Movie Review: Bolt
Nov. 23rd, 2008 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hrjI don't normally go off to see animated films on my own, so it's probably a good thing that I have friends who drag me off to them. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scotica suggested seeing the new Disney animated cute-animal adventure Bolt, and since the local theater was showing it in 3D we took it in before she headed back home.
The plot is basically a cross between The Incredible Journey and The Truman Show. Bolt the super-dog lives on the set of the tv show he stars in and thinks that the perils besetting Penny, his human, and the special-effect superpowers he uses to save her are real. When the studio ups the drama ante by filming a cliffhanger episode, he breaks out to go rescue Penny off-script and ends up by an improbable accident getting mailed to New York. Since the tv-show villains are accompanied by eeeeeevil cats, he kidnaps the first cat he encounters and bullies her to tell him where Penny is being held. The cat, recognizing a complete nut-case when she sees one plays along while looking for a chance to escape. We pick up another standard movie trope of the antagonists bound together (literally in this case) who work their way through to becoming allies. The third member of the unlikely team is a globular hamster (with hamster ball) who's a major fan of Bolt's tv show ... but is similarly unclear on its relation to reality. They make their way across the country back to Hollywood through many adventures and personal growth experiences, only to find another dog filling Bolt's role in the show ... and evidently his place in Penny's heart as well. Or has it? Well, I'll leave the exciting climax for those who find the premise interesting enough to see it.
The animation is up to the usual standard of Pixar-style computer animation. (Yes, I know, it isn't a Pixar film -- that just makes a handy shorthand for the genre.) The characterizations are well-developed and appealing and the locations have a strong sense of place. (The tv show appears to be set in the Bay Area, and the locations were realistic enough that I got a brain-sprain when they played fast and loose with the location of the airport.) And somewhat unusually for an animated film, it doesn't go completely over the top with slapstick humor. There are some nice underlying themes about the nature of reality and the importance of relationships and of believing in yourself. (Plus one genuine sniffle-making moment.) There's the requisite happy ending, although it throws in what seems to be a bit of a gratuitous "Reality and true happiness only exist in the rural midwest" message. All in all, sufficiently above empty fluff that I recommend it. In addition to the enjoyable visuals and characters, there are enough running gags and subtleties packed into the background to keep a sophisticated viewer engaged. And the 3D was fun, too, but not essential.
scotica suggested seeing the new Disney animated cute-animal adventure Bolt, and since the local theater was showing it in 3D we took it in before she headed back home. The plot is basically a cross between The Incredible Journey and The Truman Show. Bolt the super-dog lives on the set of the tv show he stars in and thinks that the perils besetting Penny, his human, and the special-effect superpowers he uses to save her are real. When the studio ups the drama ante by filming a cliffhanger episode, he breaks out to go rescue Penny off-script and ends up by an improbable accident getting mailed to New York. Since the tv-show villains are accompanied by eeeeeevil cats, he kidnaps the first cat he encounters and bullies her to tell him where Penny is being held. The cat, recognizing a complete nut-case when she sees one plays along while looking for a chance to escape. We pick up another standard movie trope of the antagonists bound together (literally in this case) who work their way through to becoming allies. The third member of the unlikely team is a globular hamster (with hamster ball) who's a major fan of Bolt's tv show ... but is similarly unclear on its relation to reality. They make their way across the country back to Hollywood through many adventures and personal growth experiences, only to find another dog filling Bolt's role in the show ... and evidently his place in Penny's heart as well. Or has it? Well, I'll leave the exciting climax for those who find the premise interesting enough to see it.
The animation is up to the usual standard of Pixar-style computer animation. (Yes, I know, it isn't a Pixar film -- that just makes a handy shorthand for the genre.) The characterizations are well-developed and appealing and the locations have a strong sense of place. (The tv show appears to be set in the Bay Area, and the locations were realistic enough that I got a brain-sprain when they played fast and loose with the location of the airport.) And somewhat unusually for an animated film, it doesn't go completely over the top with slapstick humor. There are some nice underlying themes about the nature of reality and the importance of relationships and of believing in yourself. (Plus one genuine sniffle-making moment.) There's the requisite happy ending, although it throws in what seems to be a bit of a gratuitous "Reality and true happiness only exist in the rural midwest" message. All in all, sufficiently above empty fluff that I recommend it. In addition to the enjoyable visuals and characters, there are enough running gags and subtleties packed into the background to keep a sophisticated viewer engaged. And the 3D was fun, too, but not essential.
