INDULGING OUR INNER CHILDREN : "BOLT"

I liked this film. I think I did anyway. I mean don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy watching it – most of it anyway – but… What I think I mean by that is that all in all I found it a touch infantile. However, there is something rather endearing about the whole thing, especially if you’re a soppy git like me who gets all “awww” about little children and their dogs even though they are animated. Plus the whole thing does contain a few clever twists and some bits you simply have to laugh at… I dunno, not the brightest contestant in the lineup but it does hold its own…
Bolt is a super-hero. He is the dog of Penny who is the daughter of a prominent scientist. Penny’s father is responsible for very, VERY important discoveries and his arch enemy Dr. Calico and his cats are constantly out to get him. Bolt must assist Penny in saving the day – and sometimes even the world – time and time again… That’s what Bolt thinks, anyway. In reality, Bolt is the star of a very successful TV show and his loving mistress Penny is an actress. I mean, she is his mistress and she adores him but she is not the daughter of a scientist. (Think “The Truman Show” with a dog.)Penny has a successful career and Bolt has an adrenaline-filled life. Until, that is, the show’s director decides to end one episode on a cliff-hanger. Penny is abducted; Bolt is separated from her and taken to the trailer as he is meant to save her in the next day’s shooting. Bolt however, cannot rest until his precious Penny is safely home, so he escapes from the trailer and… Gets shipped to New York, by mistake. Now, what is a dog who has no idea of what real life is all about and thinks he has super powers to do in the big city? Will he ever get home? Will he ever see Penny again?
My mild problem with this film is the fact that it mixes something completely and delightfully original with something completely and utterly banal. I mean, cute kids and pets getting separated dates from the heyday of the Lassie TV series for Heaven’s sake, we kinda should have moved past this, especially considering it is painfully, PAINFULLY obvious that they will be reunited in the end. The “Truman Show” angle is however, not that bad. It affords a lot of comedy possibilities, some are good (I’m thinking Bolt’s two fellow cast-members, two cats, who know that Bolt thinks he’s a super-hero and regularly make fun of him through the skylight of the trailer – rather a nice touch those two.) Some are good, but get a bit old after a while (I’m thinking the whole pigeon thing from beginning to end I mean it starts of being not that bad, but wears a little thin towards the end.) The mainstay of the comedy is of course Bolt thinking he’s a super-hero and the attempts on the part of a “hostage” he takes to explain to him what is really going on. Again, nice but a little predictable…
That being said, like I said, the film is cute. In fact it is CUTE. And it is impressive that modern animation technology means that a dog that actually doesn’t exist can be so darn adorable… John Travolta lends his voice to Bolt, which gives the little pooch a bit of an edge. And the major advantage of this one is that you can happily set the little ones in front of it, watch it with them without getting too bored and while being able to get up and make snacks and coffee without missing too much. Gets a thumbs-up from me at any rate…