Rated PG for some mild action and peril.
Directed by Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Starring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus…
In 1999 Toy Story II knocked me outta my chair. I had never fathomed enjoying animation that much. In 2004, every animation film ever released, including Toy Story II, got “served” by an amazing piece of work known as The Incredibles. Since then, we’ve seen a lot of fun and creative animation (Barnyard, Cars, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E, etc.), but nothing close to The Incredibles… until now.
Bolt was… dare I say, incredible.
The film opens with a touching scene of little girl meets puppy, a moment that will revert all dog lovers to “gootsie goo goo.” We are then warped to high impact, fast action entertainment where Bolt, the canine wonder dog, saves the day. It is quickly revealed that when the filming of the TV show is wrapped at the end of the day, this superdog has no knowledge that he is just an ordinary lovable dog. When circumstances separate him from his film set, reality kicks in and takes him on an amazing adventure where Bolt and his newfound friends face true adversity that force Bolt down an unchartered road of self discovery.
Visually, the film was amazing. The animation is fantastic— fast action combined with creative camera angles.
The script was creative and original. Who would have thought to introduce a hamster in a ball as a main character? Sheer brilliance! But as ingenious as Rhino the hamster (yeah, that’s his name) was throughout (yes, every moment of his screen time was pure bliss), the film delivered ample humor and heart beyond just his character. (We’ve all seen films where only one character really “made” the film… cough, cough… Hammy the squirrel in Over the Hedge.)
Travolta and Cyrus were good. Miley’s gruff little voice served perfect for young Penny. But, with no disrespect to Travolta or Cyrus, the voice talents that really stood out were delivered by unknowns. My hat goes off to the casting director who chose talent over “status” for many of the roles.
Bolt’s solid scrip and steady pace of action will keep audiences of all ages. I screened this film in a theatre filled with anything from toddlers to elderly people. Everyone loved it. I don’t know who loved it more, me, my 11-year-old, or my 15-year-old.
Bolt will go down in my book as one of my animation favorites… probably right under The Incredibles.
This is a film you’ll want to catch in the theatre. Don’t miss it. When it comes to Blue Ray, I’ll be buying it on its release date.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Absolutely. Nothing objectionable at all.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
