Dodie Smith’s 1956 children’s novel, “The Hundred and One Dalmatians,” has proven itself to be quite valuable to the Walt Disney Corporation. The company created a popular and profitable animation adaptation, 1961’s “101 Dalmatians,” and hasn’t looked back, returning to the concept, not necessarily the source material, to inspire sequels, television programs, video games, theme park meet and greets, spin-offs, and something approaching a remake with a 1996 live-action endeavor starring Glenn Close as the wicked villain, Cruella de Vil (and there was even a sequel to that). It isn’t surprising to see Disney returning to Smith’s creation once again for “Cruella,” but this isn’t a continuation of the original story. Instead, screenwriters Dana Fox and Tony McNamara are starting fresh with the feature, giving “Cruella” a “Maleficent” makeover, attempting to transform a woman who once wanted to skin puppies alive and wear their fur into a sympathetic character, asking viewers to endure a 134-minute run time as the producers attempt to position Cruella for future franchise opportunities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com