Bolt (Movie Review)

Movie Review
Bolt
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman
Directed by: Chris Williams and Byron Howard
Runtime: 1:36

Poor Bolt. Usually Disney comes out with one animated film a year to lavish all its attention on and promote the hell out of. In 2008, many would have thought that Disney only released Wall-E. It’s easy to forget that Disney also released Bolt the same year. The Johnny 5 rip-off easily overshadowed the Nemo rip-off which is a shame because even though it is a predictable film and feels like it has been done a billion times a year, Chris Williams and Byron Howard have delivered a charming film that will no doubt put a smile on your face.

Bolt begins with a cute white puppy with the same name as the movie being bought by a little girl. The adorable pup (voiced by John Travolta) is later used as superhero dog for a primetime TV series. The catch though is that he doesn’t know that his superpowers are fake and that all the adventures that he has been on are a work of fiction. When his master Penny (Miley Cyrus) gets kidnapped in the show, confusing it for reality, he goes berserk and escapes the studio lot in a frantic search for the girl. He mistakenly ends up sealed in a box destined for transport and gets shipped from the West Coast to the East Coast. Upon hitting New York City, he mistakenly thinks that a stray cat named Mittens (Susie Essman) is actually an agent for the Green-Eyed Man who kidnapped Penny. Forcing her to help him go back to Hollywood, they begin to trek across the country as Bolt slowly begins to realize that he isn’t as super as though he was. They’re also joined by Rhino (Mark Walton), a guinea pig who thinks that Bolt is just as incredible as he is on TV and will go to the ends of the earth to help his hero. The three of them embark on an incredible journey to make their way to Hollywood.

Incredible Journey? Nemo? Yes, this film is predictable because it does feel like they lifted entire acts from pre-existing Disney films and rewrote them so that they would fit to the characters in this film. Both Incredible Journey and Nemo follow several characters as they need to get from point A to point B. The characters develop and they build friendships. They doubt themselves and they persevere. We’ve been there and done that before. There are several times where you’ll be scratching your head wondering where you’ve seen this movie before. If you’re unsure, just check the Disney back catalogue and you’ll surely find the movie that you’re looking for.

That’s not to say that this is a bad movie. It is not in the least. Yes, you do see every scene coming a mile away but it still is well done. The movie leaves you with a smile on your face and never depresses. One thing Disney does well is create a children’s animated film that everyone can enjoy. Bolt is no different although other Disney films do it better. There are a couple of jokes that are intended to go over the heads of their target audience to give the adults a chuckle but nowhere as much as in a film like The Incredibles. Adults will be happy to take their kids to see this movie but will be more than happy to not think about the film again ever. The dog is adorable and the cuteness of his animations help draw viewers to the movie. The interaction between Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino feels natural and you wouldn’t think that they are three characters are only recently thrown together. It is indeed predictable but it is still enjoyable.

Bolt is fun and worth a watch with the family or if you’re a Disney fan. Otherwise, it’s an easy decision to pass over this movie. It’s formulaic and adds nothing to the genre. It is still one of the best children’s animated movies of the year. Disney’s animated studios are still light years ahead in creating an entertaining movie so other than Wall-E, there isn’t much competition for this movie. When Disney strays away from its tried and true formula, it usually creates magic. Bolt suffers from the curse after the magic is made; it’s a lame but fun attempt to unleash any bottled magic that may have been left over.

☆☆☆