"...a good story and cute animals were more important than beautiful artwork"- Disney movies are very stylized, and they always have been- for example, Sleeping Beauty's art style was intentionally vertical. The artwork in Dalmations is very good- Disney always had a high standard, so to imply that it isn't or that Disney was just cheaping out is a bit silly. Not every style appeals to every palette, and some styles, like those in 101 Dalmatians and Aristocats, are more a product of the time they were made in. Besides, the backgrounds in those movies, while simple, are still well drawn, but also allow for the main focus to be on the characters in the foreground, which is as it should be.
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