101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure

101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure is a direct-to-video sequel to the animated Disney film One Hundred and One Dalmatians, starring the voices of Martin Short, Jason Alexander, and Barry Bostwick. It was released on January 21, 2003 and garnered DVDX awards for best animated feature, best director, best editing, and best musical score. Disney re-released the film on September 16, 2008. On June 9, 2015, it was re-released for the first time on Blu-ray.

Plot

DVD box art

Roger and Anita Radcliffe, and their canine clan are packing for the big move to Dalmatian Plantation, a home in the country with plenty of room for Pongo, Perdita, and the 99 puppies and far from the clutches of Cruella De Vil. The feistiest puppy, Patch, feels lost in a sea of spots and longs to be a one-of-a-kind wonder dog like his TV hero, Thunderbolt. While watching the The Thunderbolt Adventure Hour he hears about a chance to appear on the show while it is bring filmed in London. However, the move will interfere with his opportunity -- until he's accidentally left behind in the commotion. He runs away and heads for the audition to meet his hero. Thunderbolt's "trusty" sidekick, Lil' Lightning, tries to impress the ladies, but they turn him down as they are not interested in sidekicks. After the show, Lil' Lightning tells Thunderbolt the producers want to replace him with a younger dog. In order to save his job, he decides he will go into the real world and perform an act of true heroism to prove himself. A veritable reference book to Thunderbolt's many adventures, Patch provides the perfect guide for him in his attempts at real-life heroics.

Meanwhile, Cruella is back and more obsessed with dalmatians than ever. At first, she is able to calm her frenzy through an affiliation with a spot-fixated German artist named Lars. Meanwhile, Thunderbolt makes several attempts at "heroism", telling Patch he is giving him a "Junior Deputy Test" and will let him be on the show if he can pass. This "test" involves him unwittingly giving instructions on how Thunderbolt, who has no idea how to act without a script, should save the day. Back at his trailer, Lightning's true nature is revealed. Fed up with being second best, he cons the producer, who is both desperate and frantic over Thunderbolt going missing, into recasting him as the hero. Cruella soon discovers that Lars, despite his best efforts, is unable to recreate the look she desires.

In order to inspire him, she begins hunting for the dalmatian puppies, but is angry to find Anita's house empty. However, using a newspaper picture of Patch at the audition, she reads their new address off his ID tag. Meanwhile, he and Thunderbolt bond over their mutual fear of being "just another dog" and Thunderbolt begins teaching him how to bark properly. The Radcliffes finally become aware that he is missing as Cruella posts bail for her former cronies, Jasper and Horace, and sends them to the farm to steal the remaining 98 puppies by locking them in a stolen Kanine Krunchies truck. Lars becomes enamored with them and is inspired to paint, but Cruella announces that he going to make a masterpiece out of puppy fur. HE refuses, but she simply ties him up and goes back to her original plan of making a puppy fur coat.

The imprisoned puppies use the Twilight Bark to send an SOS, which is picked up by Patch and Thunderbolt, and they set out to save Patch's family. Lightning is horrified when he discovers Thunderbolt might actually become a hero and hurries to the warehouse where the puppies are being held. He convinces Thunderbolt not to use Patch's stealth plan, but to openly attack. However Cruella shows up and locks them in a cage. Lightning sneaks in and reveals that Thunderbolt is a fraud. Poor Patch is deeply hurt that Thunderbolt would lie, but soon realizes that their current situation was covered in one of the TV episodes and manages to escape. He releases his family, but Thunderbolt stays in his open cage. Jasper and Horace confess to Cruella the puppies are missing, but Patch tricks them into going downstairs while the dogs escape via the roof and get onto a double decker bus, which they accidentally start.

Cruella follows in hot pursuit as they race through the streets of London, crashing through the filming of the new "Lil' Lightning" show. She finally corners the puppies in an alley. Patch tries to hold off the trio as the others escape, but they are undaunted. Luckily, Thunderbolt arrives (having hitched a lift with Lars) and apologizes to Patch, saying he is not a hero, but he can act like one. He fakes a heart attack, distracting Cruella (and managing to have her knock out Jasper and Horace) while the puppies escape before collapsing. Patch puts the bus into reverse, forcing the four bad guys into the Thames River.

Patch and Thunderbolt survey the scene, both letting out deep, heroic barks. Lightning is arrested, along with Jasper and Horace, while Cruella, who has now driven completely insane, is sent to a mental institute. Pongo and Perdita arrive and tell Patch how proud they are of him. Thunderbolt confesses that he is just an actor, but Patch is "a real, one-of-a-kind wonder dog." A newspaper montage reveals the characters' fates: Lars, using a painting Patch accidentally made by throwing paint at Jasper and Horace, finally receives credit for his "genius"; Jasper and Horace open up a ladies' boutique with the motto: "Fur Bad, Nylon Good"; Roger's new song, "Seeing Spots", becomes a smash hit and Cruella is featured in an issue of "The Institution". A post-credits scene shows Thunderbolt, with his new sidekick Patch, in his TV show, with the animals and puppies and dogs serving as extras.

Cast

DVD box art (back)

• Bobby Lockwood as Patch
• Barry Bostwick as Thunderbolt
• Susanne Blakeslee as Cruella de Vil
• Martin Short as Lars
• Jodi Benson as Anita
• Tim Bentinck as Roger
• Jeff Bennett as Jasper
• Kath Soucie as Perdita
• Ben Tibberas as Lucky
• Samuel West as Pongo
• Tara Strong as Two-Tone
• Mary MacLeod as Nanny
• Kasha Kropinski as Penny
• Maurice LaMarche as Horace
• Michael Lerner as the Producer
• Jason Alexander as Lil' Lightning
• Jim Cummings as Dirty Dawson

Soundtracks

• "I See Spots"
• "Dalmatian Plantation"
• "The Thunderbolt Adventure Hour"
• "Kanine Krunchies"
• "Cruella De Vil"
• "Try Again" (performed by Will Young)
• "You're the One" (performed by LMNT)

Trivia/Goofs

• The film was originally scheduled for a Fall 2002 release, but it was postponed. However, the film was produced in 2002 according to the credits.
• The 1990 Walt Disney Pictures logo has been customized for the film; dog barks were heard in the background as the music plays.
• This is the second animated production to be digitally colored, following "A Christmas Cruella".
• This is the first part of the franchise in which Lucky is voiced by an actual male (Ben Tibber), as normally he is voiced by a female (Mimi Gibson in the first film, Russi Taylor in the Animated Storybook, and Pamela Segall-Adlon and Debi Mae West in the TV series).
• In the original film, Patch's siblings, including Lucky, have white ears. Also in the original film, Patch's right ear is black, but in the sequel, his left ear is black. Additionally, his patch is on the same side of his black ear in the original film, but in the sequel, it's on the opposite side.
• Patch had no trouble barking in the first film; in fact, he barked more than any other pup.
• When Thunderbolt does his bark to let the puppies know he is on his way, his head is pointed up, but when the scene cuts back to show Patch and Thunderbolt, his head and neck are at an angle.
• When Thunderbolt either (a) does his bark or (b) tells Patch he is a one of a kind wonder dog, his ears always fall forward.
• Whenever Patch barked, he is either laughed at and/or referred to as a "squeaky toy" by Thunderbolt.
• During the "Twilight Bark" scene, the man walking the two Great Danes bears a similar resemblance to one of the band players in the "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" number in Mary Poppins.
• This story is somewhat similar to the 101 Dalmatians: The Series episode "Watch for Falling Idols", where Lucky learns Thunderbolt is just an actor.
• Despite Roger having a different voice artist in this movie, when his song plays in Cruella's car, it is the original singing voice (Bill Lee).
• At the start of the movie, the Dalmatians on the back of the moving van closely resembles the climax of the first film.
• Amongst Lars' spot artwork is the Mona Lisa with a spot on her lip and a Mickey Mouse head.

External links

• Official site
• 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure at the Internet Movie Database