Bolt (2008)

"...a refreshing throwback to the animated classics of yore.  Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun
"...has the magical quality of great animation, the ability to touch us without the hint of preachiness or manipulation.  Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
"There's something both simple and sweet about Bolt, yet epic, that's entirely surprising.  Robert Koehler, Christian Science Monitor
"Best Disney film since The Incredibles.  Robert W. Butler, McClatchy Newspapers
"For the first time in years, it feels like Disney has done its namesake proud.  Tasha Robinson, The Onion A.V. Club

Editor's Note In this 2008 computer-animated Disney film, an adorable dog named Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) has been trained to believe that he has superpowers, and that his young owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), is in perpetual peril, thanks to the schemes of the dastardly Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). However, the loving and protective Bolt and his human companion are really actors in a popular TV show, a production that goes to great lengths to make sure its star pooch remains in the dark about his fictitious life. When Bolt is accidentally transported off his show's Hollywood lot, he must find his way back home and contend with his not-so-super reality, aided by a scrappy alley cat (Susie Essman) and a very enthusiastic hamster (Mark Walton). Helmed by animation vets and first-time feature directors Byron Howard and Chris Williams, BOLT benefits from executive producer John Lasseter's sterling Pixar touch, often echoing themes of that beloved company's canon, particularly 1995's groundbreaking TOY STORY. Although BOLT doesn't quite hit Pixar heights, it stands out as one of Disney's best early-21st-century offerings, thanks in large part to its title character, who is beautifully rendered and endearingly portrayed by Travolta. A fun movie that will particularly delight elementary-school children, BOLT is excellent family fare and easily one of the finest dog-themed films in cinema history.

	Sean Donnellan - Voice
	Chris Williams - Screenwriter
	John Powell - Composer
	Susie Essman - Voice
	Malcolm McDowell - Voice
	John Travolta - Voice
	John Lasseter - Executive Producer
	Clark Spencer - Producer
	Mark Walton - Voice
	Chloe Grace Moretz - Voice
	Miley Cyrus - Voice
	Kari Wahlgren - Voice
	Dan Fogelman - Screenwriter
	Chris Williams - Director
	Byron Howard - Director

USA Today
"An enjoyable animated family film, BOLT features some engaging 3-D sequences and distinctly lump-in-the-throat moments for dog lovers." 11/21/2008

Los Angeles Times
"BOLT is a sweet Disney family film....It's laced with idiosyncratic characters with pleasantly wacky attitudes....BOLT also has an intriguing plot that is kind of the family animation version of the Jim Carrey-starring THE TRUMAN SHOW..." 11/21/2008

New York Times
"[F]risky, funny and inventive enough to engage the attention of grown-ups as well as children....What keeps BOLT fresh is an unaffected exuberance, a genuine sense of fun, that is expressed above all through obsessive attention to craft." 11/21/2008

Entertainment Weekly
"[A] blithe, digitally animated doggy comedy as zippy as its name....It's a sturdy beaut." -- Grade: A- 11/28/2008 p.56-57

Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A]n end credits duet between Smiley and the Trav offers an effective summation of the flick's winning combo of old and new." 02/01/2009

Empire
3 stars out of 5 -- "It opens with a thrilling installment of cute puppy dog Bolt's action-packed TV sereies...It's THE TRUMAN SHOW with a four-legged Jim Carrey." 03/01/2009

Hollywood Reporter
"[The directors] keep things moving along at a pleasant visual clip....There's a terrific tenderness in Travolta's performance, while Cyrus and company are similarly effective..." 11/13/2008

Los Angeles Times 8 of 10
Animated features intended for families come in two varieties: films with personality and a genuine sense of humor, and films in which characters stand around cracking jokes like they were doing stand-up in the Catskills. The former used to be the exclusive property of Pixar, but that is starting to change. Case in point: "Bolt"...Starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus as voice talent in the story of a dog who doesn't know he's canine, "Bolt" is the first animated feature to come out of the Disney Studios since Pixar guru John Lasseter took over the shop. And that has made a difference...At the end of the day, "Bolt" is a sweet Disney family film, but Lasseter's oversight has made it smarter than it otherwise would have been. It's not in Pixar's league, but it's laced with idiosyncratic characters with pleasantly wacky attitudes. That may sound like the obvious thing to do but that doesn't mean anyone else has done it...As written by Chris Williams and Dan Fogelman, and co-directed by Williams and Byron Howard, "Bolt" also has an intriguing plot that is kind of the family animation version of the Jim Carrey-starring "The Truman Show." Similar to Truman, Bolt (Travolta) is living in a TV series that he thinks is real life. He truly believes he's a dog with superpowers, dedicated to saving his owner, Penny (Cyrus), when he's just a hound with an acting job..."Bolt" opens with a glimpse of that TV series. It's an amusing spoof of "Bourne Identity"-type films that has this pint-sized crime fighter head-butting cars, dangling them over bridges in his teeth and in general destroying everything in his path...Because "Bolt" understands how to be funny -- keep an eye out for some screenwriting pigeons -- these pint-sized life lessons go down really easily, the way they did during the golden age of Disney. It's nice to have a whiff of Walt with us again. - Kenneth Turan

Reel.com 8 of 10
If action "auteur" Michael Bay trained dogs instead of constructing Transformers, his canines would probably behave like Bolt. Disney's CGI mutt (voiced by John Travolta) defends his beloved owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), from the evil forces of Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell) by head-butting semi-trucks, dangling from speeding locomotives, catapulting over military helicopters, and shooting laser beams from his eyes...Or, at least, he thinks he does. Bolt isn't aware that his powers are a sham, an elaborate Hollywood trick meant to coax a more realistic "performance" from the faithful dog for the good of his primetime television show. Yes, Bolt is The Truman Show with four paws, a tail, and a flea collar...Bolt's disastrous attempts at using his powers off the set get laughs at first, but they give way to important lessons about accepting your limitations while still believing you are special. And the film's action is top notch. The opening sequence--part of Bolt's fictional television program--has more imaginative stunts than you'll find in the whole of Marc Forster's choppy James Bond effort, Quantum of Solace...As brave as Bolt is, the film's real hero might be John Lasseter. The former head honcho at Pixar Animation Studios recently assumed creative duties at Disney's animation house, with Bolt being the first picture manufactured on his watch. As a result, it boasts much of the humor, character development, plotting, and unmistakable heart Pixar has brought to the animation genre. Reports actually have Lasseter scrapping unnecessary characters, changing key subplots, and dismissing Bolt's original director, Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch). But the changes work. In much the same way that Bolt rescues Penny, Lasseter may have saved Disney's animation division from a potential disaster. - Sean O'Connell