Different movies bolted into one

Rating: 3/10 (8 January 2013)

This is three entirely different movies bolted into one. The extended opening sequence shows Bolt as the superhero in a sci-fi TV action programme, with lots of shooting, explosions, creepy characters and military hardware, and is far too scary and aggressive for young children.
Then there's an extended Bolt-in-Hollywood section, with lots of nods to the adults, in which virtually everyone is cynical and extremely unsympathetic, while Bolt with his delusional pumped-up ego also was hard to warm to. The (in-)jokes simply weren't funny, and everything left such a sour taste in the mouth that I switched the movie off after 38 minutes... my two kids (10 and 7) didn't protest, which says something.
I later watched the rest alone to be able give this movie a fair review, and discovered the lengthy cute though also rather predictable middle section, which is suitable for younger kids, but probably would bore the over 10s. The end section is a kind of Frankenstein attempt to bolt all elements together, and in doing so tries to be all things to all people, and rather predictably failed. The movie is beautifully drawn, but the story simply does not hold together, and only the hamster provided some laughs.
Finally, is it just me or is an obsession with military hardware and uniforms and violence beginning to creep into all American children's' movies? The relentless exposure of kids (and adults) to military-style footage, costumes, weapons, communication, language, action, etc implicitly legitimises war. IMDb's Parents Guide section, with its endless lists of "facts" without providing any context, also has has become totally useless in warning us which kids' movies glorify the military and violence, and which don't. "Arthur Christmas" is another example: no warning whatsoever that Santa's exploits are presented like a military operation, complete with flak jackets and the lot.