If you once feared Cruella de Vil of 101 Dalmations, after watching this movie you might have some empathy and understanding for a character who's largely shaped by the actions of others. Because of its dark nature and focus on revenge, Cruella isn't a family film. It's best enjoyed by adults and older children.
Although Cruella — a 101 Dalmatians origin story centered around the film's villain, Cruella de Vil — is a Disney film, it's not as kid-friendly a movie as most others. Rated PG-13, Cruella is filled with action, deceit, and many a dicey moment.
The MPAA rating has been assigned for “some violence and thematic elements.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a dog attack, references to murder, the death of a woman, references to the abandonment of a child, several extravagant displays with some property damage, bullying, a building fire that is implied to ...
The language is relatively mild. Minor swear words are used, such as "hell" and "damn". Some milder name-calling ("imbecile", "stupid", "fat", incompetent"); even this is sparsely used.
The violence and gore can be disturbing at times, but it's very minimal and not particularly graphic. A waiter is comically hit in the eye with a champange cork that had been popped.
Cruella First 9 Minutes - Exclusive (2021) | FandangoNOW Extras
Does Cruella have any inappropriate scenes?
Parents Need to Know
While there's very little iffy content in terms of sex, language, or substance use (aside from one scene of implied drunkenness) -- and a couple of punches and tackles are played for comedic effect -- this is definitely a murderous revenge story.
Her villainous plot in the show was to steal the Dearlys' farm from them, using the puppies as a ransom. Her mother Malevola de Vil demands she do this, and Cruella also was denied the farm by old Widow Smedly the first time she tried to buy it, incensing her and beginning her obsession.
It is not until the end Cruella reveals her true personality, a violent, careless, murderous, destructive, and downright evil psychopath, after the dalmatians escape, she becomes nearly insane and preposterous, so she goes on a rampage trying to retrieve the dogs but accidentally crashes the car she was driving.
A huge theme to acknowledge in this film is the idea of nature vs. nurture. Estella was raised by a caring mother who always tried to “love her into shape” as Cruella herself states it. Try as she might, Estella could never quite tame those wild inclinations.
You might even find yourself enjoying the movie, before remembering that the inciting action and entire motivation for the story is that Cruella's mother was pushed off a cliff by some CGI Dalmatians. Yes, that is the reason Cruella de Vil hates Dalmatians.
And according to the Cruella IMDb page, the film earned its PG-13 rating for “some violence and thematic elements.” Viewers can expect to see some violence and gore, but if you go in expecting slasher film levels of blood, you'll be disappointed.
Cruella is a crime drama with some comedy that works very well as Cruella's origin story almost in the style of the Joker movie. Without a doubt, it is a wonderful and fantastic film that gloriously revives the 101 Dalmatians franchise after so many years in silence. My final rating for this movie is a 9/10.
However, One Hundred and One Dalmatians contains references to animal cruelty, slapstick violence, and one of Disney's scariest and most iconic villains. It's therefore not suitable for children under 4 years and we recommend parental guidance for children aged 4-5 and/or a sensitive audience.
In Disney's original animated “101 Dalmatians” from 1961, Cruella de Vil is an evil woman in her sixties whose goal is to kill and skin the Dalmatians for their fur as a new fashion statement.
In 101 Dalmatians, Cruella wanted to purchase Perdita and Pongo's Dalmatian puppies because she was a selfish heiress who viewed the puppies as a fashionable commodity to be exploited rather than as innocent living beings.
It is there the movie arbitrarily suggests Cruella de Vil's eventual obsession with Dalmatians is because that breed of dog was used as a literal murder weapon in the death of her mother.
As the gang faces hardship, it's their love and devotion that keeps them together, like a pack of dogs. In contrast, the Baroness's Dalmatians are used as a status symbol.
Cruella De Vil loves fur as much as I love meat, except dog meat (🐕🍖🤮). She hates dogs, but loves to wear their skin as a coat. I don't remember that she hates animals. She hates people, but that doesn't mean she hates animals.
Estella tries to be calm and kind but struggles with what appears to be a borderline personality disorder and has trouble keeping her raging and mean alter ego, Cruella, under control. When school bullies repeatedly taunt and torment Estella, she loses control and is expelled from school.
Personality. Cruella is known to be mean and rude, frequently barging into other people's homes unannounced and openly disrespecting others. She adores attention but looks down on others, showing no sympathy or concern for anyone's well-being. She is also greedy and selfish and adores high fashion and art.
Cruella begins with Estella as a child with black and white hair, something that she was born with due to a disease called poliosis. The condition is caused by a decrease or absence of melanin in the hair on the body, typically resulting in a white streak or splotches in someone's hair.
It's clear that Disney is exploring the metanarrative about Cruella, building on her love of furs and fashion as well as fans' interpretation of her as a fabulously camp performance artist. The film also draws on the current trend of reevaluating demonized women to give her a far more sympathetic persona.
Ever since her debut in Dodie Smith's novel, there have been many films and shows that have showcased the character Cruella de Vil. She appeared in 101 Dalmatians, the 1961 animated film by Walt Disney, where her character was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson.
She is born Estella, an imaginative and creative child with a large personality. One that she and her Mom agree to call 'Cruella' and to hide away in social situations in order to interact with people appropriately. After a night out at a social gathering, Dalmatians kill Estella's Mom.
