Bolt (Disney)
Rated PG for some mild action and peril.
Starring (voices): John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Mark Walton, Susie Essman, James Lipton, Malcolm McDowell.
Written by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams.
Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams.
GRADE: A-
REVIEW
By Dan MetcalfThe battle over computer-animated feature films is far from over. Pixar’s dominance has been compromised over the years by the likes of the
Shrek, Ice Age and
Madagascar franchises. While Pixar still has the upper hand, one source of competition now comes from within; Disney itself.
The much-publicized tug-of-war between Disney and Pixar has always been centered on Disney’s need for economic control and Pixar’s need for creative freedom. Out of the ashes of the Disney/Pixar battle came Disney’s Animation Studios division, the creative source behind
Bolt, a computer-animated feature film that is as creative, charming and technically sound as most Pixar movies.
Bolt is the story of a superhero dog, who is not really a superhero, but a canine who has been fooled to believe he’s capable doing incredible things, like producing a nuclear-like bark that crumbles armies of enemies. Bolt (voiced by Travolta) thinks his only mission in life is to protect his ‘person’ Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus) from the evil green-eyed villain and his plans to dominate the world.
There is no green-eyed man and Bolt does not have super powers. He’s the star of a TV show, but he doesn’t know it. Bolt has been conditioned to believe he’s really a super dog by the show’s director, who invokes ‘real’ performances from the dog through his own form of method acting.
When Bolt is mistakenly boxed up and delivered to New York City, he begins a long journey to get back to Hollywood to save Penny. Bolt kidnaps a cat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman) to help him because, as every dog knows, cats are all part of the same evil network of villains obviously associated with the likes of the green-eyed man.
Along the way, Bolt and Mittens pick up a tagalong hamster in a clear plastic ball named Rhino (voiced by Mark Walton), an uber-fan of Bolt’s TV show who also has a little trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
As the trio continues their cross-country road trip, they discover the truth about themselves, bond together and get out of a scrape with some animal control officers. By the time they get to California, Bolt must learn how to become a real hero to Penny, and save her not only from real peril, but also from the perils of Hollywood.
I liked
Bolt a lot. It was funny, well animated, and charming, much like its Pixar predecessors. It’s a sweet story of family, love, and true heroism that people of all ages can enjoy.
I do have one small issue with
Bolt. I am somewhat bothered by the studio-driven requirement to have big-time celebrities voice the main characters in feature animated films (i.e. Travolta and Cyrus, who also perform a closing credits musical number). I know the studio thinks if they don’t get a recognizable name in the credits, no one will see the movie. That may be true to a certain degree, but why not get recognizable names whose voices possess a little character too?
Kung Fu Panda is a good example of an actor with a voice and a personality that was perfectly matched with an animated character. The movie was at its best when we could hear Jack Black’s humor in it. Still, a studio does not need a big name actor to bring the personality out of an animated character.
No one makes this point more evident than Mark Walton, the voice behind the small but enthusiastic hamster Rhino. Walton’s Rhino steals the show and provides the biggest belly-laughs in the movie. Incidentally, Walton is a Utah native who graduated from East High School and Utah State University.
You know, no one had ever really heard of Nathan Lane until he voiced Timon in
The Lion King, but he did such a great job, it got him a lot of work. The most memorable character with the funniest voice in
The Incredibles didn’t come from Craig T. Nelson or Holly Hunter, it came from writer-director Brad Bird, who voiced the unforgettable Edna Mode. There are other instances of great cartoon voices who don’t have a star on Hollywood Boulevard, but my point is this: getting the right voice is more important than getting the right marquee.
Another well-matched voice in
Bolt is James Lipton as the true believer method-acting TV director. Lipton is the host of the Bravo cable TV show
Inside the Actor’s Studio, and really pulls off the obsessed auteur characterization well.
Go see
Bolt with you kids. You’ll walk out a little happier than you were before, and you’ll want to give your doggie an extra hug.
