John Hughes has a very distinctive stamp these days. Everything he touches turns to "Home Alone."
And that's certainly true of "101 Dalmatians," the live-action version of the Disney cartoon classic, which Hughes has scripted and co-produced. (Stephen Herek, of "The Mighty Ducks" and "Mr. Holland's Opus," directed.)Hughes is something of a cinematic cottage industry, churning out scripts, frequently producing and occasionally directing movie after movie - ranging from the "National Lampoon's Vacation" pictures to "Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink," and "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" to "Dennis the Menace" and "Baby's Day Out."
But when he came up with "Home Alone," and later its sequel, he stumbled onto what appears to be his favorite formula.
Unfortunately, as grafted onto "101 Dalmatians," it seems wildly out of place - especially when it begins to undercut the film's star turn, Cruella DeVil, as outlandishly and superbly played by Glenn Close (complete with black and white hair).
The story, set in London, begins with a pair of Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdy, contriving to bring their humans, Roger (Jeff Daniels) and Anita (Joely Richardson), together.
Eventually, the dogs have 15 pups, and Anita's boss, superstar designer Cruella DeVil, wants to buy them. But they aren't for sale, of course, so she hires a pair of low-life idiots (Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams) to kidnap the puppies for her.
The dogs are taken to a remote farm, where another 84 Dalmatian puppies are being held. Cruella's plan? To kill the little dogs and turn their skins into a one-of-a-kind fur coat for her "endangered species" collection (which already includes a white Siberian tiger).
Roger and Anita call the police, but when they prove ineffective, it's up to dogs all over London to put out the alarm, and soon all sorts of other animals across England have joined in to try to locate the puppies, then work out an escape plan.
It's silly to quibble about plot differences between this live-action venture and the original animated feature. In fact, some of them actually work to the film's advantage . . . although since Daniels' character isn't a songwriter, I found myself missing the "Cruella DeVil"' number. (The song does show up under the end credits . . . mutilated by Dr. John.)
But when the action shifts to the farm, where Cruella's henchmen are going to kill the puppies, the film quickly sinks into cruel, violent "Home Alone"-style slapstick. (In fact, it's so similar in places that you may wonder why Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern weren't cast instead of Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams).
This protracted climax really hits bottom, however, when Cruella enters the scene and becomes merely a punching bag for Hughes' elaborate sight gags - capped by her fall into a barrel of molasses.
In the first film, Cruella is a genuine force to be reckoned with, a villain who continually has the upper hand. But here, she becomes merely a prop.
Worse, this turn of events belies Close's performance, which, in earlier scenes, is as wicked and in control as possible. In fact, Close is so commanding, she even steals scenes from the dogs - no mean feat in itself.
Since so much of the first half is charming, witty and filled with promise, it's especially disheartening that so much is thrown out the window in this lame-brained finale.
Hughes' next Disney project is a remake of "The Absent-Minded Professor." The good news is that he's landed Robin Williams to take the Fred MacMurray role. The bad news is that Hughes has scripted and will produce the film.
Let's just hope it's not "Home Alone With Flubber."
"101 Dalmatians" is rated G, but is very dark and threatening and is loaded with "Home Alone"-style violence. Parents of little ones stand warned. There is no foul language, however - unless you recognize a couple of British slang vulgarities.
- "RUNAWAY BRAIN" is a new Mickey Mouse cartoon (his first in 42 years), which actually had a previous theatrical run some 15 months ago, with "A Kid in King Arthur's Court."
Since no one went to that film, Disney is giving the short a second shot with "101 Dalmatians."
A highly energized, rapidly paced effort - more in the style of Roger Rabbit than Mickey Mouse - "Runaway Brain" is quite engaging and has some very funny stuff as Mickey finds his brain switched with that of a giant monster.
It should also be noted that Disney, in a sneaky marketing ploy, has placed the cartoon in front of four trailers for the studios' upcoming films - "Hercules" (a longer than normal "featurette" for Disney's next animated film), "That Darn Cat," "Jungle 2 Jungle" and "George of the Jungle."
So, after another batch of previews is routinely attached to the front of "Runaway Brain" by unwary projectionists, you could find yourself seeing as many as 10 trailers before the film begins . . . unless, of course, your friendly neighborhood theater goes to the trouble of editing out the Disney previews (not likely).
That's a long time for kids to sit while waiting for "101 Dalmatians" to begin. At the screening I attended, the little girl sitting behind me screamed at the beginning of each preview, "Is this `Dalmatians' yet?"
That sigh of relief when the film finally started came from me.