Cat lovers have certainly had it tough. While man’s best friend has been busy slobbering all over the box office this holiday season, Hollywood has left the felines out in the winter cold. If Jennifer Aniston’s and Owen Wilson’s pooch in Marley & Me isn’t the cause of much dog doting, then Walt Disney’s latest animation Bolt -a delightful story about a dog who thinks he has superpowers – most certainly is. Recapturing the energy and charm of their earlier films, Bolt marks Disney’s long awaited re-emergence as a top-dog in the world of animation.
Bolt (John Travolta) is a super dog; he can run as fast as lightning, break through solid walls, shoot lasers from his eyes and knock out the enemy with his bare paws. Once the camera stops rolling however, Bolt is just a regular pooch. Yet in order to keep his on screen appearance believable, the production team of the popular TV show beleive they must keep Bolt convinced that he really has super powers. But when he accidentally gets transported across the country and left to fend for himself in New York, Bolt must discover how to survive in the real world in order to make it home to his human owner and co-star Penny (Miley Cyrus) back in Hollywood.
On the surface, Bolt essentially appears to be Lassy with a shiny new coat. Whilst the ‘coming home adventure’ is certainly nothing new, Disney has managed to pack enough creative energy into Bolt to make this adventure feel surprisingly refreshing. For instance, Bolt’s journey home sees him befriend an assortment of delightfully zany characters. Arguably, the story’s protagonist even takes a back-seat when Rhino, a manic hamster who is a rabid fan of Bolt’s TV show, makes his hilarious introduction half way in. Prior to this, a brilliantly animated crew of mobster pigeons and Bolt’s reluctant sidekick Mittens, an alley cat he believes can lead him home, manages to keep things funny and fresh.
The street savvy feline Mittens also helps mould the film into a coming of age story, as Bolt comes to have friends he’d never have expected and is taught how to act like the typical house dog he never was. Here he discovers the pleasures of being a pet dog; from playing fetch with a stick to sticking his head out of the window of a moving car. For the dog owners in the audience, myself included, Bolt serves as a potent reminder of the joys of having such company around. However, pooch-less parents should be wary; if the film itself doesn’t have you stopping by the pet store on the way home from the cinemas, then the inevitable nagging of the kids in the backseat relentlessly longing for a puppy just might.
Dynamically delivered and fittingly cast; the voice talent in Bolt is fantastic, especially Mark Walton’s fanatical ramblings as Rhino the hamster. Despite a recognisable John Travolta voicing Bolt, it’s refreshing to see his character not defined by his real life persona, which in the past has prevented me from being fully engaged by digital personas (such as those in Madagascar 2 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua). It goes without saying that ticket sales will also receive a healthy boost from the current phenomenon that is Miley Cyrus (of TV’s Hannah Montana) whom lends her voice to Bolt’s handler Penny.
Voice talent aside, the real life-force behind Bolt is its superb animation. Disney certainly knows how to get the ball rolling; the high-octane opening sequence, featuring an explosive chase down a busy freeway, is a remarkable feat of digital animation. Aside from the outstanding detail in the characters and backdrops, the fluidity of each chase sequence, something the film certainly has no shortage of, is nothing short of breathtaking. That being said, the high level of animated action leaves the film somewhat undecided on its target audience. Parents should be mindful that younger viewers might find certain scenes quite upsetting; unsurprisingly so when you consider Bolt is seen evading villainous henchmen, dodging explosive missiles and narrowly escaping burning buildings. Most uncharacteristically mature is a scene where Bolt is seen hanging a terrified cat off the edge of a freeway overpass in a hope that it will cause it to talk. All things considered, most children will still find themselves thoroughly entertained throughout, and considering the film still retains a G rating in Australia, there’s no need to be too alarmed.
Conclusion:
Given how splendidly animated, solidly scripted and packed full of lovable characters Disney’s latest animation is, it’s easy to look past the familiarities of the films blasé story. Bolt marks a long awaited return to form for Disney Animation, whose last great film was a near decade ago with the highly underrated The Emperor’s New Groove.
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