102 Dalmatians

102 Dalmatians is a 2000 American crime family comedy film directed by Kevin Lima in his live-action directorial debut and produced by Edward S. Feldman and Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians, a live-action remake of the 1961 Disney animated film of the same name and stars Glenn Close reprising her role as Cruella de Vil as she attempts to steal puppies for her “grandest” fur coat yet. Close and Tim McInnerny were the only two actors from the first film to return for the sequel. The film received negative reviews but was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, losing to Gladiator.

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After three years in prison, Cruella de Vil has been cured of her desire for fur coats by Dr. Pavlov and is released into the custody of the probation office on the provision that she will be forced to pay the remainder of her fortune (eight million pounds) to all the dog shelters in the borough of Westminster should she repeat her crime. Cruella therefore mends her working relationship with her valet Alonzo and has him lock away all her fur coats. Cruella’s probation officer, Chloe Simon, nevertheless suspects her, partly because Chloe is the owner of the grown-up Dipstick (one of the original 101 Dalmatians from the previous film) who moved from Roger and Anita Dearly’s plantation to her house.

Dipstick’s mate, Dottie, has recently given birth to three puppies: Domino, Little Dipper and Oddball (who has no spots). To mend her reputation, Cruella buys the Second Chance Dog shelter, owned by Kevin Shepherd, to resolve its financial insolvency that is on the verge of eviction. Meanwhile, Dr. Pavlov discovers that when his therapy’s subjects are subjected to loud noises, they revert to their original states but conceals this discovery. Inevitably, when Big Ben rings in her presence, Cruella reverts to her former personality and enlists the help of French furrier Jean-Pierre LePelt to steal 102 Dalmatian puppies for a new fur coat with a hood, specifically modifying the original design to use Dipstick’s children.

Kevin tells Chloe that if Cruella violates her parole, her entire fortune will go to him, since his dog shelter is the only one in the borough of Westminster. Knowing this, Cruella has Kevin framed for the theft of the puppies (exploiting the fact that he has a prior record of dog-napping himself) and invites Chloe and Dipstick to her house for a dinner party as a decoy to distract them while LePelt steals Dottie and the three puppies. Dipstick hurries back to the apartment and hides in LePelt’s truck but is later captured at the train station. Chloe rushes home to save her pets but arrives too late. She is joined by Kevin, who has escaped from prison with help from his dogs and talking parrot, Waddlesworth, Kevin explaining that his past theft was just breaking animals out of a lab where they were being used for experiments.

Upon finding a ticket for the Venice-Simplon Orient Express to Paris dropped by LePelt, Kevin and Chloe attempt and fail to stop Cruella and LePelt, but Oddball and Waddlesworth pursue their enemies secretly, Oddball having been ostracized due to her spotless status and Waddlesworth helping her get on the train while overcoming his belief that he was a dog himself. In Paris, Kevin and Chloe save some of the captive puppies, but they are seen and locked in the cellar just as the puppies flee. Cruella goes after the puppies alone. Alonzo, having been scolded beyond his patience and had enough of being abused, defeats LePelt and frees Kevin and Chloe. They later give chase to a bakery, where, led by Oddball; the puppies, Kevin’s dogs, and Waddlesworth imprison Cruella in an immense cake. She and LePelt are thereupon arrested.

Kevin and Chloe, with the former exonerated from the theft accusation, are personally awarded the remnants of Cruella’s fortune by Alonzo himself and Oddball’s coat finally develops spots.