Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader, Nick Swardson

Directed by: Byron Howard, Chris Williams

Disney Pictures

The Official Site of Bolt

Discuss Bolt on the boards!

I’d read and heard a fair amount of positive praise for Bolt, the latest Disney animated film about a delusional TV star dog who thinks he has super powers and is forced to rediscover himself upon mistakenly leaving the comfort of his big budget home, and sort of went in expecting it to be on par with the animation giants released at the beginning of the summer (I’m speaking of course about the bot and the bear). For me Bolt is a lesson in expectations and another warning to not always believe the hype. Especially if you’re not the target audience.

That should be the gigantoid disclaimer to be posted in big bright colors on the front of this review. I am not a child, I am not a dog owner, I hate talking animal movies… I do enjoy a flashy superpower but as far as “super bark� is concerned, it’s only slightly more impressive than being bilingual. Something I am not, so – good for you, TV dog!

Still, we live in an age where a precedent has been set that “kids movies� can, and usually are, as entertaining for the target audience as they are for the adults being dragged along. For a movie that looked to be like The Truman Show meets the Incredibles I’m surprised at how plain and watered down the whole things comes off.

It’s not that the movie is bad. The story is pretty clever, the message is sweet and the voice talent is less intrusive than the Travolta/Cyrus haters around the web would have you believe (It took some getting used to but Travolta’s smooth bravado was a good fit for the confident but confused pup), but it all feels underdone. Played safe and for what? For the kids?

On this week's Triple Feature Gordon brought up one heart-wrenching scene in which we learn the true origins of Bolt's "street tough� alley cat Mittens. I commented how that scene felt underdone and that, had they played it out as well as Toy Story 2 did with the long lost doll, it would've had the same kind of emotional and long lasting impact. He said that he was a cat owner and that maybe that was the reason it maid such a powerful connection with him.

My cats and I were slightly offended.

It's not that I didn't understand Mitten's sad story but I just don't think they really enforced it as much as they should or could have. Even more, should you have to be a cat owner to understand her troubles? Or a Dog owner to understand Bolt’s? What kind of movie is that? What kind of movie is accessible only to pet owners?

The watered down flood touches every aspect of the film from the storytelling to the comedy. The only element that escapes is the action. While there wasn’t quite enough of it, what we got to see (especially from behind a set of 3-D glasses) was impressive. Inventive and fun, all done in a very grand way that made you see why the dog fell for the charade in the first place.

I’m not falling for Bolt though. And why should I? I’m not the target audience.

Rating: 5 out of 10 - Every adult I spoke with (see, I don’t even mingle with the target audience) about Bolt had the same thing to say. “I wanna go see it for that hamster.� And I was right there with them. There was something utterly enchanting about that over-charged, enthusiastic ball of fur hungry for adventure (voiced by artist Mark Walton who laid down a vocal track as a place holder and was so good he got the gig.) Rhino the hamster, aka Bolt super fan, was definitely entertaining. All of the sudden here’s this character that’s even MORE delusional than the dog that things he can shoot laser beams out of his eyes. He brought a new level of energy to the film that worked well in doses.

Not barely as well as everyone I talked to could have been hoping though. His most viciously hilarious moments are plaster all over the previews and before long he begins to feel like nothing but the tag along third wheel he is.

I’ve been a little too hard on the movie in the review. Kids should absolutely adore it and it is a pretty sharp looking movie that handles a few things well. Bolt learning how to be a normal dog is kind of a touching journey, even if it is a cat that’s him through it. How does that make sense to anyone?

Not for me but kids seem to really love this film so if you have a little one crawling the walls, this might be just the thing to calm them down. Chances are though it’ll make them start bugging you none stop for a dog of their own which they will inevitably name “Bolt� and shave clever designs into the side of. Good luck explaining that to the ASPCA.

I’ve written an unnecessarily uncomplimentary review and comic for a movie that doesn’t quite deserve it. At the same time it doesn’t deserve the praise either. Still, I feel bad about taking cheap shots like this, about riding the Miley Cyrus bandwagon of hate. You’ve got to go where the funny is though right? I suppose this comic is more about the surprise that a film would and do better in its second week then in its first. That’s almost unheard of in an industry that’s built on opening weekends and DVD sales. Films like Twilight and Quantum of Solace do huge opening weekend business and then take huge dips It’s rare that a movie can actually hang around the top 5 long enough to make a real difference. You know, unless there are bats and jokers in it.

Hey, want a quick art lesson from someone that actually knows what they’re doing (not me)? Head on over to Rob and Elliot and click back through the last few weeks worth of strips. Clay’s experimenting with his style and I think he’s hitting on some remarkable things. Even in a short period of time you can see huge leaps in different directions and while all of them have not been as successful as others it’s fascinating to see an artist say, “You know what? Let’s shake it up.� and then sift through his style to find something beautiful. Keep up the good work over there guys!

A quick word of congratulations to Fun in Jammies where Emily has reached 100 pages and begun her second volume. This is one of my favorite finds of the year and I encourage you to spend some time digging through the back-story.

Thanks for reading guys. Back tomorrow with… well, I’m not really sure yet.