datautisticgamer-74853
This film in my watchlist happened to be on Amazon Video on our brand new television set, so I decided to knock it out given its obscurity in the Disney animation canon. It isn't as appreciable as Meet The Robinsons from my experience, but then again, I did view this when I was feeling somewhat fatigued. While the story and writing are comprised of some things that aren't necessarily original, the animation is highly fluid (which surprised me, to be honest) and highly complements the assortment of action scenes, especially in the "movie within a movie" that is the Bolt series. Bolt himself is not just likable because of the cuteness factor exploited in the introduction; I appreciated his general steadfastness towards Penny, contributing to the movie's highly effective heart. Penny is especially relatable to the common child actress, who often develops bouts of negativity as their career continues, to the point that it affects their work. It was really painful (in a good, and I don't mean masochistic, way) to witness Bolt's recasting given the character and "character within a character"'s relationship with movie and MWAM Penny. The other characters are generally less essential, but do contribute more to this movie's message of cooperation and perseverance that prove especially important to audiences involved in cinema. As I said, it isn't as original in execution as it is in concept compared to Meet The Robinsons, but it still shows that Disney had come a long way from Chicken Little even before the dawn of the Neo-Renaissance. If you appreciate dogs, movies within movies, or Disney, then I expect that this movie will please you. It's fine for most others as well.
Nick Holland
Bolt is directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams and is the very original story of a dog that regularly stars in an action/adventure television show. Despite it being a fictional television show, Bolt, the dog, believes in every second of it. When he mistakenly gets shipped from Hollywood to New York, Bolt must, with the help of new companions Mittens the alley cat and Rhino the small hamster, get back to Penny in order to save her from the threat that he wholeheartedly believes is real.Bolt is, as far as animated films go, one of the most underrated films ever created. With its combined amazing voice acting, animation, and very clever writing, Bolt is a great film, with a lot of style and substance. Coming from Disney in a dark streak of theirs, Bolt didn't have any expectations from me, yet it impressed me on every level. The low amount of recognition Bolt gets is unacceptable, because it is a substantial film.The voice acting is what really elevated Bolt to the next level. The talent of John Travolta, Susie Essman, and Mark Walton add for a great team littered throughout the film. John Travolta pulls off the brave, big hearted Bolt with a passion that live action actors can't usually bring to an animated movie. Both Susie Essman and Mark Walton as supporting characters Mittens and Rhino back up the lead role with a large amount of vigor, and play their characters considerably.The animation is top notch for the standards held these days, and impressed me greatly. The animators smartly knew to blur the background while giving the foreground much detail, which, overall, made the characters pop like a bubble. Each and every character stood out, be it Bolt, the superdog, or Penny, his "human." Although the background was blurred, like mentioned above, it doesn't look cheap. None of the animation looks rushed, and it all looks very clean.My main issue lies with some conveniences thrown into the plot. Despite Bolt's target audience being smaller children, it was obviously directed somewhat to an older age as well, proved by its tear inducing moments cluttered throughout the movie. At certain times in the plot, the characters may be in a place in which the writers didn't seem to have a plan to get out of, yet, soon enough, a large factor in the film will suddenly purpose itself, and everything will work out for our heroes. Although this issue isn't that prominent, it really bothered me, and took enjoyment away from film altogether.The clever writing in Bolt impressed my on a very large scale. Almost all of the dialogue, particularly between the characters of Bolt and Mittens, is absolutely flawless, with great banter and sly exposition thrown in the middle of it all. Once thing going for this is the difference between their species, a dog and a cat. Their characters' contrast added for a great relationship between the two of them; a relationship the entire audience can relate to.Another minor issue I found in Bolt was the slow exposition. Due to the extravagant plot, the film takes its time to set up for the adventure that's about to come. Once the adventure kicks into gear, the film begins to move very quickly, but the exposition seems to drag on just a tad too long. If the script would've removed a few unnecessary characters, namely a pair of annoying cats, then the first fifteen minutes (or so) may have moved faster.The last thing I have to mention about Bolt is the fantastic score. The musical score, composed by John Powell, is absolutely golden. Every single minute that any sort of action was taking place, the score was pounding, demanding that the audience sit on the edge of their seats. The viewer already cared about the characters, and their goals, but with the astounding score booming from the speakers, the audience begins to care all that much more about everything that's taking place in the film.Overall, Bolt is one of the best animated films that Disney has made in a long time. Pretty much anyone will relate to, and enjoy, this excellent movie.
Python Hyena
Bolt (2008): Dir: Byron Howard, Chris Williams / Voices: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell: Energetic family animation about dependable friendships. Bolt is a movie star dog whose whole life is movies and he believes the plot lines as real. When he ends up in the outside world he faces hilarious facts about his suppose superpowers. Simple, formulaic but satisfactory. This film will appeal to family audiences as well as present humour around reality TV. Directors Byron Howard and Chris Williams are backed with detailed animated characters as well as a great choice theme about reality and fantasy. John Travolta voices Bolt who learns of real life but just when discouragement threatens to set in, he will discover what true courage is all about. Susie Essman voices cat Mittens with sarcasm. Mark Walton voices delusional hamster Rhino. Both characters work on great comic levels despite their formula driven presentation in subplots. Miley Cyrus voices Bolt's owner Penny who misses him and cannot really perform with the replacement. She will also learn what true courage and friendship is all about. Malcolm McDowell voices the villain in the movies and programs that Bolt is famous for and takes ever so seriously. Well animated family comedy as well as a hilarious attack on reality, fantasy and knowing the difference. Score: 7 / 10
