For the remake comparison this week I decided to take it back a couple of years so that we can all relive our childhood. I don’t know about you all, but growing up 101 Dalmatians was a staple in my life. The first one to come out was the animated version in 1961, and then you’ve got the real-life version from 1996. Now when it comes to the plot line, they are extremely similar. Everyone has the same names, location, they’re even all British. In that aspect, I will have to say they are pretty much tied. Both portray the story of the lost puppies in a really good way.
Now on the other hand, when it comes to animation versus live action, the original from 1961 definitely wins. Growing up I was always afraid of the live action version. Something about Cruella De Vil’s character, portrayed by Glenn Close ruined the movie for me. I don’t know if she did as much damage on anyone else as she did me. I mean she did a great job portraying the role, but when it came to being child-friendly it is anything but that in my opinion. I mean, check out this photo of her below:
Now you can’t tell me that a small child would not be terrified by that. I’m one of those people that if a movie made me cry or scared when I was younger then I don’t watch it for a very long time (ie Fox and the Hound, Finding Nemo, and 101 Dalmatians). Upon going back and watching this movie when I was about 16, I realized she wasn’t so scary and the scene was actually made better by the animals that were tormenting her in the barn. But, as a child, seeing this already evil lady, who steals puppies for coats, look like this and have such a vicious look and demeanor, I was scared, so much so that it was close to a decade before I bothered to watch it again.
My final say on these movies is that they are generally both pretty good. But, when it comes to being child friendly, the animated version is definitely the way to go. (But the real version does have puppies in it…:S) The story line is good in both, but sometimes the actors make all of the difference. I’ve included the IMDB links just in case someone hasn’t seen either of these movies and you can get more info (you’re crazy if you haven’t and I recommend you go do so now!) and also a link to YouTube that highlights some of Glenn Close’s scenes as Cruella.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJY5lEV9MQk (stop at 7:57 to see the scary scene!)
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