An Exceptional Animated Film by Disney

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2016)

Bolt is directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams and is the very original story of a dog that regularly stars in an action/adventure television show. Despite it being a fictional television show, Bolt, the dog, believes in every second of it. When he mistakenly gets shipped from Hollywood to New York, Bolt must, with the help of new companions Mittens the alley cat and Rhino the small hamster, get back to Penny in order to save her from the threat that he wholeheartedly believes is real.
Bolt is, as far as animated films go, one of the most underrated films ever created. With its combined amazing voice acting, animation, and very clever writing, Bolt is a great film, with a lot of style and substance. Coming from Disney in a dark streak of theirs, Bolt didn't have any expectations from me, yet it impressed me on every level. The low amount of recognition Bolt gets is unacceptable, because it is a substantial film.
The voice acting is what really elevated Bolt to the next level. The talent of John Travolta, Susie Essman, and Mark Walton add for a great team littered throughout the film. John Travolta pulls off the brave, big hearted Bolt with a passion that live action actors can't usually bring to an animated movie. Both Susie Essman and Mark Walton as supporting characters Mittens and Rhino back up the lead role with a large amount of vigor, and play their characters considerably.
The animation is top notch for the standards held these days, and impressed me greatly. The animators smartly knew to blur the background while giving the foreground much detail, which, overall, made the characters pop like a bubble. Each and every character stood out, be it Bolt, the superdog, or Penny, his "human." Although the background was blurred, like mentioned above, it doesn't look cheap. None of the animation looks rushed, and it all looks very clean.
My main issue lies with some conveniences thrown into the plot. Despite Bolt's target audience being smaller children, it was obviously directed somewhat to an older age as well, proved by its tear inducing moments cluttered throughout the movie. At certain times in the plot, the characters may be in a place in which the writers didn't seem to have a plan to get out of, yet, soon enough, a large factor in the film will suddenly purpose itself, and everything will work out for our heroes. Although this issue isn't that prominent, it really bothered me, and took enjoyment away from film altogether.
The clever writing in Bolt impressed my on a very large scale. Almost all of the dialogue, particularly between the characters of Bolt and Mittens, is absolutely flawless, with great banter and sly exposition thrown in the middle of it all. Once thing going for this is the difference between their species, a dog and a cat. Their characters' contrast added for a great relationship between the two of them; a relationship the entire audience can relate to.
Another minor issue I found in Bolt was the slow exposition. Due to the extravagant plot, the film takes its time to set up for the adventure that's about to come. Once the adventure kicks into gear, the film begins to move very quickly, but the exposition seems to drag on just a tad too long. If the script would've removed a few unnecessary characters, namely a pair of annoying cats, then the first fifteen minutes (or so) may have moved faster.
The last thing I have to mention about Bolt is the fantastic score. The musical score, composed by John Powell, is absolutely golden. Every single minute that any sort of action was taking place, the score was pounding, demanding that the audience sit on the edge of their seats. The viewer already cared about the characters, and their goals, but with the astounding score booming from the speakers, the audience begins to care all that much more about everything that's taking place in the film.
Overall, Bolt is one of the best animated films that Disney has made in a long time. Pretty much anyone will relate to, and enjoy, this excellent movie.