Bolt

Bolt (Travolta) has lived his entire life on the set of his TV show in which he plays a dog with superpowers. All is going well until the network wants to take the show in a more dramatic direction and Bolt’s owner Penny (Cyrus) is kidnapped. Bolt tries to rescue her with the help of a cynical cat and a crazy hamster. How will he cope in a world where he has no superpowers and no idea where he is?

Bolt is Disney’s latest visually stunning animated production. Although some of the human characters still lack depth, their animal counterparts are furry, warm and definitely cute enough to engage the audience. The scenery is also well-structured, with a great contrast between busy New York City and open landscapes as the animals journey back to Hollywood.

The star-studded cast adds extra life into the already striking animation. Travolta puts in a great warm performance as the lost canine with Cyrus being equally caring as his distressed owner. Essman is hilariously mocking as Mittens, Bolt’s new-found feline friend, but the real star is Walton, who really brings the mad fan hamster to life. As if these did not provide enough entertainment, we also meet many hilarious supporting characters along the way, such as Penny’s agent and gangs of pigeons.

The story of Bolt is heartwarming and funny, with jokes that younger and adult audiences will appreciate. Clips from the Bolt TV show are action packed and make a mockery of the action genre; such visually stunning scenes are contrasted with moving moments between Bolt and Penny or the desperate attempts of Rhino to prove his fanaticism. All in all, it is a very entertaining and touching story that goes highly recommended to audiences of all ages.

Julia Huntenburg