Bolt (2008)

Reel rating: 5/5

Reel commentary: ... what works for the film is not just the voice acting by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus as the two leads, but the unblemished incorporation of action, adventure and hilarious wit into a feel good script.

By Lloyd Bayer

Gone are the days of 2D animated films. Also Gone are the days of Disney’s fairy tale cartoons from Snow White to Mulan.  What we have today is high definition computer generated animation in the form of ultra pleasing eye candy. But we already know this, especially after witnessing what Pixar animation studios can do with a computer. Now when you have an in-house alliance between Pixar’s phenomenal imagery and Disney’s magic, you get to see an exceptional hybrid that has all the pros and none of the cons. This is exactly what makes Bolt truly unique. Having founded Pixar, John Lasseter now heads Disney’s creative office with all the more grandeur thanks to a turbo charged Pixar engine under the hood.

All images copyright © 2008 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

This 48^th animated feature from Disney tells an action packed tale surrounding the adventures of a cute German-shepherd in the title role.  Reared by his master Penny, Bolt is not just an adorable dog, but a super-dog with amazing powers. Or so he thinks. Unknown to Bolt, Penny and her dog are protagonists on a hit TV show by the same name. However, when filming ends everyday, Bolt is isolated from the real world by being locked up on the sets of the very show he stars in. Although Penny disapproves, the producers feel this is necessary in order to have Bolt believe that he is a super-dog. Unfortunately for Penny, the price of Bolt’s freedom is parallel in proportion to the show’s network ratings. Her predicament takes a turn for the worse when Bolt is accidentally shipped to the Eastern city of New York. Lost in this strange city, Bolt thinks this is a new adventure and starts seeking the whereabouts of Penny. When his super powers strangely fail him, Bolt first attributes this to the Styrofoam packing he was shipped in, but when he meets a street smart alley cat, truth dawns on him like a ton of bricks. Mittens, sarcastically enlightens Bolt of his false reality and preps him for the harsh life ahead. Just when he believes all is lost, they encounter a daring hamster who just so happens to be Bolt’s biggest fanboy. Considering himself truly lucky to be part of the show, Rhino the hamster convinces Bolt to head back to Hollywood where he would be re-united with Penny. Assisted by an over zealous hamster and a skeptical cat, Bolt embarks on a homeward journey unaware of the perils that await him and the fact that his loving master may have already abandoned him for a lookalike in the interests of keeping the show going.

What works for the film is not just the voice acting by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus as the two leads, but the unblemished incorporation of action, adventure and hilarious wit into a feel good script. Kudos to directors Bryon Howard and Chris Williams for delivering an exceptionally animated film that far outdoes its pre-release trailers in all forms of theatrical hype. While a minority of cynical critics claims the script to be inspired by the adventures of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story and Truman’s shocking revelation in The Truman Show, I can guarantee every minute of this film to be nothing short of totally enjoyable. Travolta aside, Susie Essman as Mittens and Mark Walton as Rhino, are truly rib-cracking and pretty much steal the show. Add to that, a trio of Mafioso pigeons and an evil villain and what we have is an overly gratifying film for all ages. Parents be cautioned; kids will soon have their Cars DVDs replaced by Bolt. And be prepared for that unexpected trip to the pet shop.

Nominated for an Oscar but loosing out to Wall-E for the latter’s profound themes of global warming and pollution, this film has all the excitement and laughs that Wall-E lacked at times. Either way, Disney has done it again.

Walt would have been proud.

Lloyd Bayer



Comments

Frank Says: June 20, 2009 at 14:17 More Bolt quotes: "What is this red liquid coming from my paw?" "Mark my words, Mittens. One day, someone's gonna stand up to you! Someone's gonna teach you a lesson! " "If Bolt's taught me anything, it's that you never abandon a friend at time of need! " "How do you say "No way I'm doing this" in crazy? "

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