Film Review--Bolt

Bolt
directed by Byron Howard, Chris Williams
written by Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
starring the voices of John Travolta, Malcolm McDowell, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Daran Norris, Kari Wahlgren



Bolt (Travolta) is a superstar wonderdog who teases and prods a massive audience of humans every week as the star of a hit television program. He saves a young lass named Penny (Cyrus) from the sinister clutches of Dr. Calico (McDowell) and dutifully goes back to his trailer. He is flagrantly unaware that each adventure is staged and that he does not possess super powers. He escapes only to wind up trapped in a package destined for New York. He spends the rest of the film desperately attempting to get back to Hollywood to “save” his human.

The story is a journey of discovery where Bolt has escaped from the safety of the set to locate his precious Penny before the mad doctor does anything particularly untoward to her. Bolt finds a feisty feline named Mittens and a robust, enthusiastic fanboy hamster named Rhino and the trio set out to find Penny in Hollywood. Much of the film focuses on the various methods of transportation that is commandeered and Bolt’s disillusionment over finding out that he’s just another dog. He is taught dog skills by Mittens and discovers just how much joy can be extracted from the simplest, most mundane activities. Gradually an affection builds up between them which proves that the war between cats and dogs is utter bollocks.

The film is a hilarious sendup of the television industry where executives decide after consulting with a number of polls that the key 18-34 demographic is not happy and does not want to watch happy shows. Subsequently they force the producers to darken things up a bit which leads to the cliffhanger where Peggy is snatched away and Bolt is left behind to pine. Bolt bolts and finds himself in New York wondering how he got there and wishing he could relieve his anxiety and save Penny. He is determined to do what he has done so many times before and gamely sets out to complete the only task at hand that matters.

This film possesses a tremendous amount of energy throughout and there are numerous fast action sequences that leave one positively dizzy. The animation is stellar and produce a sense of terror on occasion as the various scenes for the show are played out. There is an intensity about the film which lends itself to many moments of giddy affirmation as the story continues.

Penny is presented as a talented young actress who wants nothing more than to have her trusty dog back in her life. She yearns for Bolt but is forced to accept a Bolt double so that the show might carry on. The sniveling agent (Germann) tries to trick Penny with another dog but she knows the score. There are several scenes of Penny looking all forlorn and miserable which provide the film with gravity which is important in order to sell the overarching sense of loss that plagues much of the film. One truly wants to see this pair reunited and the journey becomes one of hope mingled with not an inconsiderable amount of temporary despair. The film does a good job offering circumstances that put up barriers between Bolt and his goal. Through grit and ingenuity he is able to transcend them all on his way to the finish line.

The relationship between cat and dog is rather typical of how these two species interact. At first Bolt roughs Mittens around a bit by grabbing her about the throat and threatening to kill her if she doesn’t reveal the location of the Green-eyed man (Calico). Fearing for her life she goes along with him and proceeds to provide a map that will lead them to Hollywood. Mittens is a smart, wily thing and she maintains her steely exterior for a short period until Bolt proves his loyalty to her and she melts in his paws. It’s rather sweet to watch these creatures struggle to reach the promised land before Calico sells Penny into white slavery or something equally horrific. Mittens and Bolt together make a strange and interesting couple and one wonders just what a match up such as this would produce in the end. There is a tremendous amount of chemistry between them and it’s not difficult to imagine them falling for each other. Also, the way the hamster reacts to Mittens is quite telling. He equates her with every dark and satanic thing he can think of and she merely shrugs it off.

The performances in this film are all quite good. John Travolta captures the essential panic of Bolt as well as his growing confidence as he pushes on toward recovering Penny. Miley Cyrus does an outstanding job with Penny’s various modes of confusion and fear. She also taps into Penny’s strengths as a vital pre-teen with important life skills. Susie Essman creates a sexy kitty with a tremendous amount of gumption. It’s possible to hear some of the hurt in her voice as she’s been abandoned and left to fend for herself. Mark Walton is entirely enthusiastic as the rodent with a huge crush on Bolt. He possesses enough energy for all three and Walton gets to the core of his character’s manic outbursts. Malcolm McDowell does the whole evil rag quite effectively. He’s believable as the cruel, sinister lord of the underworld.

Overall, this is a high quality film that is served well by its stellar performances. The animation is routinely excellent and the story is heartfelt and genuinely fascinating throughout. There are moments of great beauty in this film and each of the characters are well rounded and consistently intriguing. The film plays with various ideas about the nature of friendship and the evils of the television industry. There is a dark undercurrent to this film which comes through in the heartache that Bolt feels when he cannot locate his true friend. Separation anxiety sets in as he has never before been apart from Penny or for that matter been off of the set. He is merely an actor who doesn’t know who he is or how he is supposed to be. Through trial and tribulation he learns valuable lessons that all humans can apply to their lives. Friendship and loyalty are truly two grand elements of life worth pursuing to the best of our abilities.