101 Dalmatians

TV review by Andrea Graham, Common Sense Media
101 Dalmatians Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 5+

Lots of pups, but not as good as the movie.

Toon Disney Kids' Animation 1997
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 2+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this animated series is based on the 1961 animated Disney classic 101 Dalmatians. The series focuses primarily on the puppies and their adventures at their new farm home, where they learn life lessons about friendship, what it means to be a good sibling, and cooperating with others.

Community Reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Adult
December 18, 2021
age 6+

Not a slam dunk

101 Dalmatians 2 is the sequel to the original Disney movie. NBA star Elmo replaces Big Bird as the protagonist for the film. Plot: Elmo must save his son by playing basketball in a world with Dreamworks characters. This mainly consists of Shrek, but you see all sorts of characters. Review: This movie is not good at all. Many forced jokes made me cringe instead of laugh. The plot isn’t as good, and the movie feels more like ReadyPlayerOne. There’s an unnecessary “multiverse” that makes the film way too confusing. The star of the show obviously belongs to the Shrek characters. Seeing these characters in 2D is actually not bad, and the special effects are pretty good. With all of this being said, the negatives easily outweigh the positives. I would not recommend watching it unless you already own an HBO MAX subscription. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time and money. Age Review: There’s not too much going on here. Characters are comically injured (squished with rocks/UFO’s) but there is no detail shown, it’s just for laughs. Another scene shows princess Fiona dodging sharks, along with a clip from Shark Tale (None of this is supposed to make sense). Besides this, there is mild language and alcohol. Recommended for ages 2+.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

101 DALMATIANS is a continuation of Disney's well-loved 1961 animated classic (itself based on the book by Dodie Smith). Roger and Anita Dearly (voiced by Jeff Bennett and Kath Soucie) leave London behind to move to the country so that their puppies will have enough room to grow and play. Most episodes are centered on the escapades of just three of the puppies: leader Lucky (Pamela Adlon), big eater Rolly (Soucie again), and tough cookie Cadpig (also Soucie). Together with their worry-wart chicken friend Spot (Tara Strong), the pups seek out adventures and try to foil the plans of the wicked Cruella de Vil (April Winchell), who wants to take over the farm and destroy the puppies.

Is It Any Good?

While 101 Dalmatians retains some of the charm of the original film, and the storylines are entertaining enough, the animation style has been updated, most likely to appeal to younger, hipper viewers. That's a shame, really, because the original film appealed to many different ages, and the style change is not only unnecessary, but distracting as well. Plus, the new character of Spot seems annoyingly out of place.

Overall, 101 Dalmatians is better than other Disney spin-off series -- it's cute and entertaining enough for younger kids. But fans of the film would be much better re-watching the original (and perhaps the live-action version, too) to get their speckled-puppy fill.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the responsibilities of raising a pet (the popularity of the movie created a high demand for Dalmatian puppies among kids). 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?

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • K-9 to 5 Poster Image

    K-9 to 5

    Working dogs in some scary jobs; OK for most kids.

    age 5+

Themes & Topics

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