Bolt Movie Review

BOLT: FUN BUT DOESN’T LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION

A sweet story about a girl and her dog, Bolt has some twists on an old story. Dog loses girl, treks cross country to get back to her, and picks up new friends along the way. It is a fun watch but it isn’t in the Disney Hall of Fame.

Penny (Miley Cyrus) and her dog Bolt (John Travolta) are the stars of a hit television show in Hollywood, CA. Bolt thinks the show is his real life, superpowers and all. Each day Penny leaves him locked in his trailer after each show taping. After a taping one day where the show ends with Penny being kidnapped, Bolt is determined to rescue her. He gets out of his trailer to try and track her down. Through a turn of events he ends up in New York City. He meets Mittens (Susie Essman), an alley cat who will tell him anything to keep herself alive. She tells him that Penny is in Hollywood. He tells Mittens that he will let her go once he finds Penny. Bolt slowly starts to realize that his life as a superhero isn’t exactly reality. When Bolt and Mittens meet Rhino (Mark Walton), a Bolt super fan who also happens to be a hamster, it is confirmed that he isn’t who he thought he was. Mittens and Rhino team together with Bolt to get him back to his Penny.

Bolt is your standard girl and her beloved dog story with a few surprises. It is mostly predictable but has some standout funny bits. Most notable is when Mittens shows Bolt how to be a dog. Love it when he sticks his head out the window of a moving truck. Miley Cyrus and John Travolta are a good match as the girl and her dog. But it is Mark Walton as Rhino who will make you laugh out loud. He manages to make the hamster crazy and loveable at the same time with just a change in the tone of his voice. Greg Germann (Quarantine) as Penny’s annoying “Let’s put a pin in it” agent also does his job surprisingly well. Disney has always been a pioneer when it comes to animated films. They are on top of the world when they work with Pixar. But the difference is felt when they don’t, making it just not the same as Ratatouille or Monsters Inc.
The plot of Blot is a little too formulaic. It is still a kids’ film but their parents will expect more.

Bolt is a fun loving film that will keep you entertained for the duration. But it will not leave a lasting impression after you have left the theater. Unless you see it in 3-D, wait for the DVD.

Report Card:

Story-C

Acting-C

Visuals-B

Originality/Innovation-C

Enjoyability Grade–C+

Overall Grade-C+