That it falls short of Pixar's lofty heights doesn't mean the attempt isn't worthwhile; indeed, Bolt is the most entertaining and well-crafted Disney Animation movie in years.
Comment
11/21/08
Bolt (2008)
77
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:24
Rotten:7
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: Bolt is a pleasant animated comedy that overcomes the story's familiarity with strong visuals and likable characters.
Theatrical Release:Nov 21, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $114,053,579
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... [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Chloe Moretz
Director: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
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Reviews for Bolt
Top CriticThe 3-D process is an enhancement, even though it's used with little verve or ingenuity. But the movie's terms are severely limited too.
11/21/08
Top CriticBelief may be in question for much of the movie -- only for the perturbed pooch -- but fortunately, enjoyment is never a problem.
11/21/08
Top CriticIn the pre-Thanksgiving lull, parents can take their young'uns to Bolt, drop their 10-to-14-year-olds off at Twilight, and the whole family will have survived the weekend.
11/21/08
Top CriticAlthough it doesn't reach the heights of Finding Nemo or The Incredibles, it's a masterpiece compared with Disney's 2002 Treasure Island.
11/21/08
Top CriticBolt, with its numerous winks and nudges, reminds us how attuned we are to the falseness of pop culture, which isn't the same thing as connecting us with its truths.
11/21/08
Top CriticOverall it's basically a crass marketing concept closer to Beverly Hills Chihuahua than a fully conceived work of art like Wall-E.
11/21/08
Top CriticDisney surely sees that inside the kinetic movement of Pixar films is a lot of restraint. Bolt is super-fast, yet not as super-sincere as it would like to believe.
11/21/08
Top CriticAt the end of the day, Bolt is a sweet Disney family film, but Lasseter's oversight has made it smarter than it otherwise would have been.
11/21/08
Top CriticThis computer-animated (but non-Pixar) adventure flick doesn’t do much of anything innovative, but it sports a disarming furball of a lead and enough jaunty comic turns to carry the day.
11/21/08
Top CriticWitty, sweet and -- in 3D -- often visually dazzling, Bolt is an unexpected pleasure, a showbiz, sci-fi spin on a classic Disney tale that's sure to please small kids and parents alike.
11/21/08
Top CriticThe directors and screenwriters hit all their marks and push all the right buttons, but the story never really takes off, and the characters never really spark to life.
11/21/08
Top CriticIt's not a 'gourmet' banquet on the order of Ratatouille or the first Shrek, but this peppy picture is certainly more than a cinematic 'snack,' and for its 96-minute running time will not bore kids, the parents or other adults joining them.
11/21/08
Top CriticAdults won't find much to enjoy here, though the dog's high-octane action series serves as a perverse parody of Jerry Bruckheimer-style summer blockbusters.
11/21/08
Top CriticThe format brilliantly brings an audience that much closer to a handful of increasingly lonely, yet contagiously enthusiastic, animals.
11/21/08
Top CriticIf Bolt does not quite rise to the level of bona fide Pixar masterpieces like Wall-E, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille, it does manage to be frisky, funny and inventive enough to engage the attention of grown-ups as well as children.
11/21/08
Top CriticTo paraphrase a line often misattributed to Samuel Johnson, this Disney-aspires-to-Pixar combination is both original and good; the problem is the original parts aren't good and the good parts aren't original.
11/21/08
Top CriticThe story is shamelessly derivative, but you won't mind much because it's so gentle and warm-hearted.
11/20/08
Top CriticBolt is a jolt of joy, a computer-animated delight that is delirious with laughs.
11/20/08
Top CriticFunny and heartwarming, if not entirely original, Bolt is bound to charm audiences of all ages.
11/20/08
Top CriticLatest 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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