The jokes aren’t a match for Pixar’s best, and there’s too much sentimentality (as if Lasseter were determined to keep Disney’s cartoons just that little bit less cool than Pixar’s), but this is still an above-average children’s film.
Bolt (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:165
Fresh:145
Rotten:20
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Bolt is a pleasant animated comedy that overcomes the story's familiarity with strong visuals and likable characters.
Rated: U [See Full Rating] for some mild action and peril.
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:13-02-2009
Synopsis: For super-dog Bolt (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped... For super-dog Bolt (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of MILEY CYRUS). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of SUSIE ESSMAN) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of MARK WALTON) -- Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. --© Walt Disney Pictures [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Chloe Moretz
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Chloe Moretz, Kari Wahlgren, Sean Donnellan, Malcolm McDowell
Director: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Director: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Screenwriter: Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
Producer: Clark Spencer
Composer: John Powell
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Reviews for Bolt
The plot is sentimental fluff. But this has energy and invention enough to keep Lasseter top of the heap.
The wonderfully expressive features on Bolt make him feel almost real and the movie has enough charm and humour to please both adults and children.
The latest Disney animation has everything going for it, from a cast including John Travolta and Miley Cyrus to a truly brilliant premise.
Wittier by the reel, Bolt is can't-miss family entertainment, and a glad relief from the solemnities of award season.
While any remaining competitors slink away with their tails between their legs, Pixar and Disney just need to find a name for their new pedigree. Here, Pixey!
Bolt is enormous fun from start to finish for adults and kids alike. Disney animation doesn’t get much better than this – especially when in many places you will get to see this in 3D.
For entertainment value, there's nothing this week to rival Bolt. It's a clever, funny family film.
The animation isn’t up there with Pixar’s finest but still looks great, while the story is engaging enough for kids and adults alike. In short, it’s the puppy’s privates – and do try to catch it in 3D if you possibly can.
Bolt has all the wit, wisdom and top class computer imagery of a Pixar film, with the star voice cast of a Disney release.
The unlikely superhero of this film is the hamster, who brings the funny amid a flurry of weaker gags. But Bolt still has charm — it just won’t hit with the adults the way the best animated films can.
Disney’s first 3D animation, made under new head John Lasseter, is a likeable, dynamic and seductively characterised family entertainment.
Its hero may lack any real super bark but this comic cartoon comes with a sharply ironic bite.
The fact that the hamster steals the film speaks volumes about the lack of fresh ingredients.
It's a neat progression for Disney that finds balance between the studio's old-school charm and Pixar's dynamic modern outlook.
If a little twee for grown-ups, this is riotous fun for kids. Even if it’s not Pixar-perfect, it’ll definitely do until Up touches down.
This cracking cartoon romp is just what you yearn for from an animated movie - smart, funny and not too long! Bolt is brilliantly animated entertainment that will keep both kids and their parents amused.
Latest News for Bolt
March 23, 2009:
RT on DVD: Bolt, Bond, and Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter
It's a good week for Watchmen fans, as the highly anticipated animated short Tales of the Black Freighter (and the faux-documentary Under the Hood) arrive on shelves. Animation... More...
March 16, 2009:
RT on DVD: Exclusive Clips From Twilight, Punisher: War Zone
It's a big week for fans of Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance Twilight, which was adapted into the biggest movie phenomenon of 2008 and is headed to shelves this Saturday, March... More...
February 13, 2009:
Inside Walt Disney Animation Studios - A Photo Tour
Welcome to Walt Disney Animation Studios headquarters in Burbank, California. Adjacent to the main Walt Disney studios lot where the live-action magic happens, and opposite the... More...
February 11, 2009:
Video Exclusive: Bolt Behind the Scenes - Characters
Bolt, the story of a canine TV star who finds himself on a cross-country journey when he gets separated from his owner, arrives in UK cinemas this week after a Certified Fresh... More...
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