With a minimum of 101 characters to play with, it's only surprising that it's taken so long for this sequel to the 1961 Disney cartoon "One Hundred and One Dalmatians".

This second adventure is aimed directly at young children, but parents should find the time flying by. As Disney direct-to-video sequels go, this is easily the best so far.

The idea behind the film is simple but compelling: how on earth do you develop your own identity within a crowd? It's the dilemma poor little Patch faces amongst 100 other dogs, and kids should be able to empathise with him as he seeks to make his mark.

Patch is an avid fan of TV's Lassie-like dog star, Thunderbolt, who each week thrills with his amazing daring rescues. When the pooch celeb comes to visit London, Patch steals away to meet the incredible mutt, only to find he's not quite the brave hero he pretends to be.

Thunderbolt has to somehow muster the courage to help out little Patch, when Cruella De Vil steals his 100 dalmatian siblings. A mildly exciting adventure ensues with a few laughs along the way.

These are mainly thanks to some amusing sight gags, like the state of De Vil's crumbling car, and her addiction to black spots.

Despite this being made for Disney's TV division, the animation has a pleasing quirkiness to it, and the story zips along.

Cruella is a little too meek, and the one song is very poor, but at least the music score is orchestrated. The focus on purely innocent fun is exactly right and the movie should keep young fans happy.

"101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure" is out to buy on DVD and video from Monday 3rd February 2003.