Go get ‘em, Bolt! What a good movie! This animated story about a dog is aimed at both kids and adults. The movie opens with a brilliant strategy. Bolt the super dog goes through a wild series of adventures using his amazing leaping, his laser vision, his physical strength, and, most effectively, a bark-growl that works like an earthquake. But when a set crew walks on and starts moving things, we realize it is all a movie happening on a Hollywood set, except Bolt thinks its real. But when Bolt chases two cats and accidentally winds up in New York, he slowly realizes that his super powers do not work--he is just a dog, whatever that is. By starting the movie the way they did, the Walt Disney crew took us through somewhat the same experience Bolt went through. While we sit back and watch the hilarity in 3D, Bolt, a cynical ally cat, and a rah-rah fat hamster make their way across the country to find Bolt’s “person,” the little girl movie star who loves him. Throughout the adventure, Bolt realizes slowly but surely that he can be a hero without super powers. Now that’s not a bad theme.
Although the movie is well worth watching, it is not flawless. When Bolt is a puppy in a pet store, his movements are extremely realistic except he shakes his toy a little too fast and doesn’t play with it long enough. This problem continues throughout—Bolt is a lovable little guy but sometimes his movements are not quite dog-like. Also, his eyes which are meant to bright and expressive are a bit too bright and expressive, not like dog eyes. This might not have been so important if the minor characters were not so good—the cat (except the eyes again), the crazy hamster, and, above all, the pigeons that make hilarious guest appearances. The story about traipsing across country to get home is certainly not original, but the television-fantasy element give it a new feel, more depth, and greater possibility of confusing young kids (the little guy down the row from me regularly checked with his mom to see if he was keeping the story straight). The secondary theme of being loyal to your friends is hackneyed, monodimensional, and not well-supported by the story. But the whole story is told with such verve and good spirits that you’ll enjoy Bolt’s journey from mass market superhero to dog, just a dog, just one happy, loving, slobbering dog.