101 Similarities

Hey guys. My blog today is centered on 101 Dalmatians. I know that must sound really weird coming from me since I have only considered it one of my "ok" or "Meh" Disney films even as a little kid. I never hated it, I just never considered it one of the greatest Disney Classics of all time. I guess the sketchy animation and characters didn't really grab me that much (but as cat or dog films go, it's nowhere near as bad as Oliver and Company, I'll give it that much credit). I tried streaming it on Disney+ last night to see if my opinion had changed an....eh, still felt the same. However, I do love pointing out similarities, and I love 3 out of the 4 classics I'm comparing it to. Some similarities you would have to look on the reused animation or homage page. So let's begin

Lady and the Tramp

What similarities did I find between these two?

Both are obviously about dogs and romance
They have a lot of time skips, usually by weeks or months
There are main female antagonists (one unintentional, one deliberately evil)
There is a thunderstorm on the night of an expected pregnancy
A transportation vehicle crashes and is destroyed in the end
The puppies have the same yipping and whimpering sound effects
There is a rooster crowing heard
There is a bloodhound with similar animation
The characters celebrate Christmas in the end.
If one listens closely during the fight with the Baduns, the Dalmatian couple's growls and snarls are the same as Tramps
Both were released on the Platinum Edition lineup
- On the subject of the Platinum Editions, I remember false advertising commercials of a character making a disgusting noise that did NOT happen in the film. The bulldog burped and Captain farted.

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The Aristocats

Both are about domestic pets living in a European city, but are dog/catnapped, end up in the countryside, and have to get back to their city home.
One could say they are both literal family films
There siblings who argue once in a while and a gentle but firm mother reprimanding them.
After the pets are taken, someone cries out “They’re gone!”
There are goose characters
There's animation where a cat is struggling against the wall and a crook is taking two steps forward towards them (with their feet turned a little bit)
The crooks get their butts kicked by a horse...literally
There's animation of a the pet father trying to get one of the kids on board, the vehicle hits a bump, and he nearly falls off
Both were released on DVD in early 2008

The Rescuers

Most, but not all will center on the villains

Both are set in a modern time period (or at least as modern as possible)
The villain is a hot tempered woman
The villains drive recklessly in red cars
The villains' defeats are getting stranded
The villains are named after some sort of monster or supernatural creature
There are male and female main characters whose names begin the same letter
One of the henchmen is obese
Someone says “I can’t believe (insert character name) would run away.”
The characters are seen watching television (especially the dalmatians)
Both were released on video in 1992 and 1999
- On a totally minor but fun note both their black diamond previews of The Great Mouse Detective and Beauty and the Beast (albeit reversed orders)
There is snow at least one point in the film
The controversial term "devil" is contained in both films

The Great Mouse Detective

As one may have guessed, I saved the best for last. Most of these similarities will center on the setting and villain

Both films take place in London
Both characters narrate the film (at least partly)
The main characters have recurring theme music
There are elderly maids
There's lots of smoking
- And speaking of smoking, one of the good guys smokes a pipe, the main antagonist smokes a cigarette on a pole, and there are other characters smoking cigars.
- Also, the villains burn something unnaturally with the cigarette poles; a cupcake and a newspaper to be precise
There are moments where one of the characters stand upright against the villain in a huff while hardly moving, even if the villain moves them a tiny bit.
The villains' henchmen kidnap the main characters which of course sets the main plot in motion
The villains have their own theme song
There are two dog characters who have the same barking sound effect (Pongo and Toby to be precise)
The villains are seen with a freaky close up of red eyes in the climax
As the movies end, there is a view of the main characters' flats as well as London itself right before you see "The End" come up
Like The Rescuers, both were released on video in 1992 and 1999
- Speaking of video, both 1992 editions had a sneak preview of Aladdin before the feature, and after a preview of a mouse rescue mission film followed by Beauty and the Beast
Both were the first two full length films I have officially watched on Disney+ at my cousin's house on a brunch event a couple years ago.