Hide the puppies! In 102 Dalmatians, evil Cruella De Vil can’t resist fur for very long --- even though Dr. Pavlov thinks he’s cured this patient during her imprisonment. After Cruella’s unsuccessful attempt to turn 101 Dalmatians into a stylish black and white coat, this time she’s even more dangerous. Still obsessed about making a dazzling fashion statement, she now needs an additional canine for a matching hood. As played again by Glenn Close, Cruella is as "furociously" sinister as ever. However, because of a script that goes too far over-the-top, Close loses touch with her character in a few scenes and fails to deliver the topnotch performance I expected.

One disappointing sequence shows Cruella presiding over a dinner for dogs and their owners. The usually confident Close appears confused about what Cruella should be doing and saying as a hostess for such a ridiculous occasion --- but who can blame her? The animals, seated at the table next to their masters, become unruly and start eating each other’s food. Is this something Cruella planned? Is she pleased or dismayed about the mayhem taking place? No one seems to know --- and, worse still, to care.

But, oh, those wonderful outfits!!! It takes more than a prison sentence to destroy Cruella’s sense of style. She puts the other inmates to shame by wearing classic tailored suits with Chanel-type jewelry and gilt handcuffs. Upon leaving prison, she appears in a haute couture nun’s habit to demonstrate her rehabilitation. Arriving at a dog shelter to buy it, she looks politically correct in a fake fur coat made entirely of bubblewrap, black plastic trash can liners and recycled House De Vil shopping bags. While working in the shelter as a canine beautician, she wears a skintight uniform complete with dog biscuit buttons and a gold brooch featuring dogs kissing. Although black and white are Cruella’s favorite colors, she dons fabulous costumes of vibrant red for a change of pace.

Also on the plus side are those delightful puppies. As in 101 Dalmatians, they charmed me completely. One of them, called "Oddball" and born without spots, gets most of the attention in this movie. He’s always in some kind of trouble --- but manages to end up as one of the heroes. A smart-aleck parrot who thinks he’s a Rottweiler (voiced by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame) adds to the fun too. In fact, all the animals in the dog shelter are irresistible. And that goes for the actor portraying the shelter manager, Ioan Gruffudd. This rising young star won my admiration as Horatio Hornblower in last year’s Emmy-winning television series. With his Barrymore-like profile and soulful eyes, he’s just as charismatic on the big screen. Hopefully, Gruffud will be given more challenging film roles in the future.

Portraying Cruella De Vil’s fellow fur designer and partner in crime, Gerard Depardieu (Green Card) seems uncomfortable in this role. He and Close lack the chemistry needed to make things interesting between them. Tim McInnery (Notting Hill) is also miscast as Cruella’s hapless henchman. His many accidents come across as more painful than humorous. However, Alice Evans (Un Pour Toutes) projects a believable combination of sincerity and cynicism as Cruella’s probation officer.

Filmmakers obviously wanted to please youngsters with this whimsical sequel. They even ripped off that exciting pie-making machine ride from Chicken Run --- which wasn’t such a good idea, since baking Cruella De Vil into a pastry isn’t very funny. How does the notorious dognapper plan to get out? "Piece of cake," Cruella promises with all the dignity possible while speaking through globs of icing. Acclaimed actress Close deserves better than this. And so do viewers.

(Released by Walt Disney Pictures and rated "G" as suitable for general audiences.)