Bolt - Movie Review

Caitlin Tadlock

Child actor turned singer Jenny Lewis lends her voice to the soundtrack of the recently-released Disney film Bolt, starring Miley Cyrus and John Travolta. Bolt (Travolta) is an actor dog unable to distinguish television from reality. Lewis said she immediately related to Bolt, being a Hollywood actress at a young age herself.

Lewis wrote a few songs while on tour with Rilo Kiley for the film. Only one made it to the soundtrack, Barking at the Moon. She said that, even though she could relate somewhat to the dog, writing songs for the film was a tough task since she is used to writing songs with some “dark perspective.” She didn’t want to “ruin the children” later on with her song, so she wrote it upbeat and positive instead. They picked I Thought I Lost You, co-written by Cyrus, as the title-track. The song features Cyrus and Travolta singing a duet. Cyrus’ song is listed as a presumptive favorite in the Oscar category Best Original Song. The song is up against other Disney films of the year, including WALL-E and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
The 3D Disney picture has been out for a few weeks, filled with action and cute as-a-button animals including a slew of cock-eyed pigeons. Bolt escapes his Hollywood set to find Penny (Cyrus), his owner, who he believes is in danger. The dog thinks he is the genetically enhanced super dog he portrays on a TV show. He accidentally gets shipped to New York and realizes his super powers do no good in the unfamiliar land.

Bolt makes a few friends a long the way. Mittens the alley cat and Rhino the fanatic hamster both team up with Bolt and use their combined non-super hero talents to make their way back to LA. The basic story line of the movie isn’t different from many other Disney films. Although there is no real villain in the story, the animals must overcome their own state of mind instead of fighting the bad guys.
Bolt is full of funny and exciting parts and adding 3D to the picture makes it even better. Watching it in 3D lets us enjoy the movie’s detailed animation and the textures of everything from the sidewalks to the space inside the hamster ball in the film. The beginning gives a lot of action sequences to really appreciate the 3D experience. The film has grossed 79 million dollars in the past 3 weeks and will still be in theatres throughout the holidays. Not all theatres offer Bolt in 3D, so make sure you find a theater that does offer the goodness.