DVD Review: Disney's Bolt on Blu-Ray

John Travolta, Miley Cyrus Voice Animated Film with Fun Extras

Mar 24, 2009

The newest animated film overseen by John Lasseter and co-directed by Chris Williams, Bolt tells of a dog who ventures cross country to save his beloved owner. 7/10

In this latest cinematic achievement in computer generated filmmaking, Disney manages to produce yet another well balanced, comedic, touching story about believing in oneself.

Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) is an energetic white dog who regularly saves the day, in the face of constant plots against mankind, by the nefarious Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). Accompanying his "human" Penny (Miley Cyrus), Bolt uses a variety of powers bestowed upon him by Penny's father, including optical laser beams, a power bark, and super strength, speed...you get the idea.

Little does Bolt know that his life of action and excitement, is nothing more than a well rehearsed television show, called "Bolt" (airs Thursday nights, don't miss it, now), essentially filmed around the dog's perception of "staged" danger, carefully engineered by a visionary director (voiced by Actors' Studio staple James Lipton, in an inspired self deprecating performance).

As Penny leaves the set one day, Bolt believes her to have been abducted by Calico, and tries to rush out to save her, only to bang his head into a window, and falls into a shipping box.

When Bolt comes to, he realizes he's been sent to New York City, several time zones away from his human, and sets off for Hollywood, accompanied by a streetwise black cat (Suzie Essman), and a hyperactive hamster named Rhino (memorably voiced by Mark Walton). Their travels across America from East to West, leads them on a journey of self discovery and learning one's true worth.

While Bolt really isn't reinventing the wheel in terms of story, it really must be said that the technical wizards at Disney are constantly improving on their craft, bringing new realism to their background scenery. When we learn that a working title for this film was American Dog, it's almost easy to use this as an excuse to pay tribute to Americana, as Bolt and his new friends travel from East to West.

Director Chris Williams, who worked on previous Disney projects as story artist and writer, utilizes a Truman Show type premise, creating an illusion that the dog's life is really all about James Bond-esque villains, dangerous lairs, and armies of henchmen looking to take over the world.

The voice actors in this film manage fine, though Travolta and Miley Cyrus aren't exactly all that exciting, their star power is easily eclipsed here by both Mark Walton (Rhino) and Suzie Essman (Mittens), who both bring boundless energy and attitude to their respective characters, and steal every scene they're in, fast becoming fan favorites.

Disney is quickly taking advantage of the new Blu-Ray technology, and this movie is a fine example. The video and audio transfer is impeccable, and all of the hues intended carry over well on screen.

Look for some very informative behind-the-scenes featurettes, especially the making-of docu, in which the producers literally travel from coast to coast, to ascertain how the natural light in each outdoor region is diffused, in order to give the animators an accurate idea of how best to convey each location in the story.

Viewers may want to skip the "Voices of Bolt" portions as well as the Travolta/Cyrus music video, as they're mostly all about talking heads describing their experiences, rather than giving candid glimpses into the recording process; the music video feels self-congratulatory, and only hardcore Cyrus fans will want repeated viewings.

Also forgettable is the on-disc "Bolt's Be-Awesome Mission Game", which requires dextrous control of a Blu-Ray player's remote control. Sadly, the game's format is remindful of Super Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong, and gets repetitive way too quickly.

The best extra feature on the disc is the exclusive animated short "Super Rhino", featuring the hyperactive hamster in a what-if scenario, where Rhino would be the genetically engineered animal, in Bolt's place. Simply hilarious.

Note: The 3-Disc Blu-Ray version also comes with regular format DVD, as well as a third disc containing a digital copy for computer, or portable media use.

7 out of 10 for amazing visuals, excellent video and audio transfer to hi-definition, yet an uneven story with ups and downs.

The copyright of the article DVD Review: Disney's Bolt on Blu-Ray in Hollywood Animated Films is owned by Dominic Messier. Permission to republish DVD Review: Disney's Bolt on Blu-Ray in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.