Welcome back, Disney: 'Bolt' is a winner
By Phil Villarreal
Pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.20.2008
Pixar masterpieces aside, it's been quite a while since Disney cranked out an animated movie worthy of its fairy-dust-sprinkled castle logo.
By my assessment, Disney's drought has lasted 14 years, since "Lion King" (1994) roared its way to pop culture immortality. "Bolt" doesn't even attempt to recapture the majesty of "The Lion King," but it at least snaps Disney out of its funk, zinging in with a surge of fresh energy.
"Bolt" sticks to a strict formula: Establish an adorable hero, place him in a non-threatening adventure, give him some snappy sidekicks and pepper the script with slapstick that appeals to the kids and wry humor to keep the parents from nodding off.
What makes the difference between success here and failure in, say, "Chicken Little," is how well the movie executes given its constraints. "Bolt" feels exuberant and creative rather than canned and focus-grouped.
It helps that Bolt, the delusional superhero dog voiced with relentless enthusiasm by John Travolta, is a franchise-in-waiting.
Bolt is so lovable because of how clueless he is. The pup has gone through life on a TV action show set convinced he really is a superhero, invulnerable with a sonic bark that can level buildings. He's dedicated to Penny (voiced by Disney go-to girl Miley Cyrus), the actor whom Bolt believes he's protecting from evil minions thanks to the network's "The Truman Show"-like insistence that Bolt be kept in the dark about reality.
That all changes when Bolt is accidentally boxed and shipped to New York. With the help of a stray cat, Mittens (Susie Essman) and a determined rodent named Rhino (Mark Walton), Bolt makes his way across the country in a voyage reminiscent of "The Incredible Journey," only with more sarcasm.
The movie may not be earth-shattering, but it sends you away with the glow of having experienced a kiddie movie that you makes you feel like a kid again.
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