Post by BIGFANBOY on Nov 21, 2008 5:28:18 GMT -5
BOLT
Review by Gary Dean Murray
I believe that Disney is the greatest film company in the history of the motion picture industry. If you go back and look at their accomplishments, you will find that not only have they been at the top of the hill in box office for decades, but that they are the leader in Oscar statutes. Now that Pixar Animation is basically running the show, the future looks even brighter for this stalwart corporation. The latest release is another animation classic Bolt.
The story of Bolt is of a dog by the same name (voiced by John Travolta). As a puppy he is taken by Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus). Theirs is a match made in cinematic heaven. Flash forward a few years and Bolt is a young dog that is a part of an action adventure show that stars Penny. One little problem, in Truman Show fashion, the pooch has no idea that he is in a television program. He believes that Penny is in all the cinematic danger she appears to be, and that the situations they face are real. It is a perfect ruse done just to get the proper emotional responses. The mutt thinks that he has a bionic style body and a super bark.
A network executive doesn’t like the way the show is running and wants changes. So, the cinematic team decides to have a cliffhanger episode with Penny in peril. Only Bolt has no clue about what is going on. In an attempt to rescue Penny, he is accidentally shipped off from his studio home in L.A. to New York City.
Once in the city he meets a trio of pigeons who never seem to place the dog even though there are billboards everywhere with his image. But the birds convince Bolt that he can find Penny through a local alley cat named Mittens (Susie Essman). Bolt buys the idea and forces Mittens to take him to Penny.
So begins the oldest idea in cinema... the road trip. Along the way to California, our beloved pooch learns all those dog things that he has never experienced, like begging for food. Mittens at first thinks that Bolt is just a crazed mutt and tries to do everything to escape from him. They befriend a hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton), who finally helps Mittens discover the true identity of our canine hero. It is their journey to L.A., and Bolt finding out what a true super hero dog he can be, that is the cinematic driving force of this film.
First off, the animation of Bolt is truly amazing. There is this palate of colors that make the film feel classic and modern at the same time. The computer hues are a joy to behold and a marvel of modern filmmaking. This movie rivals anything done by sister-company Pixar.
Though I found both John Travolta and Miley Cyrus lacking in the vocal department, the secondary characters steal the film every chance they're given. Susie Essman and Mark Walton show a comic voice talent that is seldom surpassed in these kinds of films. Both are showstoppers when working together and take on the lion’ share of comedy.
While the script by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams is every kind of predictable, the direction by Chris Williams and Byron Howard saves the show. They turn this story into an epic journey with just the right mix of heart and comedy. And though it feels a bit rushed to get to the ending, the story does stay on a steady course. The script does have some clever and deft touches, like Bolt thinking packing peanuts are some kind of weapon that zaps his powers. The hamster ball is used over and over for some sidesplitting comic effects. Bolt’s eventual discovery that the bolt emblazoned on his side is just make-up is a heartbreaking moment.
The film will be presented in Disney 3-D, which is the way to go when seeing Bolt. While not the best animated film of the year and not even the best animated under the 2008 Disney banner (see WALL-E), this is a great little movie and will make the Oscar animation race that much tougher.
To go back to BIGFANBOY.com click here - www.bigfanboy.com