Family and Kids
Run time:79 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 25, 1961
DVD release date:March 3, 2008
MPAA rating:G

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

vote now

Will you see 101 Dalmatians?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it