Film	Nov. 20, 2008

Bolt For This Film

By Dan Hudak

Ahhh, if only you could hug the screen.

Bolt is adorable in all the ways a family movie about a superhero dog can be adorable. The opening action sequence is as riveting as anything in The Incredibles; the animals are so cute you immediately want to hold them; and the story, while innocently predictable, captures your interest for 95 quick minutes.

Bolt (voice of John Travolta) is an American White Shepherd dog who believes the superpowers (a supersonic bark, lasers shooting from his eyes) he has on his action-packed television show are real. And why wouldn’t he? The show’s feline villain (voice of Diedrich Bader) taunts him in real life, and the show’s creators have gone to great pains to make sure all the action is perfectly choreographed, so Bolt never has to do a second take. The fact that he gets all his instruction from his co-star and beloved master, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus), keeps the illusion active off-screen as well. But when Bolt is accidentally shipped from the cozy confines of his Hollywood studio trailer to New York City, he must find his way home before he’s replaced on the show and Penny’s heart is forever broken.

This being a Disney movie, Bolt has some colorful characters keeping him company. They are Mittens (voice of Susie Essman), a jaded alley cat with abandonment issues, and Rhino (voice of Mark Walton), a hamster and huge fan of Bolt’s who spends much of his time inside a plastic ball. Gradually Bolt realizes he isn’t a superhero, and makes his way back to Penny and, well, if you’re old enough to read you probably know how it’ll end.

But it’s the journey that matters, and this is a fun adventure. The script by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams is funny and smart, and the jokes meant for adults are humorous enough for kids to laugh at as well, albeit for different reasons. When a director (voice of James Lipton) yells at a studio executive (voice of Kari Wahlgren) about the show’s content, kids will laugh at the absurdity of the moment while adults will appreciate the mock-seriousness with which Lipton pulls off his rant about artistic integrity.

It also helps that the animation looks sharp, and those fortunate enough to see this in 3-D will have a still better experience. It’s one thing for Bolt’s hair to look finely detailed and fluffy on a flat movie screen, and yet another for it to be so close in 3-D that it feels like you could reach out and pet him. And you’ll want to.

Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams, Bolt proves that Disney does not need Pixar (with whom the Mouse House collaborated on Toy Story, Finding Nemo and others) for success. Granted, Wall-E (the last Disney/Pixar effort) was wonderful, but Bolt is more fun and likely will be more enjoyable for kids. And which toy would your child rather have this holiday season? A cute dog or a trash compactor?

Bolt *** Written by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams. Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams. Starring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Diedrich Bader, James Lipton. Rated PG. Running time: 95 minutes. **** A genuine must-see ***   Entertaining **     Mediocre, but not worthless *       A wretched waste of time Also opening this week: Twilight, Tru Loved, I’ve Loved You So Long.

Comments? E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com.