Bolt Review: A-
I have to admit that I have been a sucker for Disney/Pixar movies since the good old days of Toy Story. In fact, each one of their collaborations has been a winner with me, so when I learned that this movie was made solely by the Walt Disney Animation Studio, I couldn’t help but feel slightly worried. Why mess with a great team? After such great films as A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille and Wall-E (I told you I was a fan of these flicks), why deviate from a system that works and risk damaging the reputation of CGI movies out of this cooperation by not including the minds at Pixar?
Because they can, and because it works.
Bolt seems to mesh with the classic Disney movies we’re used to, despite it’s sharp computer animation. Sure, it’s not hand drawn, but neither was Enchanted and that movie was just as priceless as any Disney Princess movie in my mind. Here we have a film more akin to Lady and the Tramp or the Lion King: endearing animals (with the uncanny ability to communicate across species without so much as a difference in accent. It seems the animal world is a lot more harmonious than that of their bipedal masters) engaging in life altering journeys of discovery, friendship and, ultimately, love.
What makes this movie shine is the kind of love it chose to focus on. So many people have pets in their lives, and we all know that our cats, dogs, hamsters, horses, iguanas: our animals are members of our family. They’re not ‘like’ family members. They are. And this movie highlights the bond between a human and their pet, and the other way around. It’s an unconditional love that is so easily recognizable and relatable, the characters are almost instantly endearing. It helps that most of the movie is spent with the canine Bolt and his cat, Mittens, and hamster, Rhino, companions, since they’re fluffy and adorable as well as emotionally lovable.
The story follows Bolt, voiced by John Travolta, a dog who believes his exploits in a highly acclaimed TV show (if all the ads for it throughout the movie are any indication of its popularity) are real. In the show he is a genetically engineered super dog with powers he uses to keep his human, the loving Penny (Miley Cyrus), safe from the wicked advances of the Man with the Green Eye. In order to boost ratings, however, the show decides to leave the audience with a cliffhanger: Penny is finally captured. Bolt believes she is gone and manages to ship himself across the country in order to save her. On his way back to
This movie really knows how to make the animal lovers in the audience invest themselves in this journey of devotion. I, being a cat lover and the owner of the three best kitties in the world (disagree with me all you want: you haven’t met them), found myself absolutely riveted to Mittens and her backstory. Dog lovers will find moments of connection with Bolt and his exploration of what it is to be a real dog, rather than the super hero he has grown up believing himself to be. And fans of small, furry things will be unable to stop from laughing and ‘aw-ing’ at Rhinos antics in and out of his rolling ball.
Of course, coming from Disney and being animated, there’s the assumption that this movie is meant for children lingering over the heads of almost anyone over the age of 16. While the content is soft and friendly to all ages, it never feels like its shutting out its older viewers. It is meant as a family film, and can be thoroughly enjoyed by any person of any age, regardless of whether they brought a young child with them as an excuse to see it or not. In fact, I recommend going to see it with friends your own age, and enjoying it for what it is: a good reason to act like you’re a carefree kid again, rather than a college student stressing under the weight of impending finals.
The voice acting is solid enough. Honestly, I was having too much fun with the plot and the animation to notice if anything fell short with the lead voices. John Travolta plays Bolt with emotion and subtlety, to the point where I hardly noticed if the Greaser had any sort of Saturday Night Fever about him. It wasn’t until the credits that I remember Travolta was the voice at all. Miley Cyrus is a bit more recognizable, but her young tones are perfect for Penny. Mittens, voiced by Susie Essman, was as strong as the more well-known voices, and Mark Walton was hilarious was the wild and excitable Rhino. James Lipton made an appearance as The Director of the Bolt TV show, but ultimately he was only in it for one scene that didn’t really need to be there. It was just background on why Bolt thought everything was real, except his over the top description of bringing out the best ‘performance’ in the dog was… a bit hard to swallow. Particularly because we were not invited to see how the Director reacted to his lead star going missing, or how he dealt with t he choice of replacing Bolt with a trained dog instead.
And this is where I have to complain about a couple of small, ultimately inconsequential things. Some of the plot elements, or rather the human characters, felt a little like movement devices and nothing else. Penny, for instances, had an agent that was constantly hounding her about press appearances and the advancement of her career. I’m not sure if he was supposed to be a comedic relief, or some kind of antagonist, but he didn’t really serve either purpose. The movie was not made any better whenever he was on screen, and I don’t think it was necessary to invest so much time in a character that wasn’t contributing to the story.
But that is just a small complaint for an otherwise great movie. Go and see it. But be warned, the song that plays at the end credits will get stuck in your head. Forever.
Rental Queue 7
Enchanted
Disney’s winner of a movie last year, Enchanted brings the animated world to life in a new, brilliant way. The story is so sweet and classic, it feels like the cell-shaded films of the past, and does not fail to be absolutely, for lack of a better word and because the pun never gets old, enchanting. It is as magical as they come, and the characters actually sing about the story they’re involved in. Remember how the old movies used to do that, rather than putting songs over montages or having recording stars lend their voices to the CD or closing credits? Good times.
Ratatouille
The first of many Disney/Pixar recommendations on the list this week, Ratatouille is one of my favorite animated movies in recent times. The story is simple and fun, and I can’t help but think I’ve always wanted to be a chef every time I watch it, just because everyone is so fulfilled and happy by the time the credits roll. Remy is charming, and the voice Plus, the antagonistic food critic has one of the best character moments I’ve seen in a ‘kids’ movie in a very long time.
Kung Fu Panda
Not Disney, and not Pixar, but brilliant nonetheless. Kung Fu Panda boasts a cast of well known voice actors that pull their weight flawlessly. Leading the pack is Jack Black as
Grease
There cannot be a mention of John Travolta without a subsequent reference to this musical comedy. He and Olivia Newton-John light up the screen with their chemistry and dulcet tones, making it impossible not to have fun just sitting back and watching it. The adventures of the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds are timeless. Besides, you know you’re still trying to learn all the words to We Go Together.
Tropic Thunder
Just released on DVD, and a must have for every movie fan. Tropic Thunder is one of the most hilarious movies I’ve seen in recent times, and needs to be at least rented and viewed by every single person in the world. If there’s not possible, than at least as many people on campus that read this paper. Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black and Ben Stiller each give excellent performances in what is not just another slap stick comedy thrown together for cheap laughs. Sure, there are those moments in their, too, but it really is a more sophisticated movie than that. It’s a strange character piece, as well as an excellent directorial achievement for Stiller, who also helped pen the script.
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