Review of Bolt (2008) by Brett T — 23 Jul 2010

From time to time, there has been a great lack in quality of Disney's entertainment during the second half of the 2000's. Most of the time, their releases involved pointless teen pop culture, or poorly executed movies done in computer technology (i.e. Chicken Little, High School Musical, The Wild). For the most part, it wasn't taking Disney anywhere. The only things that have helped support Disney was none other than Pixar, and Disneyland unfortunately. Luckily, there have been some passable movies from Disney in which reaches closer to the boundary of what the company should do, and Bolt is one of them. It's a charming, fun, and beautifully animated movie that's held in the Disney's grasp to help get the company moving again. After seeing this movie in the theater, I left, feeling quite satisfied of what I saw. Although it contains some major flaws that are stuck out in the open, I consider it as one the better films from Disney in recent years.

The story is basically a blend of The Truman Show, Toy Story, and Homeward Bound. It relies on a white Shepard, named Bolt, who's the star of a Hollywood action program along with his owner (or person per say) named Penny. Bolt is lead to believe that he has superpowers by the producers as a method of film technique. We first begin seeing Bolt as a cute little pup at a pet shop, soon bought by Penny. Then we're cut to a breathtaking action sequence where a part of Bolt's show is tact. Explosions, missiles, dog power, and chase sequences are all engaged into one pack for ten minutes that got my blood rushing. Eventually, after shooting one act, Bolt is loose after believing Penny was kidnapped. He's accidentally shipped to New York, but later gets lead by a black alley cat named Mittens. Bolt mistakens her as the show villain's sidekick, so she's attached to Bolt as he journey's his way across country on a road trip. He also picks up a wild like hamster named Rhino, who's a hardcore fan of his show. Eventually, Bolt discovers the reality side of his being, knowing that his superhero life was a lie. He still journey's his way back to California after a few montages or so, which got kind of annoying. But at the end, the movie delivers a great moral lesson for kids regarding fame, and reality, along with a dog's loyalty. The story proves its demonstration, and pays off very well. It's not the most original screenplay, but it fulfills its purpose of entertaining the audience.

The climax results in a dog rescue mission, which is when a Hollywood warehouse catches on fire, and Penny is left inside. That portion disappointed me because I would've loved to see something more climactic. A scene, involving a dog, saving someone from a fire hazard, has been done many times to where it's getting clichéd. If you ask me, that's when there could've been an actual villain, such as the actor who played Dr. Calico in the show. Which brings me to another piece of criticism. The Hollywood producers were VERY, very underplayed. They could've been the villains as well. More on a realistic level. At this point, the moral of fame would have been a lot stronger, and more meaningful than it currently is.

The characters have outstanding voice work. John Travolta does Bolt, and Miley Cyrus does Penny. They're pretty well done, although I don't find them too memorable like other Disney characters such as Genie, Timon & Pumbaa, or Ariel. I didn't really like the awkward design off of the cat, Mittens, such as her bone-skinny body, or her three fingered paws, which I found it to be unusual, even by cartoon standards. Bolt was well designed, although his head was a little too big. Rhino, however, rocked. He's so wild, and funny from his single-liners that I think he takes the spot for comedic characters for Disney. His character might pass for a memorable character. I nonetheless still find the main characters entertaining.

I had a lot of fun with this movie. One of my favorite movies of 2008. It is targeted for the young audience, and possibly to teenage girls if at an older age. Bolt stands far from a true, and magical Disney classic, but it is a very fun, very enjoyable movie for kids and adults alike. It's harmless, and it teaches a good lesson. This is most of what I expect from when it comes to Disney other then making pointless teen pop films that are a bad influence on childhood society. This movie contains vice-versa; no pop cultural references, and no teenage tones, just pure entertainment. Though I would've loved to have seen a better ending, it's a great film to watch.