A Near-Perfect Family Comedy

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2008)

It's official. Disney is finally back! "Bolt" is a return to the old formula of having a story that works on both the level of entertaining the kids with jokes, and keeping the parents watching with a touching character-based story.
At its base level, "Bolt" is quite possibly the funniest animated film that Disney has ever made. And thankfully, the best humor was not wasted on the movie's trailers. You think you've seen it, but oh, there's so much more! The audience at my theater, kids and parents alike, were laughing like crazy throughout the film, including one joke that kept them laughing for a good minute afterward. (I wouldn't dare spoil it here.) Rhino, the little hyperactive TV-obsessed hamster who has no idea how small he is, steals the show. Almost everything that he does is worth a good laugh, and all of his humor is perfectly in-character... not annoying in the least bit, unlike the Disney sidekicks of the 90's. And there are no fart jokes or potty humor, or other such overly-easy kid-friendly jokes that make adults smack themselves on the heads. It's classic character-based humor, which everyone can appreciate, throughout the film.
The movie's base premise, a character who thinks he's something extraordinary when he's really not, may sound like a rehash of "Toy Story," but it isn't. They only sound similar on paper. The execution, and what the film's drama and basic plot points focus on, are completely different. In "Toy Story," Buzz's ignorance was self-induced, while in "Bolt," Bolt's ignorance is the fault of the studio, who keeps him ignorant for the sake of making a more convincing show. "Bolt" is more of a story about love overcoming cruelty than a self-actualization one.
As a serious film, "Bolt" works for the most part. The first 30 minutes or so, from the opening pet shop scene to the end of the Ohio trailer park scene, are spectacular, showcasing the lightning-fast action scenes that Bolt thinks are real, plus using the wonderfully detailed and subtle character animation, (which is remarkably lifelike,) to capture the tender Penny-playing-with-Bolt moments. You really feel for Penny and Bolt because of how believable the animation is, and those first images of them together really stick in your head throughout the film.
The only place where the story fizzles out a bit is in the middle and some parts of the end. The parts where Bolt actually learns that he is not in fact a super dog, and has to cope with it, were not redundant, but they certainly weren't inspired either. It kind of rushes through them, and doesn't dwell on them, which makes such an intense change in character a lot less significant than it could have been. (This is not a spoiler, by the way... the plot shifts in a completely different direction once this part, which everyone knew was coming, is over.) I personally think this lack of perfection is because the team had only 2 years to finish the film after Sanders left, and didn't have time to iron out the story and dialog in the middle. This keeps the movie from being a masterpiece. If the whole film was as good as the first 30 minutes, it could have been. As is now, it is still a sensational family comedy achievement, but falls just short as a serious character-study film.
Nonetheless, "Bolt" is one of Disney's best films from the last 10 years, and is not to be missed. The kids at the theater unanimously loved it, especially loving the hamster. If you have a family, don't miss it! If you like good light-hearted comedies, don't miss it! If you're a lone Disney fan holding out for the return of the near-perfect character, music, and epic animation, though, you might have to wait until next year's "The Princess and the Frog." "Bolt" is certainly a treat, but is still just short of the levels of the 90's Disney Renaissance.