‘Dalmatians’ stands on own four feet

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In theaters

102 DALMATIANS. 101 minutes, G, directed by Kevin Lima, written by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, based on the novel by Dodie Smith.

In spite of its nostalgic, 101-minute running time, Kevin Lima’s “102 Dalmatians” isn’t as good as Disney’s 1961 classic, “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.” In the absence of animation, much of the magic is missing.

That probably won’t surprise anyone, but what might surprise some is that, as sequels go, “102 Dalmatians” is also far from being a dud. Indeed, more often than not, it stands on its own four feet.

The film, much like Stephen Herek’s 1996 live-action remake, is colorful, loud, boisterous and merry. It’s a campy, slapstick comedy set in London that’s sometimes so fun to watch, it makes Ron Howard’s wretched version of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” look even more like a big lump of Whovillian cheese.

With Glenn Close back as the infamously cruel Cruella De Vil, “102 Dalmatians” opens with the wicked one herself locked away in a prison for the criminaly insane. There, under the care of the appropriately named Dr. Pavlov (David Horovitch), Cruella has been turned into a reformed dog hater.

It’s scary, but it’s true. With her unruly black-and-white hair beaten down into a smooth helmet, her outrageous clothes gone in favor of slightly more tasteful haute couture, and her once twisted, grimacing face now bright with smiles and laughter, Cruella is a dog’s best friend.

She pets them, loves them, holds them and feeds them. She is so committed to dogs, in fact, that when she learns the 2nd Chance pet orphanage is, well, going to the dogs, Cruella, freshly paroled from prison and now asking everyone to “Just call me Ella,” is among the first to rush and offer help.

The orphanage’s owner, Kevin (Ioan Gruffudd), gladly accepts, but he does so without having a clue there will be dire consequences for letting this vamp cross through the doors of his business. Indeed, when Cruella hears the bells of Big Ben ringing, Dr. Pavlov’s conditioned response goes to the birds – allowing Cruella’s evil ways to come back with a vengeance.

“102 Dalmatians,” which also stars Alice Evans as Cruella’s probation officer and Kevin’s love interest, Gerard Depardieu almost unrecognizable as Cruella’s evil furrier, and Tim McInnerny as her battered assistant, belongs not to the dogs, as in the 1961 classic, but to Close.

As Cruella, she’s marvelous, playing this grotesquerie as if she were a cross between Jacqueline Susann and Norma Desmond dipped in bitters.

Throughout, her manic face and snapping eyes capture the high-strung caricature at the core of Cruella’s evil heart. She’s the only one who could pull off this role and she does so beautifully, lifting the film out of Disney’s threadbare formula with her over-the-top histrionics – with the help of Anthony Powell’s outstanding, Academy Award-worthy costumes.

Grade: B+

On video

THE REPLACEMENTS. 114 minutes, PG-13, directed by Howard Deutch, written by Vince McKewin.

Howard Deutch’s “The Replacements” features a bunch of regular guys coming together to play pro football during a pro football strike. It features Keanu Reeves in the lead, blasts the disco anthem “I WillSurvive” not once but twice, and has absolutely no interest in pressing against the boundaries of the genre.

The film exists for one reason and one reason only: There’s money in football and the film’s producers want to exploit it.

Ripping off a wealth of other movies, particularly “Hoosiers,” “North Dallas Forty,” “The Longest Yard” and especially the entire “Major League” series, “The Replacements” certainly doesn’t pretend to throw deep, but did it have to be this shallow?

Apparently so.

In the film, Reeves is Shane Falco, a ruined college quarterback who blew his big chance at fame and fortune when his team suffered a huge loss at the Sugar Bowl of 1996. Now making his living cleaning boats, Shane is recruited by coach Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman, delivering essentially the same performance he gave in “Hoosiers”) to head a team composed completely of scabs.

Since much of the film’s comedy is supposed to come from its casting, audiences are treated to a raucous crew of stereotypes.

On board are a Japanese sumo wrestler named Jumbo (Ace Yonamine); a Welsh placekicker (Rhys Ifans) who chain-smokes during the game; a deaf lineman (David Denman) who, naturally, will “never be called offsides on an audible”; a Los Angeles cop (John Favreau) who literally chews up the scenery; a convict on leave from prison (Michael Jace); a born-again Christian (Troy Winbush); and a couple of enormous, rapping bodyguards (Michael Taliferro and Faizon Love) who leave the music industry for the chance to play pro ball.

Since all this is inspired by the 1987 NFL strike, it’s curious that the NFL is never mentioned. That’s probably due to some legality, but it’s an omission that nevertheless harms a film that’s trying – at least on one level – to evoke a sense of history and nostalgia.

Hackman’s performance does give “The Replacements” weight and there are a few genuine moments of comedy, but Reeves is the focus and he’s once again brain-dead, an expressionless, soulless actor who may be able to throw a ball, but who can’t deliver a line to save his padded butt.

Grade: D

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews appear Mondays in Style and Thursdays in the scene.

The Video Corner

The In Crowd – F+

The Replacements – D

Chicken Run – A

Gladiator – B-

X-Men – C

Big Momma’s House – B

Boys and Girls – C-

Fantasia 2000 – A-

The Perfect Storm – A

Pokemon: The Movie 2000 – D+

Mission: Impossible 2 – B+

Titan A.E. – B-

Frequency – B

Return to Me – B+

Thomas and the Magic Railroad – D

Center Stage – D+

The Patriot – B+

Toy Story 2 – A

Keeping the Faith – B+

Rules of Engagement – C-

Shanghai Noon – C

Pitch Black – B+

East-West – A-

The Skulls – D-

Snow Day – F

U-571 – C-

Black and White – B-

Final Destination – D-

A Map of the World – A-

High Fidelity – A-

Ready to Rumble – D

28 Days – C-

East is East – A

Mission to Mars – D-

American Psycho – B+

Any Given Sunday – C+

I Dreamed of Africa – B

The Next Best Thing – D

The Tigger Movie – B-

Supernova – D-

Erin Brockovich – B+

The Cider House Rules – A-

Here on Earth – D+

Reindeer Games – C+

Princess Mononoke – A

Romeo Must Die – C-

Whatever It Takes – B

The Beach – D+

Drowning Mona – C-

Magnolia – A-